Was Emily Hughes robbed of the Gold at US Nationals? | Page 6 | Golden Skate

Was Emily Hughes robbed of the Gold at US Nationals?

A few minutes ago I thought I had completed a reply but lost it.

If I hit "Quote" and edit a quote in the space provided and then type my reply and hit "Submit Reply" without ever having hit "Post Reply", do I lose the reply completely?:scratch:
No, that should be OK. As far as I can tell, the occasional dropped post falls into the category of "stuff happens."

Sometimes it's still there if you go "back" (or sometimes "forward") in your browser.
 
But sometimes Nationals just aren't as exciting as others... ala 1998 Nationals... my favoritest skater in the whole world was there & it was boring as well...
??? Not only was your favoritest skater in the whole world there, but she gave perhaps the two most complete and thrilling programs of her entire career, earning 15 6.0s and lifting the audience with her to the realm of the (lyrical) angels.

If you don't believe me, maybe you will believe the Office of the Consulate General of the United States for Hong Kong and Macau (U.S. Policies and Issues Division):

http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/ushk_hugheskwan_2007_mk_bio.html :biggrin:
 
Joe, most people can't afford to fly to nationals every year. Get over it. It's not like they were there, if they feel the coverage from ESPN or whatever network showcases it was boring then so be it. It was pretty ho hum compared to the two years I've been able to be IN the seat. I don't think that a bank account and a budget should be what dictates what makes a fan and what doesn't.

Even if this isn't what you're trying to say that's how it's coming off as... the only one who keeps bringing up the idea that it's just all about the ladies are you and ESPN :laugh:
 
I've been to the Liberty Open and South Atlantic Regionals, and I have to say the Senior ladies (with the exception of Rachael Flatt at Liberty) were the most boring parts of the competitions. The men, particularly the Junior and Novice men, were much better watching in every way there is.
 
Joe, most people can't afford to fly to nationals every year. Get over it. It's not like they were there, if they feel the coverage from ESPN or whatever network showcases it was boring then so be it. It was pretty ho hum compared to the two years I've been able to be IN the seat. I don't think that a bank account and a budget should be what dictates what makes a fan and what doesn't.

Even if this isn't what you're trying to say that's how it's coming off as... the only one who keeps bringing up the idea that it's just all about the ladies are you and ESPN :laugh:
Toni - That's the way it is coming off to you, and that doesn't surprise me. If you go through the posts of those who BROUGHT up the BORING word it was not me! Those posts specifically mention LADIES. I was simply defending the Nats as NOT BEING BORING. I NEVER questioned their right to be BORED. I just questioned what they thought of the contests which they watched on TV as totally boring? Shall we bring back Kwan for another 10 years to make the Nats exciting?

True, there is more excitement in an arena than sitting in front of a TV slugging down a voka and tonic, but even at that there were 16 medals awarded. I question if ALL were boring?

BTW = There were not many posters who found the Nats boring..

Joe



Joe
 
I must confess, I am a podium snob and I probably need to get over that - probably a bi-product of becoming passionate about the sport of skating prior to the Grand Prix series as well as an occupational hazard of obsessive focus on the business side of selling niche sports to mainstream audiences... the struggle and personal victories of these athletes is sometimes lost on me...

Just a thought, but in selling a "niche" sport to mainstream audiences, you should focus on what is going to sell that sport. Rather then cutting it down and being a snob. QUOTE]

"But first, let's kill the lawyers..." shakespear...

this is a nice sentiment and one that I'm sure to bring up during my annual review... Sports are a business and the main objective is to win. When you win, you get endorsements and press coverage. When you get press coverage and endorsements, your sport gains mainstream attention and the money roles in... it is what it is...

Since the word "niche" seems to be that which pushed you over the edge, let me clarify that its not a negative - it just means a sport that appeals to a certin demographic of fans - fans who are passonate about one sport, not sports in general. For example, football fans tend to be fans of other sports like basketball and baseball. Skating fans are skating fans. Nascar fans are Nascar fans (this is rapidly changing however...) and Golf fans are golf fans. Hence the "niche" title.

But it is possible to grow out of that title... the X Games is a great example... most sport fans love the X Games because it brings all elements of athletics and performance together in spectacular fashion. Its exciting. US skating could use some of that, is all I'm saying...

Oh well... I'm off to complete my tearing down of a sport I spend tremendous time promoting and defending.... such is life...
 
for Alyssa, I think this performance at Nationals will count for a lot.
It's a great start- the first time she HASN'T imploded at a major comp- but she'll need to keep it up for it to mean anything. Otherwise, how do we know it wasn't a fluke?
 
Well both Hughes sisters come off as snobby. Probably because they were raised in that "Ivy League is better god forbid they go to state schools or skate in a show" family.
I don't agree with this, but I did think it was funny how Sarah Hughes, Ms. Yale, came across as so boy-crazy after her Olympics win, more Olson sister than Tenley Albright.
 
??? Not only was your favoritest skater in the whole world there, but she gave perhaps the two most complete and thrilling programs of her entire career, earning 15 6.0s and lifting the audience with her to the realm of the (lyrical) angels.

If you don't believe me, maybe you will believe the Office of the Consulate General of the United States for Hong Kong and Macau (U.S. Policies and Issues Division):

http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/ushk_hugheskwan_2007_mk_bio.html :biggrin:

EXACTLY!!!

And it was an Olympic year... there is more to nationals though than 7 perfect minutes...
 
BTW = There were not many posters who found the Nats boring.

Joe

Sorry, but the Ladies Long Program was B O R I N G. After an exciting night of short programs they all became tenative and uninspiring. Alissa Czisny's spins were the only thing of note the whole night.

~Z
 
Sorry, but the Ladies Long Program was B O R I N G. After an exciting night of short programs they all became tenative and uninspiring. Alissa Czisny's spins were the only thing of note the whole night.

~Z
That's exactly what I was saying - some fans of Ladies figure skating found the contest in Spokane BORING.

Fans of FIGURE SKATING did not find the Nationals as boring.

We are talking only in US Nationals. The contests between the Men, Pairs were far from boring, and Davis and White made a statement. That's just not my opinion.

Joe
 
I'm coming late to this discussion, so I think I'll make the choice to annoy everyone. The problem with the question about who should have won the US ladies competition this year is that all 3 top ladies hae their flaws. And their strengths.

Of the 3, I most like Emily Hughes, putting me in the tiny minority as usual. But my favorite performance of hers this year has to be her Skate America SP to Carmen :love: rather than either of her Nationals perforamances. I love the Wilson choreography in that program, and Emily, full of fire and enthusiasm and aggressiveness, makes a very creditable and rather different Carmen. It's no wonder that we all gave her a standing ovation at Skate America for it.

By nationals, her jumps are in better shape, but she seemed a bit slower and a bit more careful-and therefore not in the zone, exactly. And :( she had dumbed down the choreography. However, one thing that Emily had at nationals, in both her short and her long, was some Jumps...Julia Sebasteyn-like huge, powerful jumps (and even Uncle Dick was duly impressed). She still fell on one jump (2nd lutz AFAIR?) and doesn't have any triple/triples though. And I've seen her spins, spirals, and general skating look better. I still like that ever so cool position in the flying back sit spin and the Charlotte into the layback though. I hope she'll continue the improvement at Worlds.

The boring mathematical argument about whether Emily was robbed centers about whether Kimmie's 3/3 in the SP should have been downgraded. IMO it should have. The second part was whether either Kimmie was undergraded or Emily overgraded in the long. If anything, I would have given Em equal PCS to Kimmie. So if you added the change from the 3/3 in the SP in, Emily should have beaten Kimmie. And personally, while they are secure, I don't like Kimmie's jumps-they're tiny and fast, and not to mention the toe-axelling. I like huge soaring jumps! And her spins aren't as fast or centered as Emily's either. Not to mention the back pumping and the airplane arms. Neither Emily nor Kimmie is an artist.

The next question is whether Alissa should have beaten Kimmie or Emily. Everyone knows what Alyssa's problems are. Now, and in the past, her jumps have been shaky. In Emily's LP, there are 7 jump elements. The first 3 (including her 2 best combos) were just totally Excellent, as was her final 3S. Her Lutz and 3t25 were good, her flip by itself a fall, In her SP the combo is Excellent and the Axel Quite Good, and the lutz average. Alissa's SP-her combo is less than average, her axel quite good, and her lutz a single disaster. In her LP, her Lutz combo, Axel,and 3Lp quite good; her flip combo, 3T2t was sub average, her 3F was downgraded, and her Lutz by itself average. In addition, she has no 3/2/2 and Emily does. Emily's spins and spirals aren't up to Alissa's, and her PCS scores should not be as high as Alissa's, and that's how the judges scored it. Myself, I could have dropped Alissa's jump GOE's even lower. They don't go up, they tend to be under rotated, and they never give you that secure feeling. For Alissa to beat Emily, you'd have to find some more points for Alissa somewhere, and I don't see it. Alissa has already got top grades on her spins and spirals, and a good edge on PCS.

So I would say that Emily probably should have won, but that the result doesn't particularly annoy me because it was close.

For any of these three girls to medal at worlds, other girls have to skate badly, or they have to improve A Lot between now and then.
 
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Last night I watched my TiVo of the Ladies FS. Emily had two wonky jumps, but they were credited as clean on the protocol; ISU judges would not be as generous. I think Emily was quite overscored in her FS because her usual speed was just not there, and I do dispute the idea that she should have received equal marks to Kimmie because of that.
 
interesting...I never watched it more than once (although I have it on DVD). Remember Kimmie was not that breathtaking herself, though. Alyssa deserved to win the freeskate but was too far behind to win the whole thing.
 
Last night I watched my TiVo of the Ladies FS. Emily had two wonky jumps, but they were credited as clean on the protocol; ISU judges would not be as generous. I think Emily was quite overscored in her FS because her usual speed was just not there, and I do dispute the idea that she should have received equal marks to Kimmie because of that.
I remember from watching Emily that her speed was almost halved of what it used to be. I believe that was coached so that she would have the proper preparation for her jumps. Problem with this skate is that her preparation was Liashenko-like. To me, it ruined the program, although Emily does have a high jump.

I don't believe any of these US ladies can match the Asian gals. There may be a bronze medal at Worlds for one of them but, I see too much negativity about each one:

Kimmie, has to get the 2006 World title out of her head and skate like she did in 2006.

Emily has to cool it and skate with a bit a grace rather than 'I must win'.

Alissa, we all know, can she do it clean for a second time?

Six or Seven weeks more and we shall find out about the US Ladies. I have good hopes for a medal in Men's, Pairs, and maybe Dance. It seems to me that I am ready to say "Wait'll next year" for a more mature Rachael.

Joe
 
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