Magic Zambonis | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Magic Zambonis

Highlight the word you want to be the link and then click the hyperlink sign (it's beside the emoticons and looks like an earth) and paste the URL and it'll format it for you

Like this?

WHOA I FEEL SO TECHY NOW :dance:

Thanks to Sam_Skwantch and Krunchii for the instructions!
 


[URL="http://http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/04/zamboni_school.jpg"]http://http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/04/zamboni_school.jpg Like this one?
Haven't quite figured out the blue linked words thing yet...

Highlight the word you want to be the link and then click the hyperlink sign (it's beside the emoticons and looks like an earth) and paste the URL and it'll format it for you

Like this?

WHOA I FEEL SO TECHY NOW :dance:



Thanks to Sam_Skwantch and Krunchii for the instructions!

No, you still have a glitch.

Your problem is with the box that pops up that says: "Please enter the URL of your link:".

The box already will have "http://" pre-entered into it -- so get rid of those characters before pasting in the URL you want.

If you don't remove the pre-entered characters, you will have "http://" TWICE at the beginning of the URL -- which will not work. In the case of your link, you want those characters just once at the beginning of the URL.
 
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I wouldn't mind seeing five person groups and split up the order so that some of the top five are in the final group and some are in the groups before it. In an event like WC's you'd have people from every level on each of the groups. Everyone from the original "final flight" would all be in their own group. I think the TV people would disagree though :)

I actually don't mind the magical zboni effect at all. I believe skating in the final group comes with extra scrutiny. Especially in the FS.

No I absolutely disagree. It's like when they do the Tony Awards and announce Best Play in the middle of the show instead of building up to it--it just kills all the momentum and suspense.
 
Yeah it's just silly and ruins the momentum to not have the top skaters skate last. Band-aids like this won't do anything to stop bad judging. In past Olympics when the SP order was randomized, the "chosen" skaters were placed where the judges always wanted them anyway.
 
No I absolutely disagree. It's like when they do the Tony Awards and announce Best Play in the middle of the show instead of building up to it--it just kills all the momentum and suspense.

You just like to disagree with me :p

I did say I don't mind the Magic Zamboni effect. That could only happen if things stayed the way they were with the best going last so really I was saying a lot of nothing :slink:

I need someone to throw me a rope and pull me ashore.
 
For all the talk of magic Zambonis some skaters do climb the ranks very quickly even jumping from one warm-up group to another or falling from high placements to low placements.
-And whenever a skater is marked MUCH higher than 'normal', you hear the howls of fans who think something is fishy and the judges should be taken to dark rooms and interrogated. (hyperbole)

That Mao was skating in an early group in the FS in Sochi was because she bombed the SP ...and she made it back to top 6. That's pretty impressive.
In a nutshell:
If a skater is good enough the Magic of the Zamboni will not prevent them from casting their own spell on the judges causing them to ignore Zamboni magic and give them high scores. :biggrin:
 
But under the "objective" points system of COP, there should be no reason to have to leave room for later skaters, right? Simply apply the points as needed, and let the chips fall where they may. This understandably wasn't possible under ordinals. COP ought to be an improvement in that regard, but the most glaring and egregious example of holding down skaters in earlier groups is Mao's Sochi LP. I understand that the better skaters tend to skate later, but I don't see any fairness in penalizing skaters in the LP who didn't skate well in the SP. They've already been penalized for their poor SP skate, and the early group penalization in the LP is simply ridiculous. Really demonstrates the failure of the judges to apply COP fairly.

While I agree with the bolded part, Mao ended up #3 in the FS. If she skated (with the exact same performance) in the final group, her PCS definitely would be higher, but I think the Freeskate standing would have stayed the same. I never understood why the PCS for her Rach2 isn't higher, especially in the transitions and choreography portion.

(although, hypothetically enough for the win, if she had the cushion from her SP.... but really doubtful given how scoring went that night lol)
 
This is truly one of the stupidest, most ridiculous suggestions I have ever heard on this forum. What happens when you get an event that goes for seven hours? Are you seriously asking the skaters to be ready to go and on edge for seven hours?

That depends if you are stupid enough to think it applies to 7 hour events or just prequalified elite LP event like Grand Prix series/WC/Olympics.

How are you going to allow them to warm up? What if a skater gets hungry and needs to eat and then suddenly their name is called? Or if they are in the bathroom? Or if they are taking a nap as I know some of the skaters do?

What if skaters wanted to upload their selfie and lost their Instagram password?
What if skaters come down with nose bleeds and can't find a tissue?
What if Pooh bear got kidnapped and Hanyu is traumatized and having to unleash his inner Onmyoji much earlier than he thought.
Enough with your incessant questions. Look at the BIG picture! Then... think BIGGER!!

If an event last 3 hours like WC LP final, just randomly break the finalists into 4 groups as usual half an hour before the event. The skaters on stand by according to group schedule. Warm up as needed like they normally would in any competition but just need to be available at their slot. Then be ready as they get called. The point is all the skaters are treated equally based on randomized selection instead of just the main contenders grouped right at the end. The idea is simply this, the panels of judges don't know who they are going to mark next, the audience don't not know who is coming out of that gladiator corridor, but the skaters / coaches themselves will have some idea ahead of time. This minimize inflation and remove unfair advantage and disadvantages as well building a level of expectation, drama, excitement. It also introduces a level of unpredictability, luck, which skaters have no control over but need to deal with.

Instead of the kiss and cry zone, we can have a 'Do or Die' zone/cam' in the group waiting room. Anxiety faces, biting knuckles, trying not to cry and mess up mascara nervous breakdowns, or confident boasting poses, oh the drama, who is NEXT!?

No, it would make figure skating totally unsellable as a live sporting event. It would be consigned to tape delay forever where the networks could cut the programs so that they can show the big names. And casual fans just won't have

that patience. And also, air time for advertisements? Figure skating doesn't get many paid advertisements in their breaks in the US as it is!

It is a matter of practical vs theoretical. The sport need to evolve and frankly US format seems outdated with the times, and while they bring the money, the sport need to be more innovative. Don't the major US network shows the competition after it has happened in an edited format anyway? So it hardly matter. By diversify the product, into standard, premium, extra premium (which they have done but not nearly enough, since the product itself is not that different, just the chanel availability and commentaries that is it) it means ISU can justifiably charge additional advertisement revenues for ultimate live experience. The running cost for the broadcaster is the same, and they get better returns on investment. Air time value increase with more audiences interests. The point is, we need to develop interests, both laterally and horizontally.

It is not like the sport is working in today's market. Look at the audience attendance for Skate America. These days all the same programs looks the same, POTO x 6 :drama:, same Carmen/Firebird/Swanlake/Warhorses, same skaters always get broadcasted, it makes the sport unsellable as it is. Ontop of the poor reputation of the sport since 2002 due to judging scandals and Sochi hardly helped. There aren't enough interests, diversity to attract the new attention. The few audiences that are mildly interested knows to only tune in for the final 15 minutes and be done with it. The sport has became so predictable and insular as well, just check out the flags, it often looks like there's only 4 or 5 countries in the figure skating WORLD.

By introducing variety, unpredictability, controversy, drama, new interests, even out the field, segmented customers. Resuscitate the sport. Do or Die box allows some insight and build ups leading to the the competitors being tested. If you can bring drama, fair play, make all competitors seems equally interesting or allow them at least equal chances to compete fairly, not just the privileged few, it can rebuild new fandom and sport confidence again. The details can be all be worked out, but the principles is the same.

Just blowing off some Zamboni steam....!
 
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You just like to disagree with me :p

I did say I don't mind the Magic Zamboni effect. That could only happen if things stayed the way they were with the best going last so really I was saying a lot of nothing :slink:

I need someone to throw me a rope and pull me ashore.

I must disagree that I like to disagree with you! ;)

I think we can agree on that! :)
 
More than that, I think it is for the convenience of the television networks that want to show only the top few skaters, but still want to show them live.

Yes, exactly. Even if the scoring system allowed random free skate order, the networks would not like it.
 
The main problem is to make sure that the judges aren't giving higher/lower marks in anticipation of who has not yet performed.

I have a different solution to this problem. Skaters should all wear masks during their performances. This way, the judges won't know who any of the skaters were until the end of the competition. The skaters could just wear an anonymous number on the back of their uniform or something to identify them.

(If you think PotO is popular now...)
 
The main problem is to make sure that the judges aren't giving higher/lower marks in anticipation of who has not yet performed.

Actually, I think the main problem is judges giving marks that are too high for skaters in the final group regardless of the quality of earlier performances. Especially for the final skaters in the short program when much of the competition is yet to be held.
 
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