Hersh wants Cohen back

[sillylionlove]

Ditto. Next year the US women will be back.

I have to agree. This year we had a number of girls that were moving from juniors to seniors. I believe that this was a time for the girls to grow and learn and even for people like Kimmie to work out what the problems are that they are having. I am very confident for the 2009-2010 year!!

 

[bekalc]

Libby said "Even the Cohen of 2006 would not beat the Mao or Yu-Na of today. Not a chance - she didn't have anywhere near their technical content or consistency".

Consistency? Yu Na and Mao rarely skate perfect programs. There are practically always visible flaws. Mao's first GP event of the season was one of the biggest disasters I've ever witnessed among top-ranked skaters. Yu Na rarely completes a competition without popping or doubling a jump--or worse yet, falling. And yet, both are phenomenal skaters. Such talent is a rarity. The tendency to pack the points in CoP appears to me to be the culprit!

They may rarely skate clean skates, but they will still out Jump Sasha. For example Yu-na normally does a 3/3 and a double axel/3 so that she can pack in another double axel. Not to mention 3/3's in the short.

 

[gocaroline]

Can't agree with Mr. Hersh. The US ladies are doing their best right now. Most of them are still growing and just moving up from Junior to Senior. Kimmie and Czisny are working hard too. Sasha is a very artistic and beautiful on the ice, but I doubt she will fair better than those US ladies right now with her technique.

The real issue IMO is not about how well the US ladies are, but the fact that the bar has been raised really high by skaters in Japan and Korea. Give our girls time and patience and I am sure they will catch up. Besides, it's a sports, no one can always dominate.

 

[Bennett]

My complaint is about Hersch and all those reporters who limit their articles to the girls. He is only interested in Women as enlight is questioning.

As to the Olympics, are you not aware of every country rejoicing for their skaters who win medals? How much publicity did Japan give its skaters in the 90s? And was there any publicity for the Men, Pairs and Skate Dance? Of course publicity comes with the win, but articles by a reporter who is apparently criticising the state of US figure skating is valid but some of us only think he is criticing Women and not the other disciplines. Winning the Olympics has nothing to do with Enlight's and my questions about Hersch.

There is, unfortunately, no Retirement Figure Skating Contests for those skaters who want to continue. I doubt there are many that do, including Sasha.

Those reporters and critics are writing for their readers' interests. OGMs in other disciplines would bring greater public interests as it has been the case in Canadian Men, which would produce more demands on articles on other disciplines. They write mainly about the ladies because the US ladies had had a lot of stars who were very strong contenders of OGM. Sasha's media coverage is still well received because she was known as a big contender of OGM. There have been many ppl who have dreamed of Michelle's and Sasha's comebacks. This article seems to address such wishes.

Your hearing is good. My post is about the US - not Canada. My use of the term Americans throughout was just about the USA in the colloquial form. It gets more ambiguous with US because that is the official name of the US of Mexico. But you knew that, didn't you?

You know, I do not think that there is any need to put so much sarcasm just to make one's points. I believe that sarcasm undermines positive energy and shortens the life. And I would like to live long.

 

[Dee4707]

Kristi and Yuka both could come back and kick serious booty...

Sasha... I'm not so sure...

I don't know Toni....I think Sasha has a little more up on Kristi & Yuka as far as skating under the COP rules. For me it would be an absolute delight to see Yuka and Sasha back....2 of the most elegant skaters that I love to watch.

Dee

 

[kittyjake5]

Another article by Mr. Hersh criticizing the U.S. Ladies. He has been doing
this for years (yaaawn) and as a further veiled dig at the U.S. Ladies he brings Sasha into it. We know that Sasha's overall record outshines the current U.S. Ladies, these young U.S. skaters are just starting their senior career, lets give them a chance. He is so gloom and doom sometimes.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Those reporters and critics are writing for their readers' interests. OGMs in other disciplines would bring greater public interests as it has been the case in Canadian Men, which would produce more demands on articles on other disciplines. They write mainly about the ladies because the US ladies had had a lot of stars who were very strong contenders of OGM.

I'm not disagreeing with you, but so what?. Enlight and I are asking about Hersch and his penchant for writing about Ladies. What other discipline does he write about? That's all there is to this topic. Can you direct an answer to englight's question?

 

[ManyCairns]

I'm not disagreeing with you, but so what?. Enlight and I are asking about Hersch and his penchant for writing about Ladies. What other discipline does he write about? That's all there is to this topic. Can you direct an answer to englight's question?

Joesitz, are you now a moderator for this forum? Because actually, that's NOT all there is to this topic. Reference the OP -- it's about a call for Cohen to return, and brings up her competitive record, and basically opens up several possible discussion points, all of which may be considered relevant.


Can't believe Hersh is calling for Cohen to return. It's hard to believe she could be competitive, unless she's actually improved on her previous jumping abilities.

There seems to be more than generic negative reporting with Hersh and figure skating, esp. with regard to the U.S. ladies. But if he can keep pounding the same drum, apparently there are those who will (or are forced to, LOL) listen.

 

[R.D.]

The Cohen horse has been basically flogged past recognition. The key topic here IMHO is NOT Cohen in particular, but whether Hersh's point that US skating may need outside help (in other words, the current ladies will never be competitive) is valid. I happen to think it's not. According to the outcome of this thread, many others do as well.

Of course, Hersh brings up Cohen as a solution, so obviously that will gather attention. I think it's just to get more eyeballs reading that article.

I think we are in a Transition and it has not been smooth. We American fans can only wait until American Nats to see what might lay in our future. Hopefully The Right Two get send to LA.

 

[Tonichelle]

...I'm an American fan and I'm not losing sleep. If we sit this one out as the big guns that's fine by me... our Men's dried up for a while then Scott and Brian came along... then we went through a bit of an Olympic drought again, but really we're still right up there... it'll happen again...

everyone goes in cycles... the media blows it out of proportion... life goes on...


hooray for being impartial lol

 

[R.D.]

No reason to get all freaked out. But personally, if there are no American ladies in contention, any reason that remained for me to watch FS has just dissipated. And I don't care for the other disciplines (sorry). I know the multinationals will not like this comment, but the long-timers know how upfront I am. To the newer posters, I tend to say what's on my mind. If there's no one to cheer for at the Olys, why bother?

But I don't think it will get to that point. I think SOMEONE will step up. In a way, pessimistic me is optimistic in this regard.

 

[Buttercup]

No reason to get all freaked out. But personally, if there are no Americans in contention, any reason that remained for me to watch FS has just dissipated. I know the multinationals will not like this comment, but the long-timers know how upfront I am. To the newer posters, I tend to say what's on my mind. If there's no one to cheer for at the Olys, why bother?

That's too bad - not in the sense that you should be criticized, just that it seems to me much more fun to be a fan based on skaters' qualities and style rather than just their nationality. What happens if the only successful Americans are not your cup of tea? Do you cheer for them anyway, or just go watch something else?

I live in a place that doesn't have as strong a figure skating tradition as some countries do; cheering just for "our" skaters would have left me rather bored.

 

[Tonichelle]

I get more excited if the skater is from Alaska than the US in general.. which leaves me two options at the moment (though Wagner no longer skates for the Anchorage FSC and Keegan is still in Juniors, so not as much coverage)...

but I don't deny that there are a host of other skaters out there who are good or better. It's nice to root for the hometeam or the hometown hero... and I do have mainly US favorites anymore (it goes in waves... going into 2002 I think I was more international) and a lot of that comes with being a part of US Nationals and what not. I've seen a lot of the newer skaters as novice and Juniors, so it's nice to see them get better and better, ya know?

 

[R.D.]

That's too bad - not in the sense that you should be criticized, just that it seems to me much more fun to be a fan based on skaters' qualities and style rather than just their nationality. What happens if the only successful Americans are not your cup of tea? Do you cheer for them anyway, or just go watch something else?

I saw this coming. I've only been following skating since the 2002 SLC games. I'll admit I never thought much about nationality since Americans have traditionally done well here, but right now I'm just looking for one of our skaters to at least be competitive for a Medal. (I've always been partial to the Americans, though, of course)

The long-timers know that I never was a fan of a particular skater, and I'm still not. Things have sort of switched for me from being a "non-fan" to being an "American fan". I don't know when this transition happened, but it was probably some time last year. I don't like predictability, and I don't like knowing the winner (or top 2, or podium) in advance. As long as Asada and Kim dominate, this will hold true. Any competition they enter, and boom- Gold (or Top 2 or 3 if they're both in).

I will say that the Vancouver Games will be interesting, because the Olympic pressure seems to be capable of unnerving even some the strongest competitors.

eta: to cut to the question directly, I'll go for any American whose fans haven't put me over the edge kidding.

 

[Wrlmy]

If I based my preference on nationality/ethnicity, I should be cheering for my fellow half-asian american, Angela Maxwell. She is a great skater but not my cup of tea. But had she been, I would've been emotionally invested in her.
I doubt anyone would deny nationality doesn't play any factor, but the most important thing for me is that the skater has to be my cup of tea. Being American, or even American of specific ethnic background alone does not make me a fan.

 

[Buttercup]

I saw this coming. I've only been following skating since the 2002 SLC games. I never thought much about nationality since Americans have traditionally done well here, but right now I'm just looking for one of our skaters to at least be competitive for a Medal.

I wouldn't be surprised to see American skaters win medals in the men's and the dance. The US ladies strike me as more of a stretch, and the pairs is of course a lost cause for the time being (M/B's time might come, but I doubt it'll be in Vancouver).

 

[Tonichelle]

what RD didn't mention in the 'old timers' part of his post was RD only likes the ladies

 

[shallwedansu]

Athletes who continually win or come in second or third, don't get to the top without working their butts off. Unpredictability may work in movies, where viewers watch for their own entertainment, but in sports competitions, these are the lives of real people we're dealing with. The top athletes should be rightly rewarded for their hard work and if that means they earn first or second place over and over again, then so be it. I don't watch sports for unpredictability, but I watch to see the best win.

About Sasha, if she wants to do it, then why not? She knows the state of her own body and what is within her reach so if she feels she can do it, let her try.

 

[McWicked]

If I based my preference on nationality/ethnicity, I should be cheering for my fellow half-asian american, Angela Maxwell. She is a great skater but not my cup of tea. But had she been, I would've been emotionally invested in her.
I doubt anyone would deny nationality doesn't play any factor, but the most important thing for me is that the skater has to be my cup of tea. Being American, or even American of specific ethnic background alone does not make me a fan.

Angela Maxwell is half asian?!?!?!?!?

 

[yelyoh]

Aw come on Red Dog. You know you were a Sasha fan and not that into Kwan. I'm an older timer here and even hung out around Paula's skating board (I think it was on About.Com) and remember nyah nyahing you when Kwan won World's after your "Anyone but Kwan" thread. Or perhaps that was Blue Dog, lol. Anyway, I get where you are coming from. My emotions were mostly tied up to the US ladies (Michelle, Sasha, Angela, Jenny, Ann Patrice, etc). for a long time and I was also a fan of the US men: Todd, Tim etc. Now I'm into all the disciplines. And yes I still do feel an inclination to root for the USAers just as I do with tennis. Nothing wrong with that. Hell in Europe they kill each other over the outcome of a football (soccer) match. But I've also been a fan of Fumie and more recently Joannie and also Jeff and Lambiel and more. Don't despair. The US ladies will be back and better than ever. In the meantime, just enjoy the skating. It's a great sport and its fans are as special as the skaters. And you are one.