GPF: Men's FS - Thoughts and Highlights

[moonvine]

Charlie comes across as classy, knowledgeable, and unbiased. That makes his commentary interesting and useful.

Johnny comes across as a shill for Russians, with unnecessary meanness towards the rest. That makes him irrelevant. Just annoying noise.

I agree. I also like Tanith. And John Coughlin. And Tonia Kwaitowski. And Ben Agosto. And just about everyone other than Johnny and Tara. Tanith has been getting a lot of air time lately, I'm starting to wonder if she's going to replace Terry Gannon. Tanith has done some gymnastics color commentary for NBC as well. I'm watching swimming ATM and Terry Gannon is generally excitable and pretty pro-American, but having bias towards Americans when you are American and broadcasting on a US network at least makes more sense than Russian boot licking.

 

[moonvine]

Speaking of Charlie, does anyone know if/when he commentates regularly? I love his commentary, he actually has such great insight into the sport.

I can tell you he commentated once during the Grand Prix season. Tara and Johnny did Skate America and the GPF, other than I don't think they always or maybe even often commentate ice dance, I believe Tanith and Ben did that part. Charlie did one Grand Prix, I believe it was Skate Canada. Ashley did two. I can't remember who else did them. I'm sure someone will come along with a better memory.

 

[epicdreamer]

I can tell you he commentated once during the Grand Prix season. Tara and Johnny did Skate America and the GPF, other than I don't think they always or maybe even often commentate ice dance, I believe Tanith and Ben did that part. Charlie did one Grand Prix, I believe it was Skate Canada. Ashley did two. I can't remember who else did them. I'm sure someone will come along with a better memory.

Ah cool! Thanks for the reply!

Hopefully Charlie does more coverage of stuff

 

[Casual]

I agree. I also like Tanith. And John Coughlin. And Tonia Kwaitowski. And Ben Agosto. And just about everyone other than Johnny and Tara. Tanith has been getting a lot of air time lately, I'm starting to wonder if she's going to replace Terry Gannon. Tanith has done some gymnastics color commentary for NBC as well. I'm watching swimming ATM and Terry Gannon is generally excitable and pretty pro-American, but having bias towards Americans when you are American and broadcasting on a US network at least makes more sense than Russian boot licking.

Agreed. I also like Tanith a lot. Actually, all of them, except Johnny and Tara. I liked Ashley's commentary - she's still finding her voice, but I think she can do great once she finds the right balance.

As for Johnny, as Russians say: whomever pays for dinner, gets to dance with the girl.

 

[moonvine]

Ah cool! Thanks for the reply!

Hopefully Charlie does more coverage of stuff

Tanith and Ben are doing the commentary on ice dance of the GPF. It's not Charlie, but very good nonetheless.

 

[Mathman]

Oh, Johnny Weir's not that bad. He is an admirer and student of Russian culture and he prides himself in making a reasonable attempt at pronouncing Russian names correctly. (I think he speaks a few words of Japanese as well as Russian, if I am not mistaken). But he can gush for non-Russian skaters like Hanyu and formerly Chan when he thinks their performances are worthy. He liked Evgenia and favored her over Alina at the Olympics. He has his likes and his dislikes, and can bring a sharp tongue to the commentary. Personally, I've got no problem with him.

Tanith, though, is a true natural in front of a mic. She did some announcing and local television work in the Detroit area before she hooked up with the big time. Very professional.

 

[khtmyzr]

Speaking of Charlie, does anyone know if/when he commentates regularly? I love his commentary, he actually has such great insight into the sport.

Charlie did one Grand Prix, I believe it was Skate Canada.

I think Charlie did the Helsinki GP on the Olympic Channel coverage

 

[TallyT]

I think Charlie did the Helsinki GP on the Olympic Channel coverage

he definitely did Helsinki, I have the video of his commentary on Yuzuru's SP (if anyone knows where to find the FS ones, please let me know ) he mentioned he thought Boyang is underappreciated, which of course endeared him to me.

 

[ice coverage]

Speaking of Charlie, does anyone know if/when he commentates regularly? I love his commentary, he actually has such great insight into the sport.

This season is not the first that Charlie White has been giving commentary -- in the same pool as Ryan Bradley, for example. (As of this season, Ashley is new to the pool.)
AFAIK, usually it is only a few days before each competition that NBC and/or the individuals involved make it known to viewers as to who specifically will be giving commentary.

Ben Agosto is in the pool for ice-dance commentary, along with Charlie. They both do a good job, IMO.
Sinead Kerr also has been in the ice-dance pool in the past (although I am not sure about this season?).

Tanith sometimes has the role of commentator, but sometimes has the role of what I call "anchor"-announcer (a la Gannon).

Charlie comes across as classy, knowledgeable, and unbiased. That makes his commentary interesting and useful. ...

:agree:

Especially memorable for me was Charlie's pitch-perfect commentary for Max's FS at 2018 Four Continents.
The way I remember it: As Max skated, Charlie (as his articulate self) wore his objective/neutral hat. Then after the end of the program, Charlie in a very appropriate way got somewhat speechless and emotional -- with happiness for his friend and fellow skater Max, who had made a resounding comeback after Nationals.
Never have I loved Charlie more. :luv17:

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… Tanith, though, is a true natural in front of a mic. She did some announcing and local television work in the Detroit area before she hooked up with the big time. Very professional.

At this stage of the game, I am a big fan of Tanith's commentary. She has become very professional and enjoyable.

But I cannot agree that she is a true natural.
I do think that she deserves immense credit for coming a long way since her early days of being rather stiff and unnatural (IMO). Vast improvement.

(For me, Charlie [for example] has been more of a natural than Tanith was.)

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I think the rule is that you have to say three good things about a performance for every one bad thing. ...

If only it were a rule for all commentators.

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Don't know if this has been mentioned but... can we talk about how wild it is that the ONLY judge that scored Shoma over Nathan was the *US judge*
http://skatingscores.com/2019/gpf/men/long/

I do not find it "wild".
I am not so naïve as to believe that it is impossible for national bias to creep in -- but I do not assume that national bias is an all-pervasive norm.

 

[Shanshani]

I do not find it "wild".
I am not so naïve as to believe that it is impossible for national bias to creep in -- but I do not assume that national bias is an all-pervasive norm.

This exactly. While biased judges are common, there are plenty of unbiased judges. Don't let the biased judges off the hook by assuming all judges are that way--they aren't.

 

[moonvine]

I think Charlie did the Helsinki GP on the Olympic Channel coverage

Ok. I remember being so relieved that it wasn't Tara and Johnny that I didn't much care who it was. I have them all on my DVR.

 

[moonvine]

Oh, Johnny Weir's not that bad. He is an admirer and student of Russian culture and he prides himself in making a reasonable attempt at pronouncing Russian names correctly. (I think he speaks a few words of Japanese as well as Russian, if I am not mistaken). But he can gush for non-Russian skaters like Hanyu and formerly Chan when he thinks their performances are worthy. He liked Evgenia and favored her over Alina at the Olympics. He has his likes and his dislikes, and can bring a sharp tongue to the commentary. Personally, I've got no problem with him.

Tanith, though, is a true natural in front of a mic. She did some announcing and local television work in the Detroit area before she hooked up with the big time. Very professional.

Johnny and Tara are my least favorite commentators across all sports. I breathe a sigh of relief when I watch figure skating they are not commentating. I'm willing to bet that all the other commentators have favorite skaters, but they don't make it so obvious. Tara's obsession with Nathan Chen is almost stalkerish.

 

[Mathman]

Tara's obsession with Nathan Chen is almost stalkerish.

I can understand it, though. Tara, Johnnie and Terry Gannon are commentating for the U.S. audience, trying to whip up public interest in the sport. At the moment Nathan is the only U.S. skater that has much of a chance to win anything (and maybe Hubble and Donohue), so he is heavily pushed.

 

[Casual]

I can understand it, though. Tara, Johnnie and Terry Gannon are commentating for the U.S. audience, trying to whip up public interest in the sport. At the moment Nathan is the only U.S. skater that has much of a chance to win anything (and maybe Hubble and Donohue), so he is heavily pushed.

Tara, yes. Johnnie, not so much. No one who listens to Johnnie would get into the U.S. skating.

Tara is always pushing some sort of rivalry between skaters, even when there're on totally different levels, with the same goal - drama! interest! ratings!