- Joined
- Jan 18, 2021
Obviously I don't mean trash talking after winning; that's just kicking somebody after they're down, and that's just rude.
So recently I've seen the US Nationals, and I loved all the storylines; Bradie Tennell fighting injuries and inconsistency to finally getting the 2nd title, Nathan Chen's back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back win, Knierim and Frazier rookie season win, Hubbell and Donohue making the comeback after losing nationals last year.
But it feels like the NBC broadcast does nothing to help hype these stories up. I don't really find myself cheering for anybody because I loved their underdog story or because they're a rookie with something to prove, or if they're the gatekeeper preventing anyone from getting a trophy.
And the skaters' interview are only "yeah everyone skated really well blah blah blah", "I'm so excited to be here and prove myself zzzzzzz". I'm struggling to see how the broadcast expects anyone to pay attention to this sport if outside of the actual programs, any content they're making is just putting people to sleep. Figure skating should be entertaining to watch, there should be storylines and rivalries, something to make people interested in the sport. Every year the competitors are presented like they're just the ones from the last years, but with a different name. It's weird that figure skating emphasizes uniqueness as a sport but the broadcast fails to present the athletes as more than generic.
Imagine if before Nationals start, Nathan Chen says something like "Jason Brown's looking pretty good, he's definitely gonna finish top 9." That's awesome, right?! If Nathan wins, he gets to look super cocky, yet he backed it up. If he loses and it backfires, sure he might look like an idiot for a while, but I'm willing to bet many people are going to start cheering for him.
So why don't figure skaters trash talk? Most athletes do it, and that's how they build their huge brands and following. They aren't trash talking to bring someone down, or to make someone feel bad, rather, they're saying they have the confidence to win it all; and entertaining the fans in the process.
So recently I've seen the US Nationals, and I loved all the storylines; Bradie Tennell fighting injuries and inconsistency to finally getting the 2nd title, Nathan Chen's back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back win, Knierim and Frazier rookie season win, Hubbell and Donohue making the comeback after losing nationals last year.
But it feels like the NBC broadcast does nothing to help hype these stories up. I don't really find myself cheering for anybody because I loved their underdog story or because they're a rookie with something to prove, or if they're the gatekeeper preventing anyone from getting a trophy.
And the skaters' interview are only "yeah everyone skated really well blah blah blah", "I'm so excited to be here and prove myself zzzzzzz". I'm struggling to see how the broadcast expects anyone to pay attention to this sport if outside of the actual programs, any content they're making is just putting people to sleep. Figure skating should be entertaining to watch, there should be storylines and rivalries, something to make people interested in the sport. Every year the competitors are presented like they're just the ones from the last years, but with a different name. It's weird that figure skating emphasizes uniqueness as a sport but the broadcast fails to present the athletes as more than generic.
Imagine if before Nationals start, Nathan Chen says something like "Jason Brown's looking pretty good, he's definitely gonna finish top 9." That's awesome, right?! If Nathan wins, he gets to look super cocky, yet he backed it up. If he loses and it backfires, sure he might look like an idiot for a while, but I'm willing to bet many people are going to start cheering for him.
So why don't figure skaters trash talk? Most athletes do it, and that's how they build their huge brands and following. They aren't trash talking to bring someone down, or to make someone feel bad, rather, they're saying they have the confidence to win it all; and entertaining the fans in the process.