Toller's at it again... Sport on Thin Ice | Golden Skate

Toller's at it again... Sport on Thin Ice

This is hilarious!

Imagine Toller & Johnny doing TV commentating, together! They deserve each other. :rofl:
 
Kwanford Wife said:
http://calsun.canoe.ca/Sports/OtherSports/2006/03/23/1501300-sun.html

A real hoot & a half... ya just gotta love Toller Cranston...

But once your giggle fest is over, what are your thoughts on this?? Is skating in serious poo-poo and why?
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I find it very intersting that a skater like Cranston would call Sandhu and Weir's skating weird...i don't think either of their skating is weird and i'd put Sandhu's in the classical camp if i had to label it.

How is Johnny's skating any more "weird" than Cranston's was considered in his day?

Maybe Cranston mean others find their skating "weird"??

Ant
 
A little bit OT, but if you click on "Next Story" it says that Cinquanta announced a new prize fund, totaling $450,000, for the top finishers in the ISU rating system, starting nect year, The article says that this was a response to the fact that most of the top people opted out of Worlds this year.

That, however, doesn't make sense. The Olympic year is unique in that some Olympic champions elect to skip worlds for various reasons. That won't apply next year, when the new prizes begin.

It looks to me like it is intended as additional encouragement to do the Grand Prix.

On topic, Toller Cranston is weirder than Johnny Weir ever thought of being, LOL.

MM :)
 
Hey, maybe we can convince Johnny or Eman to skate to "Pagliacci" and really get Toller's undies in a bunch.
Don't get me wrong, I've always found Toller to be marvelously entertaining, but this certainly isn't the first time he's found a reason to denigrate an eligible skater. Oh, well.
Somebody tell me what Robin Cousins thinks. Or what Brian Boitano would do.
:laugh:
xoxo
Rave
 
Mathman said:
A little bit OT, but if you click on "Next Story" it says that Cinquanta announced a new prize fund, totaling $450,000, for the top finishers in the ISU rating system, starting nect year, The article says that this was a response to the fact that most of the top people opted out of Worlds this year.
...

It looks to me like it is intended as additional encouragement to do the Grand Prix.

On topic, Toller Cranston is weirder than Johnny Weir ever thought of being, LOL.

MM :)
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I can just hear it now. A big name doesn't do post-Olys worlds or GP -- they are arrogant, and they think they don't need it. Now, if they do compete in such events, they are only hogging money that other skaters need more.
 
OK, I love Toller. He is one of my all time favorites and I have to admit he is always fun to read. He isn't always right, though. I usually disagree with his pronouncements as much as I agree with them. It is funny that he focuses on Weir and Sandhu who are more toller-resque than most! (I also think Toller has skated with a very long scarf as a pro skater!).

I do think he is speaking about the perception of the general public though. Toller always knew and has admitted that he was often a bit out there for the average citizen. Maybe (I am being kind here!), he sees where they are going because he has been there and knows its pitfalls.

But, I do enjoy hearing him hold forth! He is an original and doesn't shy away from the emphatic, for sure!
 
I was rewatching the Kurt Browning: Ice Legends special recently, and on it, Toller talks about how as he got more and more out there, he was alienating thousands of people...so I think he's more than a bit aware that being "out there" doesn't always carry over well with the audience.

I do find it amusing that he is upset that the subjective elements of the sport are going away, given that that's what makes some people think it *is* a sport, but he has always said he was an artist who skated, not a skater who did art...

I may not always agree with him but it is always amusing to read Toller's opinions!

As for the other story - I am curious where the ISU is getting the money for this prize purse. My understanding had been that the prize purses were funded by the TV contracts, and ESPN's $5 million/year contract is a far cry from what they used to get with ABC ($22 million/year). Then again, maybe the ISU is getting money from TV contracts in other countries where skating is becoming more popular?
 
Much as I respect Mr. Cranston's accomplishments and all that he has brought to the sport and all that....

WHAT A GASBAG.

I could argue with every one of the points that he makes, and may actually start doing so after the Worlds are done and we're looking for things to talk about. Each point would be a thread unto itself anyway.

However, it amuses me (as it apparently did a couple of other posters on this topic) that he would refer to the skating of Buttle and Sandhu as weird. This coming from a man whose OWN COACH (Ellen Burka) is on record as saying, "Toller was the weirdest skater, but I encouraged the weirdness in him" :laugh:
 
I'm glad to see the additional prize money because I agree that one reason for it is Grand Prix incentive. Some fans complain about there being too many competitions but I love and watch them all, so the continuation of the Grand Prix is vital to me.

And here's another thing-- I am weary of skaters whining about being tired and that there are too many competitions. These are supposed to be WORLD CLASS ATHLETES. Okay, say that, per season, a skater does 2 GPs, their nationals, worlds, one invitational, and Olys once every four years. That means probably less than 2 total hours of on-ice competition time. If you can't handle that, you aren't an athlete. Come on, quit the cry-baby act and skate.
 
waxel said:
And here's another thing-- I am weary of skaters whining about being tired and that there are too many competitions. These are supposed to be WORLD CLASS ATHLETES. Okay, say that, per season, a skater does 2 GPs, their nationals, worlds, one invitational, and Olys once every four years. That means probably less than 2 total hours of on-ice competition time. If you can't handle that, you aren't an athlete. Come on, quit the cry-baby act and skate.
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Yeah, sometimes I wonder if it is because the ladies, in particular, are a lot younger than, say, the women on the pro tennis circuit. Sure, there's the jetlag and all that, but the tennis players seem to be able to do this. They know which competitions are the most important and they spend more time training for those. Maybe the coaches need to develop a different training tactic: little competitions train you for big competitions.

Every professional skater talks about how much their presentation improves as they go out night after night to perform. A few more competitions may not be that bad.

Just a few thoughts, the randomness of which shows that I'm up past my bedtime!
 
waxel said:
I'm glad to see the additional prize money because I agree that one reason for it is Grand Prix incentive. Some fans complain about there being too many competitions but I love and watch them all, so the continuation of the Grand Prix is vital to me.

And here's another thing-- I am weary of skaters whining about being tired and that there are too many competitions. These are supposed to be WORLD CLASS ATHLETES. Okay, say that, per season, a skater does 2 GPs, their nationals, worlds, one invitational, and Olys once every four years. That means probably less than 2 total hours of on-ice competition time. If you can't handle that, you aren't an athlete. Come on, quit the cry-baby act and skate.
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ITA with all of this, especially the second part. And you might also have mentioned the ones that moan and whine when they have to skate in the 9AM qualifying group when they probably get up at hideous times in the morning anyway to practice when they're back at home.....

BTW, waxel, does your screen name have anything to do with a comment that someone made at the 86 or 87 Nationals when Caryn Kadavy went splat on a jump; the comment was "We call that a waxel". [It was in the Sports Illustrated article on the competition, back in the days when SI still mentioned the Nationals at all....]
 
waxel said:
I'm glad to see the additional prize money because I agree that one reason for it is Grand Prix incentive. Some fans complain about there being too many competitions but I love and watch them all, so the continuation of the Grand Prix is vital to me.

And here's another thing-- I am weary of skaters whining about being tired and that there are too many competitions. These are supposed to be WORLD CLASS ATHLETES. Okay, say that, per season, a skater does 2 GPs, their nationals, worlds, one invitational, and Olys once every four years. That means probably less than 2 total hours of on-ice competition time. If you can't handle that, you aren't an athlete. Come on, quit the cry-baby act and skate.
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Spoken like a true ignoramus!! In case you wondered, its not the on-ice competition time that causes the fatigue and injury etc etc its the hours of training that the skaters put in for those two on-ice competition hours. Since most skaters want to try to last at the very least a complete four year cycle, they also need a long term plan that gets them through their elligible competitive career and able to continue to skate once they stop competing in the elligible ranks so that they can either show skate or teach - do something with their skating. Just look at all the injuries that skaters have suffered, do you need much more evidence?

Ant
 
Well, I hate to join in on the side of the ignoramouses, but gosh, I look at professional basketball players who go out there every day for an 82 game schedule.

Would it really increase the rate of injuries for figure skaters if they competed, let's say, once a week? Their schedule could be Monday rest; Tuesday, off-ice; Wednesday, full practice; Thursday, full practice; Friday, light skating; Saturday, short program; Sunday,-long program.

Couldn't a skater do this for, say, a four month season?

Like you say, Ant, what really causes the wear and tear is all the intensive practice. Why wear out your body like that and risk career-ending injury just for the sake of skating three or four times per year?

MM :)
 
Mathman said:
Well, I hate to join in on the side of the ignoramouses, but gosh, I look at professional basketball players who go out there every day for an 82 game schedule.

Would it really increase the rate of injuries for figure skaters if they competed, let's say, once a week? Their schedule could be Monday rest; Tuesday, off-ice; Wednesday, full practice; Thursday, full practice; Friday, light skating; Saturday, short program; Sunday,-long program.

MM :)
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If you think that a skater would be able to land triple jumps and quads practising on ice for only two days a week then you really are dreaming and have no comprehension of the hours of practice and repetition and subtle changes that it takes to not only land the triple jumps, but land them consistently, then not only land them consistently but keep them.

Two days a week doesn't cut the mustard. These skaters are training for six days a week and putting in the hours on the ice if you take away most of their training time how are they supposed to get the skills they need that we have all come to expect?

I don't think you can compare two totally different sports and say - see they do X, Y or Z over here so skaters should be bale to do it too.

Ant
 
Mathman said:
Well, I hate to join in on the side of the ignoramouses, but gosh, I look at professional basketball players who go out there every day for an 82 game schedule.

Would it really increase the rate of injuries for figure skaters if they competed, let's say, once a week? Their schedule could be Monday rest; Tuesday, off-ice; Wednesday, full practice; Thursday, full practice; Friday, light skating; Saturday, short program; Sunday,-long program.

Couldn't a skater do this for, say, a four month season?

Like you say, Ant, what really causes the wear and tear is all the intensive practice. Why wear out your body like that and risk career-ending injury just for the sake of skating three or four times per year?

MM :)
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Though i would add that if the skaters were only required to do double jumps then it might be a possibilty...and i wouldn't be against that idea...maybe have the interpretive free skating league (IFSL...has a ring to it no?) ?!:)

Ant
 
antmanb said:
IFSL...has a ring to it no?
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For me, it can't happen too soon.

I look at Michelle's performances in COI :love: She goes on tour and does 50 shows in 60 days. In each show she does triple Lutz-double toe, triple flip (or toe if she's feeling lazy) and double Axel. In the grand finale she does 2A/2A/2A/2A in sequence (!). That's 7 jumps with 2.5 or more revolutions. She does this every night, with pretty close to zero practice in between shows.

OK, that's not a competitive program under the CoP. Still...bring on the IFSL!

MM :)
 
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