Jason Brown

[Tavi...]

I'm actually really curious to see the results of his post-4CCs training at Worlds. He trained intensely for 6 weeks for Nats with incredible results-the positive changes in his consistency, jump quality and performance level were really noticeable. What will be the result of his Worlds training regimen? I'm rooting for gorgeous triple axels and the spring in his jumps that Michael Weiss commented on at Nats, but I guess we'll see!

 

[LRK]

Also Jason has acknowledged that he's come up on top among a really deep U.S. men's field. I think Jason knows better than anyone that he's not always going to to beat everyone all the time. I think he cares more about how he skates and less about how people will perceive him for that performance.

The quad attempt, for example, may have been considered a failure for fans, but for him, it was a big step in his development.

I realize more and more that athletes think differently than fans....so I'm trying to think from that lens.

That's how I regard it too.:yes:

I mean, I would have loved it of course, if he had come out and landed a beautful quad right off the bat - but... I realise that is expecting too much. Or rather, it would have been too much if it had been an "expectation" with me rather than a "hope" or "wish" as it was.

My greatest quarrel with all things "hpye" is that the "hypers", instead of realising that they put too high expectations on the skaters they "hype" - instead turn around and take out their disappointment on the skaters... for failing to live up to the "hype"! As if the skaters somehow owed them anything of the kind?! (shakes head in incomprehension) Really, I'm growing quite allergic to "hype" - what good has it ever done anyone?

 

[Mrs. P]

It just makes me glad I'm not in a position where I regularly unintentionally disappoint massive hoards of people like that.

That's the one time where it's handy that figure skating isn't as high profile than other sports.

Then again, I tend to be fans of skaters for entirely other reason than results, so I guess it's easy for me when a skater I like don't do as well.

I'm actually really curious to see the results of his post-4CCs training at Worlds. He trained intensely for 6 weeks for Nats with incredible results-the positive changes in his consistency, jump quality and performance level were really noticeable. What will be the result of his Worlds training regimen? I'm rooting for gorgeous triple axels and the spring in his jumps that Michael Weiss commented on at Nats, but I guess we'll see!

I remember at Nationals 2013 he missed 2 out of his 3 3As, but then by Junior Worlds, which was five weeks later, he got all his 3As and won the FS with a record store that only just got broken this season.

The year before that, he basically had a dismal performance at Nationals FS (for him anyway, he fell three times), but then again at junior worlds had a much better FS and won the bronze at junior worlds.

So I'd imagine he can get a lot done six weeks.

 

[karne]

As for Josh: the bandwagoners will very likely turn on him once he has a bad skate, or even if he skates well and beats other favorites or skates well and still doesn't live up to some weird unrealistic expectations. But he also has good coaches that will support him and a strong fan base, that's going to defend him just like everyone here did for Jason at Nats and 4CC. I'm sure he knows that

This is why I'm trying to keep a lid on my excitement for Worlds. Logically, my brain knows that a medal for Josh is a long shot and will depend on many factors. My heart? It doesn't know the meaning of the word logic.

I do think that under the prevailing circumstances, Josh and Jason going to Worlds together is probably the best thing. Because that's familiar, that's usual, that's something they're used to, going head to head, and supporting each other.

Josh is the favourite - for now. But as you said, that will only last for a little time, and I imagine would not have happened at all had he done a 3F-3T instead of 3F-2T at Nationals and beaten Adam also.

 

[StitchMonkey]

Also Jason has acknowledged that he's come up on top among a really deep U.S. men's field. I think Jason knows better than anyone that he's not always going to to beat everyone all the time. I think he cares more about how he skates and less about how people will perceive him for that performance.

The quad attempt, for example, may have been considered a failure for fans, but for him, it was a big step in his development.

I realize more and more that athletes think differently than fans....so I'm trying to think from that lens.

It is interesting which fans see it as a failure and which think it was a good decision. Jackie Wong and Phill Hersh seem to think it was a good decision and respect him for it. TSL called it a mistake (but a forgivable one). Fans seem strangely mixed. Overall the attitude does seem to be respectful for trying it. Actually I have seen surprisingly little in the of insults (saying it does not look ready does not qualify as a insult in my book) or trash talk. Most seem to have an attitude of "I will not give a skater crap for tying a quad no matter how it turns out" which is interesting, and really not so bad.

I think Jason's and Kori's comments on the fluff piece were likely very honest and telling. Kori saw room for improvement in Riverdance and was immediately in coaching to do better mode. Jason clearly enjoys all aspect of the sport and wants to work on all of them. Like you said, he is more concerned with how he does, likely because he is still pushing himself to grow overall. I think they both see more things they want to work on than just the quad.

I don't really give that quad attempt much thought. In my mind it was done to get it out of the way at an appropriate competition.

 

[Li'Kitsu]

It just makes me glad I'm not in a position where I regularly unintentionally disappoint massive hoards of people like that.

Geez, if you put it like that...!

But honestly, I'm usually not disappointed with my favorite skaters either - I'm disappointed for them (if that is how you say that in English). They put all that time and work into it, and when it doesn't work out at the big stages, they're disappointed themselves and that's what makes me feel sad. I feel sorry for them. But for me as a fan... I don't care that much. There will be other performances, and there will be other good performances. I just forget about it and get excited for the next possibility to cheer them on. And especially with guys like Jason you know he'll come back strong after a bad comp (or better to say a not as good one), and he never gives up on performing for the audience. I love him as much for that as I love him for his good skates.

This is why I'm trying to keep a lid on my excitement for Worlds. Logically, my brain knows that a medal for Josh is a long shot and will depend on many factors. My heart? It doesn't know the meaning of the word logic.

But your part of the strong fan base, you're allowed be excited beyond logic (and you're not going to turn on him, and it's not even close to what I meant with weird unrealistic expectations anyway)
And your heart is going to be happy if Josh's happy, even if he doesn't medal, aye? So no problem with getting excited about the possibility of it

 

[Mrs. P]

jasonbskates
46 minutes ago
From making my first Jr. World Team in 2011 to making my first World Team 4 years later! I can't believe I'm leaving in less than a week! #transformationtuesday #WCShanghai @usfigureskating @sk8coachirok

https://instagram.com/p/0WNQQ8TXKP/?taken-by=jasonbskates


Aw, this is nice.

 

[el henry]

I also think, unfortunately, that some fans want to use the success of one US man to snark at another: and again unfortunately in this case, it means "using" Josh to snipe at Jason. If Adam had skated well at 4CCs, they'd all be on the Adam bandwagon, and "using " him (I must admit, although a Jason uber, I probably actually prefer Adam's LP, which Adam has unfortunately only skated well twice this season). I am sorry that I am so cynical, but I can't help it: I see the "I *told* you that you needed a quad, hahaha" crowd behind some of the love.

Thank heavens the US men themselves, although each obviously wants to win, don't appear this way. I need to go watch Juke to get happy and reduce my cynicism.

 

[StitchMonkey]

In the theme of the day, Jeremy Abbott posted a clip of Jason also and called him a Jason Brownechaun

I like seeing the skaters being friendly like that.

 

[TMC]

jasonbskates
46 minutes ago
From making my first Jr. World Team in 2011 to making my first World Team 4 years later! I can't believe I'm leaving in less than a week! #transformationtuesday #WCShanghai @usfigureskating @sk8coachirok

https://instagram.com/p/0WNQQ8TXKP/?taken-by=jasonbskates


Aw, this is nice.

Very cute

I hadn't realised that he was not in the World team in 2010 even though he won Jr Nationals??

 

[karne]

Very cute

I hadn't realised that he was not in the World team in 2010 even though he won Jr Nationals??

Good pickup, TMC. None of Jason, Joshua or Max were on the Jr World team that year. Seems the USFSA went with some junior-aged Seniors: Messing, Hochstein, and Mahbanoozadeh. Seems to be a perpetual problem. The results were 4th, 5th and 10th respectively.

Looking at that results list, there are some familiar names standing on that podium: Hanyu as champion, Nan Song as silver, and Gachinski with the bronze, who would of course a year later translate that bronze to Senior world bronze...

 

[dorispulaski]

And he did not get to go to Worlds last year, when he was the silver medalist in seniors. Anyone who thinks Jason is USFSA's darling is not thinking about these facts.

 

[karne]

And he did not get to go to Worlds last year, when he was the silver medalist in seniors. Anyone who thinks Jason is USFSA's darling is not thinking about these facts.

That's not a comparable situation, though, because Max went, and I would be very surprised if the USFSA was expecting Jeremy to go, especially after the Olympics.

I think the situation of fans "turning" on Jason can be compared, though, with Max "coming out of nowhere" to win his title. On both occasions, they were the new, younger interlopers beating the old, established favourites (Adam and Jeremy).

I do think that the distribution of post-Nationals assignments this year was thoroughly unfair. But what's done is done and there's only one we don't know now.

 

[Li'Kitsu]

And he did not get to go to Worlds last year, when he was the silver medalist in seniors. Anyone who thinks Jason is USFSA's darling is not thinking about these facts.

To be fair though, I don't think the USFSA really has any "darling" with the men, they just seem to treat all of them as if they were interchangeable... they're focused on the ladies. And the way they're treating the ladies sucks too.

 

[Mrs. P]

To be fair, they don't always send the junior champ to Jr. Worlds champ. It depends on how well the junior champ does relative to junior international counterparts in seniors. I believe at the time Keegan, Armin and Grant went they all did JGP and I think a few of them made JGPF.

Max did go in 2011( with Jason and Keegan), when he won Junior that year. In 2012 and 2013, the silver junior medalists (Tim Dolensky/Shotaro Omori) went with Josh and Jason cause the champs during those years (Nathan Chen and Vincent Zhou) were too young. The top two juniors (Nathan Chen and Jordan Moeller in 2014 and Andrew Torgashov and Kevin Shum in 2015) went in the last two years.

So it varies greatly.

 

[el henry]

So has anyone else listened to Jason's interview

http://web.icenetwork.com/video/?content_id=49733283&query=Worlds Teleconference (thx, StitchMonkey).

I was afraid it would be quad quad quad, but no! (I guess Phil Hersh wasn't there ). He did get the questions, which he handled with his usual aplomb, but he trusts Kori with his life, he loves Rohene (who is a drill sergeant): I was glad to hear some of the day to day as well.

Now I'm for Jason even more.

 

[Tavi...]

I love that he's proud of being national champion, not in a boastful way but in the sense that he really seems to feel it's really an honor.

His demeanor was quite interesting. For many of the questions his answers were brief, controlled, businesslike, and to the point, and did not invite follow up questions or conversation. When he talked about Rohene, Kori and visiting China with his family, he was normal, excited Jason. His answer on Josh was somewhere in between - brief but warm.

 

[el henry]

I love that he's proud of being national champion, not in a boastful way but in the sense that he really seems to feel it's really an honor.

His demeanor was quite interesting. For many of the questions his answers were brief, controlled, businesslike, and to the point, and did not invite follow up questions or conversation. When he talked about Rohene, Kori and visiting China with his family, he was normal, excited Jason. His answer on Josh was somewhere in between - brief but warm.

Right you are! I think it worked really well with the first, inevitable quad question "No, I'm not doing one." Period. It seemed to take the wind out of the question, so that the interview went in different directions. Wonder if he learned that in communications class?

 

[StitchMonkey]

Count me as one who things a certain level of professionalism should be expected for this. It's press call, i.e. professionals.

Frankly he sounded prepared to me. Many of these question can be expected. Part of being professional is having the respect to come prepared.

I think the quad at 4CC has helped in another way. Now, no one is pushing for it. They know it is not there, but people seem to have a "okey he tried, he can take a brake at worlds" attitude about it. I think it may have taken some wind out of the quad sails.

I also really liked his casual "know it will be incredible" line. Great response.

I also enjoyed the Rohene comments. I want to see footage of drill sergeant Rohene so badly, we should beg them to have a live webcam day someday after worlds.

 

[cl2]

What does Jasons fan thread do back on the 2nd page? You're all slacking off!

Since some of you like to read statistics too... I can give you some numbers to something we all already know: Jason is the best spinner of the senior men
He hit level 4 on 95,8% of his spins, never getting lower than level 3. Besides Kozuka, nobody else managed to get at least level 3 all the time. The next highest succession rate is also 80%! That's quite a big margin... In case that's a surprise for anyone else: that 80% belongs to Voronov. Not the guy I would have thought of first!
His average in +GOE is 0,93 - when the highest you could have scored here is 1,5. That's really high - it means on average, he gets +2's! He also has a pretty big cushion over 2nd place again: next highest average is 0,775 Care to take a guess who that belongs to?

Also, I went through most of the competitions this season (GPs+GPF, 4CC, Euros, Golden Spin, Warsaw Cup, Volvo Cup, SC Autumn Classic, US Classic, Finlandia, Nebelhorn, Ondrej Nepala) and looked for the highest rated spin per type.
Jason is the only guy to get a perfect 1,5: for his CCSp in his Nebelhorn LP. In case anyone wants to be a party pooper and say 'oh, but that's just a senior B, GOE are inflated anyway!' - okay, have the second highest rated spin of the season: Jasons CCSp in his 4CC LP with a nice 1,43 (meaning, two judges wanted to be party poopers too and spoiled the fun with their +2's). He also has the highest scoring CCSp with 1,07 and is tied for highest FCSp with Adam Rippon with a 1. Those last GOE by the way are from his 4CC SP. And people say the quad attempt might have made the judges "like" Jason less - haha

Nice stats! Out of curiosity, how did you compile the stats? Did you use a script to scrape the data from the ISU website?