orchid said:
I expected nothing !!!!!!!!!
My point is what is the point of this self-congradulatory exhibition ?
To have this long-time event happen this year so that when some of the eligible skaters (maybe) finally decide to hang up the eligibles skates after the 2006 Olympics, there'll be at least one pro comp still left in the U.S. for them to participate in if they so desire? (That was one reason many of these, um, "self-congratulatory" skaters, several of whom had figured they'd hung up their competitive skates, cited as their purpose in signing on this year.)
To show folks that they've still got something to offer, even if they are over 30? (Not that that is necessary for most fans -- I'm sure you're not among them, but many fans actually seem to WANT to see these "self-congratulatory" skaters perform, and for the most part, these skaters take time off of self-congratulating to train hard and be in great shape to perform. Oddly enough, some fans even seem to PREFER these "self-congratulatory" skaters to the, uh, non-self-congratulatory eligible skaters, and events like these to the GP).
To offer fans a chance to see some of their "veteran" favorites, along with a few younger, newer faces, in a night of enjoyable skating and fun, with the added spice (or pressure, if you talk to the skaters) of a "winner" being declared at the end?
To get skating on prime time and remind the public it still exists?
Well, those are some of the reasons I can come up with right off the bat for this event to take place. I attended it, and didn't find any self-congratulations involved at all. I watched eight pretty darn good skaters -- at least, good enough to entertain me, but maybe I'm not as refined, or whatever, as you -- for the most part take very seriously that there were judges sitting across the way to give them marks, and yet not worry too much whether they actually won or lost, because after all, they've experienced skating judging of all kinds over the years and know you can only do your best and see what happens. And if they managed to entertain the audience (and it seemed they all did), then that was the most important part of the night (tho' none of them wanted to see low scores and did their best not to deserve them). The performances were varied and interesting and fun to watch. The audience seemed to have a ball. They had fun watching the programs and cheering (or booing) the judging. The skaters all seemed to enjoy it, especially after it was over (most of them saying that nerves, because it was a competition, made for some butterflies beforehand).
So, is there supposed to be some big, universe-shaking REASON for any skating event? I'm not expecting much (if anything) from the Marshalls event this Sunday, but I don't think I would term the skaters involved in it, nor the event itself, as "self-congratulatory." I don't think there has to be a big, earth-shattering reason for any figure skating event to exist. I guess if you come right down to brass tacks, it exists because sponsors and a TV network figured it would get good enough ratings to give them a return on their dollars. That's why MOST figure skating events -- and myriad other events -- exist.
And since you expect nothing, I'm sure you won't waste your time watching it, so hey ... it doesn't really exist for you. How fortunate!
