Press Black Out At Canadians

[bems]

What a great night of skating with the Mens Short and Womens Free.

Mabee, Chipeur, Leung, Samson and almost every skater delivered great skates seeming to say "take that now it's your turn". It does not get any better than this and to see Chipeur and Samson break the strangle hold of last years top 12 was worth the price of admission.

What seems to have gone unmentioned is the 30 seconds of booing the audience gave the judging panel after they temporarily put Sandhu into first place after a mediocre skate. I have never seen a Canadian audience do this so resoundingly to a Canadian champion. It was the panel that put him in an impossible position. We know if this guy lands a quad in his free skate he can rise again but to prop up the second mark in the short was not on with the fans.

The support that Canadian fans give this sport is based on percieved fairness in judging and the belief than any skater can rise to the occasion.

I hope for the future of the sport these two concepts remain pure!

Off to the rink!

 

[lutzskate]

here! here! Well stated. Kudos to you!

 

[roogu]

actually, emanuel put himself in that position and NOT the panel. We have to remember that all the judges do is grade the quality of each element. He got -3's for the fall on his quad and on the single axel.

Either way, he's had 9 years to figure out how to get it done and at this point, he's just not gonna get it. I have a feeling that Skate Canada is going to send a strong message to him and leave him home from the world team if possible.

 

[rain]

There wasn't a press blackout on the booing. It was quite clearly mentioned on the televised broadcast. I think it was well-deserved too. Clearly Sandhu should not have been in third.

 

[Tigger]

The booing was mentioned by Rod and more than once. The fans are fed up w/Eman and his many excuses and what happened last night was only a matter of time. As was said up above, he's had nine years now on the scene to figure this thing out and it's just not going to happen.

I was also wondering after he opened his mouth in that post Torino LP interview just how much he'd hurt himself. Skating fans have very long memories and that very childish "It was all the fault of the COC for not sending me to Nagano in 98 that led to what happened tonight out there" rant instead of saying, "It's my fault because I didn't do what I'm capable of." didn't help matters.

I was done w/him and his antics after Dortmund Worlds and I sincerely hope that if he does what he generally does, which is say I've got this and this, but actually pops and/or falls on his content, then he pays the price for it. Our young guys are finally starting to step up and a 10 point hole...We'll see tonight, but I know I would love to see someone who would represent this country w/class and dignity on the team. Enough is enough!!

 

[Anniedan]

Come on, people...

I'm no longer Emanuels biggest fan, but the judges WERE fair. He got fair marks. The public did boo (I was home watching on TV, I know this, so I guess the broadcasting didn't "black it out"...!)
But altough I know how much the public can be fed up with Emanuel (I am quite a bit myself sometimes), it really wasn't fair to boo him either. I noticed quite a bit of a change in his attitude, he wasn't as cocky, he seemed a different guy. And even if he wasn't... Whoever you are, how would you feel, trying each time, not doing what you're setting out to do, loosing in front of so many people, and what do you get? Booing from the crowd! What a support! Not very helpful...

Anyways, what I wanted to say is, we're proud of Jeff Buttle because he can win against the best in the world without a quad (or falling on it), just because his skating quality is so superior... But if Sandhu dares to get high marks even if he falls on his quad or pops an axel, he's a looser in our minds... What's the difference?! I know, his skating quality is not quite as good as Jeff's, his programs are not as intricate as Jeff's either... No one's are! But Emanuel is recognized as one of the best skaters in the world for his skating quality, footwork, spins, etc. Not only for his jumps!
The second mark isn't only for all-around "artistry" anymore. it's 5 components, including transitions, edge quality, etc. It's no longer "the skater fell, so the program cannot be judged as artistic as one program without falls".

We've left that scoring system, we need to move on and change our way of thinking.
In that sense, I think CTV's commentators did a poor job at explaining it and kind of put more wood on the fire at some time... They seem a little stuck in the old era, like part of the public. I understand the public for not knowing it all, but the commentators should've done their job and being less biased...