Men's Free

[siberia82]

If the ISU followed its own rules, everyone except Kozuka would get a costume deduction. "Costumes must be appropriate for an athletic competition."

I thought Shawn looked both elegant and sexy in that simple, yet fetching black outfit. He should get a bonus point! IMHO, I think he was the best dressed man at that competition. *swoons*

 

[hrmsk8ngnutt]

I just watched Evan's LP and I have a problem with it (besides the costume).

He's supposed to be skating to Rhapsody in Blue. However, there were 3 different pieces of music in the first two minutes. It opened with Rhapsody, but after the quad toe the music switched to Gershwin's The Man I Love. I had to rewind to make sure I heard correctly. There was another change in music after the triple salchow when it changed to another Gershwin piece - I think it was the same piece Emily Hughes used in her Olympic SP. At about the two minute mark, it went back to Rhapsody in Blue.

I don't mind a mix of different Gershwin piece, but don't say you are skating to Rhapsody in Blue if there are other pieces in the program. Also, to have three different pieces in the first two minutes is a bit much and doesn't make it seem coherent (to me, at least).

Herm (sk8ngnutt)

 

[Tinymavy15]

so many thought so little time.

Kozuka- really deserved it. Finaly some fair judging. Both programs were excellent. Nice musicality, huge jumps, soft landings, nice spins... reminds me a lot Disukie, only younger and softer.

Johnny- I though he looked really nervous. Kodus for him for fighting for everything in that free program, he never gave up on it. I thought the program had some very good moments, better than last year's (but very similar again). Not sure how the wolf on the costume and (yet another) broken heart say Notre Dame, but whatever. I am used to crazy symbolism from Johnny. He really needs hair help too. It was too long, and looked like squashed down with a gallon of product.

Evan- Big Van fan but I had to laugh at that costume. i take it back. going to Terosova was the worst thing he could have done. I don't see much of a change in the skating... but he once was a sharp dresser, now he is a joke. This was almost as bad as the giraffe shirt!
I liked that he tried something new...not the dramatic opera theme, and I think it could have worked, but the music cuts were not the best and his quad was not even close. I think he really lost that jump over the summer... that is why he did not try it in the SP. I think he should not have tried it in the LP either. A clean 3/3 and he would have beat Johnny, and maybe won. I REALLy liked the final step sequence, he really pulled it out there and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Best part of the program hands down.
Rippon- Not as impressive as I thought he would be.

 

[Medusa]

Also, to have three different pieces in the first two minutes is a bit much and doesn't make it seem coherent (to me, at least).

As long as he can flail himself through the straightline steps before the end to fast-paced loud music, the audience will appreciate it and the judges will give him high execution/performance marks. I don't think the rest of the music really matters to him at that point.

I am just disappointed that the crowd was disappointed. We are trying to get more people to come watch skating, and something like this can cause people to turn their backs on the sport. I hope that the results are explained well on television so that people can gain some clarity.

Some wise words - it's just strange that he didn't think of those things when he won over Johnny with a spotty performance in a tie-breaker. The majority of people back then thought that this was difficult to understand, and there were also boos when the placement was announced.

 

[Buttercup]

Evan- Big Van fan but I had to laugh at that costume. i take it back. going to Terosova was the worst thing he could have done. I don't see much of a change in the skating... but he once was a sharp dresser, now he is a joke. This was almost as bad as the giraffe shirt!
I liked that he tried something new...not the dramatic opera theme, and I think it could have worked, but the music cuts were not the best and his quad was not even close.

Evan Lysacek needs to pick music that suits his style instead of going out every season and skating (forcing, on occasion) something that has been done to death. In his career he has already done Romeo and Juliet and The Four Seasons (as a junior, I believe), Carmen, Tosca, and now Bolero. All that's missing is Nessun Dorma and Swan Lake (Oh, please don't let that happen ). Be original, Evan! I think he should follow Brian Joubert's lead and look for non-classical pieces.

He gave a classy answer regarding audiences' dissapointment of the final ranking, and addressed a good point here. I didn't see anything wrong with his answer, he showed full respect to the judges decision.

I think it was good for the most part, but I didn't like this:
We are trying to get more people to come watch skating, and something like this can cause people to turn their backs on the sport.
That just doesn't work with the rest of the statement - there's an "oh, the injustice" vibe to it... Even if unintended, it would have been better left out.

A noble sentiment indeed, but it's not very likely, is it? More likely NBC commentators will pay no attention to the facts and all cry outrage. I'm not looking forward to this...

I think some of the perception,among more casual fans, that American skaters are not scored highly enough is linked to how figure skating is covered in the US. There's a tendency to spotlight American skaters at the expense of skaters from other countries who've had better results (check out ESPN's preview for Skate America), while playing up the chances of the Americans to medal/win and sometimes creating unrealistic expectations. For example, I remember reading stories in the US media before SLC about one of the US men possibly winning gold. Could an American have won over Yagudin and Plushenko? Yes, but it would've been unlikely.

I only watch figure skating from US channels on the occasional Youtube clip, and I try to avoid them when possible. I feel they talk too much, while giving too little useful information. With the current system, which can be much harder to understand with all the math, and in which the Russian judge cannot be conveniently blamed , it's even more important to clarify the scoring.

 

[jamie]

I have just watched all the performances, and how anyone can feel there was some sort of injustice is beyond me. Kozuka was a CLEAR winner.

 

[Hsuhs]

His countryman and chief rival Lysacek had some problems of his own, and had to settle for the bronze medal in a controversial decision that had the audience perplexed.

I don't get it - how is that decision controversial?

 

[jamie]

I don't get it - how is that decision controversial?

Bevause the 'merikans lost! And clearly they should win because ..........they're 'merikans!

 

[lmarie086]

I don't get it - how is that decision controversial?

Good question. I thought it was quite fair. Even so, he did have the highest PCS of the night (somewhat laughable IMO; he doesn't do much but flail his arms).

He needs to fix that 3A. I was watching men's LP again earlier and it freaked me out again. I hate watching him do that. Think I read somewhere that he feels his 3A is a lot better than it has been. If he's not aware of the problem...that's a problem.

 

[Hsuhs]

BTW, I thought Evan's LP was OK. A work in progress, still decent. And - if I'm not mistaken - he was talking about a skyline theme in one of his costumes. I haven't noticed one in the costume he wore yesterday. Could the penguinish thing he had on yesterday, be a last-moment decision?

 

[ks777]

Listening to his interviews, I can see Evan doing some commentaiting in the future.

 

[Jaana]

I think it was good for the most part, but I didn't like this:
We are trying to get more people to come watch skating, and something like this can cause people to turn their backs on the sport.
That just doesn't work with the rest of the statement - there's an "oh, the injustice" vibe to it...

In my opinion there is no vibe, but Lysacek is simply saying the matter as it is. It does turn people from the sport, if the audience leaves the arena perplexed because of the result. I watched the clips from Kozuka, Weir and Lysacek and looked up the results later. I was surprised, thought that Weir (or Lysacek) should have won.

Evan Lysacek needs to pick music that suits his style instead of going out every season and skating (forcing, on occasion) something that has been done to death. In his career he has already done Romeo and Juliet and The Four Seasons (as a junior, I believe), Carmen, Tosca, and now Bolero. All that's missing is Nessun Dorma and Swan Lake (Oh, please don't let that happen ). Be original, Evan! I think he should follow Brian Joubert's lead and look for non-classical pieces.

Oh, I think that Lysacek has done good music choices, at least the live audiences have seemed to appreciate his programmes in recent years. Neither do I think that Lysacek (or any skater) needs to find some unused or rarely used music to be "original". Every new choreography to a music is already kind of original, in my opinion.

 

[Buttercup]

In my opinion there is no vibe, but Lysacek is simply saying the matter as it is. It does turn people from the sport, if the audience leaves the arena perplexed because of the result. I watched the clips from Kozuka, Weir and Lysacek and looked up the results later. I was surprised, thought that Weir (or Lysacek) should have won.

Yes, but something about how it was phrased just struck me as rather self-centered: "I lost, people won't like it". I don't think he really meant much by it, but as Medusa noted, he wasn't so quick to comment on surprising results when he was on the winning end.

 

[Jaana]

Yes, but something about how it was phrased just struck me as rather self-centered: "I lost, people won't like it". I don't think he really meant much by it, but as Medusa noted, he wasn't so quick to comment on surprising results when he was on the winning end.

No, that is just your interpretation, he did not say or mean that at all, in my opinion. By the way, you left out of your Lysacek quote this: "I hope that the results are explained well on television so that people can gain some clarity". I think that his answers were very classy.

 

[hrmsk8ngnutt]

They are showing the top 3 men on NBC right now. Loved Kozuka's program. Johnny is about to skate. He also has a cross on the front of his shirt.... He also has gloves....

 

[feraina]

I'm watching the NBC broadcast. Kozuka's choreography is growing on me. Johnny was beautiful -- I love his new LP! Especially after he came to life after the first few jumps. The second part is awesome, and has a lot of energy that he carried through very well, and which I'm sure he'll do even better later on in the season.

Evan, second half was also better, but gosh, what an awful costume! It makes him look like he has no neck and rounded ugly shoulders, which I never even noticed before. I mean, I never though he had impressively good line, stretch, or posture, but his shoulders never bothered me until now, I think it's because of the flappy looseness of that part of his costume.

I can't help thinking that Tarasova is secretly aiding Johnny by giving Evan laughable costumes and bad choreography. I mean, I know she would never do that, her reputation being on the line, but it's tempting to think that. Anyway, intended or not, it's working.

 

[lmarie086]

Medusa was quoted in the icenetwork article!

In fact, one astute watcher likened the ensemble to "a black Christmas tree."

http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081026&content_id=54292&vkey=ice_news

 

[Medusa]

I think I just got mentioned in an icenetwork article... Or someone else thought of the exact same thing.

Now, it would seem, Tarasova has done it again, outfitting Evan Lysacek in a heavily sequined tuxedo, complete with balloon sleeves and shoulder pads straight out Linda Evans' 1980s Dynasty costumes. Within seconds of its appearance, fans lit up figure skating message boards like Macy's during the holidays; in fact, one astute watcher likened the ensemble to "a black Christmas tree."

Great and very funny article by the way.

Imarie, we wrote at the same time... isn't it cute that they metioned that?

 

[kyla2]

Some Thoughts

I thought Kozuka was wonderful overall. I actually enjoyed his pure skating and flow. However, some of us on this site need to realize what is happening in skating in the U.S.. The fact that the audience doesn't get this result is very bad news for the sport. Evan is absolutely right. Believe me, the few of us that have followed it all our lives and understand the current scoring system aren't going to keep this sport afloat. The fact that this is the only Grand Prix event being televised in the U.S. tells us where this sport has gone. It is all directly attributable to the current scoring system, which takes the audience out of the game. Before, it was clear who the winner was because of the overall quality of the performance, falls or no falls, and not because of technical calls based on instant replays which the audience can't see. If a person fell on a jump it was a total loss and rightly so. Everyone could understand that. Clean programs counted for something because it didn't interrupt the flow and beauty of the program. I think figure skating is in for a very rough ride in the U.S. and understandably so. This is a totally confused sport and a totally confused audience thanks to the ISU and the Europeans who are in control of it.

 

[lmarie086]

Imarie, we wrote at the same time... isn't it cute that they metioned that?

I thought it was cute indeed! I like that they're reading the boards...it gives them an idea of what the fans are thinking, and that can bring some pretty good influence I'd say.

Although knowing they read the boards does make me feel I should think more about what I say...
And I want to add that I've been very impressed with Icenetwork so far. Other than the early video glitches, it's been pretty great. Nancy Kerrigan's commentary has improved lightyears-it's still pretty obvious that she favors Evan but otherwise she is pretty objective I'm finding.
And the quality of the articles has improved as well; they're informative.