"Up Close and Personal" Pieces

[berthes ghost]

I guess I'm in the minority here.....I actually like the UC&P pieces! LOL I

Well, maybe at a skating fan board like this one, where we all watch way too much skating, but obviously not with the general viewing public. If most people hated UC&Ps, they'd be off the air quicker than you can say "demographic".

 

[Ptichka]

It depends. Things that relate to skating (i.e. coaching changes) are interesting. What I hate are the pieces that exploit the rags-to-riches theme. Back when Oksana skated in competitions, I would just grind my teeth every time they brought up her orphan background. The peak, IMHO, was this year's Worlds fluff about Shen & Zhao, when Xue's mom talked about how her dad could only afford one dumpling. I thought it really trivialized what could have otherwise been an interesting look at the Chinese skater-making machine.

 

[Linny]

At the Boards

The UCAP's are OK when they don't take too much time away from skating. It's the "At the Boards" interviews that make me insane. Who will ever forget the idiot who shoved a mike in Brian Orser's face, after he'd just had the skate of a lifetime - at the Olympics, too - and the idiot says something like "How does it feel to loose to Brian Boitano?" Brian Orser hadn't yet figured out his standing. Argh!!!

Now, it's not too bad when Peter gets together with the 3 top skaters after the standings have been posted and before the medal ceramony. The skaters have had time to catch their breath. It becomes a nice celebration. It's especially cool when they do it at Nationals - these are the skaters who are going to go to Worlds. The adversaries become a team.

Linny

 

[Kathleen]

That was David Santee....wasn't it?? I can't remember......

 

[thisthingcalledlove]

Now, it's not too bad when Peter gets together with the 3 top skaters after the standings have been posted and before the medal ceramony. The skaters have had time to catch their breath. It becomes a nice celebration. It's especially cool when they do it at Nationals - these are the skaters who are going to go to Worlds. The adversaries become a team.

Linny

Depends on who it is. Usually, if it's Sasha in 2nd or lower (much as I love her) she's usually sulking.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

One thing to consider that I thought of while reading this thread: maybe the skaters like to be able to share some of their life with the fans, or explain certain aspects of their life, training, or coaching decisions. Just food for thought...speaking of, about raiding that refrigerator...where's the ice cream?

for all the posters: There is nothing wrong, imo, of these fluff pieces on TV but I would prefer them to be on a half hour before the competition kinda like a Barbara Walters Special. This would allow us to see Stephane Lambiel and Joannie Rochet on TV.

As for interviews after the skate, well the questions and answers are the same during the compoetitions. Maybe we can write a note to Peter and Susie with our own questions. Example. Are you working on the lutz so that it doesn't come offf as a Flutz? That would be an eye opener for the skater . What would be her answer? I used her and not him because he problem doesn't exist among the men.

As for the demonstrations, I think it would be important for new fans to see the lutz and flip demonstrated. Also a flutz and see if I'm not right in calling it a flip.

Oh dear, I am ranting on.....

Joe

 

[PrincessLeppard]

Are you working on the lutz so that it doesn't come offf as a Flutz? That would be an eye opener for the skater . What would be her answer? I used her and not him because he problem doesn't exist among the men.

Joe

Tim Goebel and Takeshi Honda flutz.

Laura

 

[berthes ghost]

The UCAP's are OK when they don't take too much time away from skating. It's the "At the Boards" interviews that make me insane. Who will ever forget the idiot who shoved a mike in Brian Orser's face, after he'd just had the skate of a lifetime - at the Olympics, too - and the idiot says something like "How does it feel to loose to Brian Boitano?" Brian Orser hadn't yet figured out his standing. Argh!!!

Ah, the David Santee interview that everyone seems to be so obsessed with. What really happened was that the camera clearly shows Brian mouthing to someone off camera "Second? I'm second?". The marks of course he knows, as they are anounced. Santee than begins his interview with "Brian, I have good news and bad news." The good news turns out to the 6.0 everyone clearly knew he had, and the bad news the second place finish, which many clearly knew about as well.

It was clearly just a cheesy way to start an interview, rather than the all so familiar "What happened?" or " How does it feell...?" . But, like an urban myth, it will live on forever as the time David Santee told Brian Orser that he had lost to Boitano.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Fluff pieces are ok - like someone mentioned in an earlier post, they allow us to see that there is more to the skaters than lutzes and salchows. What gets on my wick is when they show the *same* fluff piece over and over all season (or in one case I can remember they showed it the next season as well!) without adding anything new or informative.

Yes, yes, yes!!! Do we want to see another R&J? I am sure we will get repeats of Swan Lake and Tosca for the upcoming Cheesefest. Not waiting with baited breath. It would normally be their new (if there is a new) routine for the upcoming season, but I think with all that money to win, the skate must go without flaws and those older pieces can now be done by rote.

Joe

 

[SkateFan4Life]

I have to say "thank you" to ESPN for filming and broadcasting most of the competitors at US Nationals. I have so much enjoyed watching the second and third flight of skaters. Sure, none of them had a reasonable chance to make the US World team, but for Pete's sake, they were all good enough to qualify to compete at Nationals, and I wanted to see them skate!! For many of them, this appearance at Nationals would be the pinnacle of their competitive careers, and they made themselves proud with their performances.

I was truly thankful that ESPN concentrated on their performances, with insightful analysis by Terry Gannon, Peggy Fleming, Dick Button, etc. Since these were not the star skaters, there wasn't a single "up close and personal" bio piece. BRAVO!

 

[PrincessLeppard]

When did you see this broadcast? I saw the top six and no more.

Laura

 

[SkateFan4Life]

When did you see this broadcast? I saw the top six and no more.

Laura

I'm referring to my tapes of the 1998 US Nationals. Ever heard of Matthew Kessinger? He was one of the qualifiers who had absolutely no chance to make the Olympic team, yet he skated a very entertaining and solid long program. John Baldwin was also featured in that broadcast - a skater who was making his umpteenth appearance as a singles skater. John flubbed most of his jumps and finished far down the pack, but what the heck, he was trying!!

If I have to watch another dippy UCAP feature on Sasha Cohen's modeling career or her "ice princess" persona, I'm definitely going to leave the room and clean my bedroom closet.

Who knows, maybe I'll have a sparkling clean house by the end of this skating season.

 

[SkateFan4Life]

Personally, I LOVE a good (good being the key word) fluff piece. However, I am an even bigger fan of "Ice Moves", which I feel really help the "newbies" of skating to understand what's going on.

Yes, the "Ice Moves" are well done and informative. I enjoy watching them and hearing Dick Button, Peggy Fleming, and others explain the jumps and moves of competitive figure skating.

I used to enjoy the pesonal bios in the old days when figure skaters weren't making millions from touring and commercial endorsements. As far as I'm concerned, and I could be way off base with this opinion, most of the top skaters
are "walking advertisements". Certainly, they had to train like crazy to reach their level of expertise, but they just don't have anything interesting to say. How many times do we have to listen to Cohen explain her coaching moves, inability to complete a long program, etc? Yes, it's interesting to a certain extent, but let's not be bombarded with these bios at every competition Cohen competes in.
Please! Let's see some of the other skaters.

It's insulting to me, as an avid figure skating fan, to think that the networks assume I'm only interested in (1) American skaters and (2) skaters who have a chance to medal. I'd like to see ALL of the competitiors !!!!!!!!!!