USFSA events television schedule is up

[Alsace]

http://www.usfsa.org/Event_TV_Schedule.asp

Well, some of Skate America and a little of the US nationals will be shown on broadcast television.

 

[Mathman]

I see that all three of the cheesefests are scheduled to be broadcast live. I wonder what kind of format they will have and who will be skating?

 

[R.D.]

On the "other" side, the ladies free at Nationals is scheduled for the afternoon instead of at night. Also the men's free is now on ESPN2.

The ladies short at SA is going to be on ABC now. I don't ever remember them showing the short programs.

 

[Alsace]

I see that all three of the cheesefests are scheduled to be broadcast live. I wonder what kind of format they will have and who will be skating?

The answer to your question is supposed to come "next week."

http://www.usfigureskating.org/event_story.asp?id=35107

 

[Mathman]

The answer to your question is supposed to come "next week."

http://www.usfigureskating.org/event_story.asp?id=35107

Hmm. The dreaded "unique competition format." Now my curiousity is really piqued, LOL.

MM

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Hmm. The dreaded "unique competition format." Now my curiousity is really piqued, LOL. MM

It would definitely mean no CoP! or even 6.0!

If the competitions are international, I don't think they can have Peter Carruthers as a 'reality' judge telling a foreign skater that she had too many falls, or her jumps were off. (The skater knows that!)

In an international setting, one must be diplomatic. I can not see a panel of boobs telling foreign skaters what their problems were.

Like MM, I can not figure this out. Does anyone have a speculation on what kind of competition it will be?

Joe

 

[Mathman]

Pure speculation, but if they drag out the same-old same olds – Michelle and Sasha for team USA, Irina heading up the international crew – then it will have to be some kind of team contest with exhibition style programs only.

Maybe the mega-stars of the past can still draw an audience. But I think USFS is missing a great opportunity if they don’t grab the bull by the horns and go with Kimmie, Mao and Yu-na.

Then again, remember those events where they put one lady and one man together in teams of two? (Michelle and Matt Savoie won one of those, once).

Michelle and Evan
Sasha and Johnny
Irina and Evgeni (oops, no fair – we have to split those two up)
Shizuka and Takahashi
Kimmie and Lambiel (the “world champions” team)
Mao and Oda
Joannie and Buttle

 

[Bill508]

I don't see the Worlds in Tokyo on this schedule. An oversight?

 

[Sylvia]

I don't see the Worlds in Tokyo on this schedule. An oversight?

No, this is the USFSA's TV schedule (for their events). Go to Heather W's preliminary U.S. TV skating schedule for the ISU events: http://heatherw.com/mk/sch.htm

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Mathman- Skate America is 11 days after the Campbells. Those foreign skaters scheduled for SA are not about to do a cheesefest unless they stay in the country for 11 days. Think Campbells will foot their hotel bill?

As to the Usual Suspects showing up, I am sure they will think: Been There Done That - unless of course there is some money under the table in addition to the expenses and the prize money. There is no glory in Cheesefests. Money there is.

And Michelle Kwan all healed????

Joe

 

[nymkfan51]

I would be very surprised if we see Michelle at the fall or winter cheesefests. My guess is we won't see her till spring.

And very interesting that the ladies free skate will be held in the afternoon. Is that no longer the premier American skating event?

 

[attyfan]

I would be very surprised if we see Michelle at the fall or winter cheesefests. My guess is we won't see her till spring.
...

I think we will see her -- as an interviewer or in a fluff.

 

[nymkfan51]

I think we will see her -- as an interviewer or in a fluff.

That could very well be, but I was speaking of her skating.

 

[Mathman]

I don't see the Worlds in Tokyo on this schedule. An oversight?

No, this is the USFSA's TV schedule (for their events). Go to Heather W's preliminary U.S. TV skating schedule for the ISU events: http://heatherw.com/mk/sch.htm

The interesting thing to me is how little anyone seems to care, in the U.S., about international competitions, even world championships. The ISU lost it's contract with ABC TV a couple of years ago and all of its events, including worlds, were sloughed off to ESPN with a quarter of the payoff (the ISU gets $5 million from ESPN instaed of $20 million from ABC).

But US. Nationals, Skate America, and even the three U.S. cheesefests will be shown on major network TV. Evidently the network and its sponsors feel that there is still sufficient interest in U.S. figure skating to air at least parts of these events.

The contract between USFS and ABC TV expires after 2007 Nationals. We'll see what happens then.

This emphasis on a U.S. season culminating with U.S. Nationals as the big whoop is quite a contrast with the interests of fans in Europe and other parts of the world. In other countries (Japan is an exception) national championships, etc., don't mean much, but there is some interest in Europeans and Worlds.

It's almost like the difference between the Super Bowl (the biggest event on television in the U.S., but in the rest of the world no one has even heard of it), compared to the World Cup (Europeans love it, Americans hardly know what sport is being contested).

Anyway, this is the last year of the current contract between ABC TV and USFS. It could be the last year that we see any figure skating on national network TV at all.

MM

 

[Mathman]

Mathman- Skate America is 11 days after the Campbells. Those foreign skaters scheduled for SA are not about to do a cheesefest unless they stay in the country for 11 days. Think Campbells will foot their hotel bill?

As to the Usual Suspects showing up, I am sure they will think: Been There Done That - unless of course there is some money under the table in addition to the expenses and the prize money. There is no glory in Cheesefests. Money there is.

I don't think it will be a problem for foreign skaters who want to do Campbell's. The international men's and ladies' skaters scheduled for Skate America are Davydov, Maybe, van der Perrin, Dambier, Preaubert, Lindemann, Nanri, Oda and Voronov, and Carter, Leung, Hegel, Korpi, Ando, Mai Asada, Mao Asada, Volchkova and Meier.

I'm not sure how many of these are on the A list for receiving an invitation to Campbell's. (But I hope Meier is )

About prize money, I don't know how important a factor this is to the skaters. Campbell's usually pays $50,000 to the winner, compared to the ISU purse of $18,000 to the winner of Skate America. Money under the table is another matter -- I wouldn't be surprised if Plushenko, for instance, receives an appearance bonus.

Is this a lot of money? Well, a recent article speculated that Arakawa received about $4000 - $5000 per performance in COI. Maybe a top skater could earn a couple hundred thousand for the whole COI tour. So $50,000 for one performance might sound like a good deal for someone like Lambiel, Joubert, etc. -- even world champions have to pay the bills.

And Michelle Kwan all healed????

I wonder if Michelle has some kind of long-term agreement with Campbells and Marshalls. Last year she dragged herself out on the ice to do both the winter Marshalls and the spring Marshalls even though she could hardly walk, much less skate.

Of all skaters, Michelle is the one who doesn't need the money. I hope they let her sit this one out. If Michelle skates, the format will have to be "not a real competition."

MM

 

[chuckm]

Some of those high-ranked SA skaters (the Japanese: Oda, Asadas and Ando) train in the US or Canada, so it wouldn't be that much of a biggie to go to wherever Campbell's is being held. The Canadians (Buttle, Sandhu, Rochette) are close by, too.

I'm not sure about Lambiel, though. There were reports that he had re-injured himself, and some of the COI reviews mentioned that he was having problems both jumping and spinning. He may want to go back home and rest up after the Tour and try to heal his knee.

 

[R.D.]

(But I hope Meier is )

 

[sk8addict]

depressed

I have always fooled myself into thinking the skating season starts in September. Not until October 15th??? That's depressing.

 

[KwanFan1212]

A Cheesefest in Cincy!? Wow, Cincy never gets ANYTHING. No matter the competitors, I think I'll have to go to that just to support my hometown so that maybe we can get more events in the future. I know my mom all ready wants to go so that will be a lot of fun. Go Cincy!!

 

[Mathman]

I have always fooled myself into thinking the skating season starts in September. Not until October 15th??? That's depressing.

It won't be televised, but the junior grand prix kicks off August 24th in Courchevel, France. U.S. junior champ Megan Hyatt starts her season!

A Cheesefest in Cincy!? Wow, Cincy never gets ANYTHING.

I beg your pardon. The fourteenth annual Stampaway rubber stamp and craft convention will be in Cincinnati this weekend. This is huge in the rubber stamping world! OK, it's not quite as big as scrapbooking at the moment, but we never miss the Cincinnati show!

MM