Ahh, Ryan and Matt are my two favorite eligible male skaters right now..
Ryan first caught my eye six years ago, and I was quite taken with his carriage across the ice as well as his ability to interpret the music so well (and at only 19!). I was disappointed year after year when I didn't see him in the final flight at Nationals (he probably should have at least as early as '02, but that's another topic maybe). So it did my heart good to see him not only make the top flight in '03 but actually come in second in the free skate (he even took a couple of first place ordinals, I think).
I liked the "Cinderella" program quite well, but I think that the Brazilian program this year is one of the most freakin' brilliant things I've ever seen. I always thought if Ryan could tame the jumps in competition (especially that axel jump) he could compete with anyone. Now, all he needs to do is keep building on the consistency he has started to achieve lately, and get some respect from the judges. He can skate to and interpret just about any kind of music, I feel, and I'm excited to see what he and Tom Dickson come up with next.

Oh yeah, and I liked the outfit - a lot of people didn't for some reason but I love it. It goes right with the festive nature of the program (and I LOVE color

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As for Matt - I think he needs to find a true joy in his skating. Ryan has that, and it shows. When Matt is able to feel that, I think he'll rise to the next level. And I agree that it would be nice to see him smile once in a while. He has a nice one - he needs to use it more.
