Final Lineup Confirmed for Campbell's Classic
- Thread starter SailorGalaxia518
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The problem I think is that there are too many levels of management and too many organizations in skating. Therefore, nothing is streamlined and you have all these events scattered all over the place. I think figure skating could really benefit if the organizations could just work together (through the ISU or not) to create a streamlined schedule. If they just did this there would be no problems with skaters skipping the GP just because "they want to". How could skating POSSIBLY be respected as a "sport" if the "athletes" in question can just skip all the events and go to only Nationals and Worlds?
Here's what I think: Have a "regular season" (GP, whatever) that's somehow connected to participation in the World championships, or, ideally, in Euros/4CCs/National championships. This is what I would propose:
You can have what you call "cheesefests" in the beginning of the season as a sort of "pre-season". These events would be optional, and instead of having to be invited, skaters could just sign up to "test their programs". It would be a first-come-first-serve system.
Then, I think the GP is a great concept of turning FS into an actual "sport" (for lack of a better word) instead of just a blockbuster event every year or 4. Have skaters choose one or two events in their region. (This will avoid the jet lag and fatigue associated with travelling great distances in such a short period of time. It will also rid skaters of the excuse that they have to travel everywhere or they want to take it "one step at a time".) For example, North Americans choose Skate America or Skate Canada, Europeans TEB or COR, Asians NHK or COC. Depending on placement/points gathered then a system could be developed as to who goes to the GP Final/whatever. You could even scrap the GP Final and connect the GP directly to either 4CC or Euros. And then connect those two to Worlds. What would be harder to fit in are all the national championships. But this is just a brief outline/suggestion for improvements to skating in general. Oh yeah, and one more thing: Get rid of corrupt judging and get tough on ANYONE who cheats.
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- Jun 21, 2003
Baseball has the Grapefruit League (the pre-season games at the training sites in Florida), so why can't figure skating have it's "Cheese League?" 
But of the three major U.S. Invitationals, right now one is in October (along with the Japanese event), one in December (that one might not be held this year
), and the "post-season" competition after Worlds.
This last one, the Spring Marshall's, is cool, because it is a chance to root for your favorite skater to get revenge after being "wuz-robbed" at Worlds, LOL.
The big difference, to me, is that the independent Invitationals invite only the most popular skaters, and they heavily feature competitors from the host country. This is understandable, since these are "bottom line" entertainments that expect to make a profit from the live gate and from television advertising.
Maybe the Grand Prix could be the "minor leagues" so we would still get a chance to see the second tier skaters and the up-and-comers.
About the short program, I doubt if it is economically viable for the sponsors and promoters to stretch the event over several days, like the Grand Prix does. I'm sure the Grand Prix must lose money on the Original Dance segment, for instance.
Mathman
But of the three major U.S. Invitationals, right now one is in October (along with the Japanese event), one in December (that one might not be held this year
), and the "post-season" competition after Worlds.This last one, the Spring Marshall's, is cool, because it is a chance to root for your favorite skater to get revenge after being "wuz-robbed" at Worlds, LOL.
The big difference, to me, is that the independent Invitationals invite only the most popular skaters, and they heavily feature competitors from the host country. This is understandable, since these are "bottom line" entertainments that expect to make a profit from the live gate and from television advertising.
Maybe the Grand Prix could be the "minor leagues" so we would still get a chance to see the second tier skaters and the up-and-comers.
About the short program, I doubt if it is economically viable for the sponsors and promoters to stretch the event over several days, like the Grand Prix does. I'm sure the Grand Prix must lose money on the Original Dance segment, for instance.
Mathman
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Mathman said:
Have no fear MM- I saw it on the USFS schedule the other night.
ETA: Check it out- it's the "Marshall's World Cup of Figure Skating"
http://www.usfigureskating.org/Event_TV_Schedule.asp
gezando said:
IMO, one of Robin's interview after she took Sasha in init the speculations around the boards......It was Robin said she left the msg on Sarah's vmail, never heard it back from Sarah after......And again it was Robin's laudry 'dirty' in the air time after Sasha split with her that enhance the speculations of the characters of Robin or the relationships she had with her students.......I agree someone above said that Frank was classier, general public diddn't know it was Frank fired Tim until Tim revealed it himself.
I diddn't read anywhere Sasha said an American skater should have an American coach. I heard it was TT said it on a TV interview at the worlds? ..... If Sasha said it, she certainly diddn't believe it when she was leaving TT shopping around for the coach. May be she only believed it after the fact.
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- Jun 21, 2003
Thanks for the heads up. If the USFS schedule is correct, it seems to be scheduled for TV live! I wonder if this is a mistake in the schedule.Red Dog said:
Also, it is not (yet) listed on the ISU schedule.This raises the possbility that it will be a U.S. only affair. I haven't seen any mention so far of any skaters who have committed to it. Michelle and Sasha almost always do it, and Irina has participated three times in the last several years (and won them all!)
BTW, this is the event that broke the camel's back in the TT - Sasha saga, IIRC. It was widely reported at the time that TT did not want Sasha to do this event, but Sasha's mom felt that Sasha should honor the commtment that she had made (plus the money might have been an issue). Anyway, Sasha skated in the cheesefest, injured herself (or maybe she was slightly injured already), then she came down with shingles and was not at her best at Nationals. TT supposedly felt that Sasha was not doing what she was told and was not keeping her eyes on the prize.
MM
Mathman said:
IMO, $peedy will have to have the ISU refuse to sanction cheesefests that would really interfere with skaters appearing in the GP or GPF, such as the winter Marshall's -- because that is the strongest weapon. After all, if all countries did cheesefests, all used the CoP, and all skaters skipped the GP for the cheesefests because of the money, then there would no longer be a competitive advantage in doing the GP.
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- Jun 21, 2003
attyfan said:
Maybe where we are barking up the wrong tree is insisting that figure skating have an international regular season. Why couldn't it be like soccer. Each country or region has its own league, and then once every four years they get together and have the World Cup. The U.S. could have a competitive season along the lines of the U.S. cheesefests. Other countries could do as they please.
Like in basketball. We have the NBA, other countries have their own natitional league play. Then there are various world championship tournaments (which are usually not taken very seriously).
If you want to see the international stars (like Yao Ming or Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili in basketball), invite them to your competitions. That way the ISU could slowly fade away into irrelevancy without anyone having to start a big fight.
Mathman
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mzheng said:
If my memory serves, it was Sasha who dissed Robin (indirectly) in her journal (maybe the one her announcement of splitting with Robin) first, after which Robin hit back. I don't remember the details; I remember reading someone came to Robin's defence that she had to defend herself in light of Sasha's allegation in her journal. I don't have a stance on this issue but that's the sequence of events I remember; someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
So by this paragraph, are you trying to say that there should be NO international competition except for Worlds?
For example, all the federations have their own events, national championships, etc.? Sounds alright at first but I think skating has really established itself as an international thing. How many strictly national events do you hear of (not counting national championships)?
I still prefer the idea of an international skating season. But the difference would be that during the regular season, North Americans, Europeans, and Asians will compete in separate events (once again, to minimize jet lag, etc.). Then you can have the top ranked in each division go ahead to a "final" or two "finals" before you get together for the world championships.
I have one question- by your "national method", how would you decide how many people you can send to the world championships?
Mathman said:
Joannie finished 11th(with a 15th place in the FP) at Worlds after everyone (including the Canadian Fed) was counting on her being a medal threat. . She's not going to break the top 10 at Olympics. Emily will finish top 6 (and I have her as a medal pick).
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fscric said:
How did Cohen diss her? (I'm going to check out that journal and see.)
ETA: I can't see anything. On the contrary it seems like she had nothing but good words for Robin. Quite the opposite...it was Robin who did not have such good words for Sasha...
Sasha says in that journal where she announces her split:
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Red Dog said:Well, never say never.That said, yes, it would be pretty tough for her to suddenly climb the ranks in a year. But that does not mean it can't happen. I think one has to expect the unexpected every once in a while.
I double checked my source (it says 11th) with 15th in FP)
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- Jul 11, 2003
I am anxious to see if Speedy gets as angry with the two Russian top skaters as he was with La Kwan and Diva Cohen for skipping the GPs last year. (He is very buddy buddy with Piseev, I have read.)attyfan said:
Joe
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- Jul 11, 2003
Something can be said about improvement which is not a word used in this forum. so many posters forget about the well skated events and only remember the poor ones especially the last one. Let's see what Joannie can do. It's a new season.soogar said:
Joe
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