Why isn't Figure Skating MORE popular?

[Zenith]

In my opinion, figure skating is not objective. It is subjective. My favorite kinds of sports are races where the winner is who crosses the finish line first. I kind of wish they would split figure skating into two types: jump/spin competitions only where a skater must complete all of the jumps and spins as correctly as possible and are judged in uniforms, and the other: figure skating now.

People simply have less money to spend and skating is still as expensive as it ever will be. THAT and the fact that some parent doesn't want their darling Julie subject to the opinion of a judge when it's obvious that Julie is the best! /sarcasm

Watching these past Olympics, I realized how the average non-skating fan does not take figure skating seriously. It's turning into more of a soap opera, and less of a sport. Part of the reason behind that is how NBC/ABC and the likes televise it with all of the fluff pieces and stupid interviews.

 

[SeaniBu]

Sarah Hughes (I don't believe she'll come back) is one clear example; Sasha Cohen talking about going into acting could be another.

I thought that Sara was gone due to a "hip" injury. ?

 

[leon]

I blame the over the top out of control promotion of the Olympics as one of the major factors killing figure skating. Would fans pay attention to golf or tennis if the only competition that matters was held once every four years? Does anyone remember who the most recent Olympic champions for tennis or golf are? Does anyone care?

I'm no great admirer of Cinquenta or the way decisions are made at the ISU but I do support the attempts to increase the importance and competitiveness of the Grand Prix series to something like "the majors" or "grand slams" of other sports.

NBC certainly likes to promote the Olympics as the only event that matters hence all these questions about only continuing to compete not to win National or International titles but to spend four years preparing for the Olympics. Michelle, as much as I love her, hasn't helped this because, although she maintains she competes because she loves to compete, most really believe she is only staying competitive so she can get the only championship that matters in figure skating. The last couple of years she was healthy she only wanted to compete in US Nationals and Worlds. As much as she likes to compete and enjoys the journey, two real competitions a year are just fine, thank you.

And in the US, NBC's competitor, the Disney/ABC/ESPN conglomerate collude to their disadvantage in maintaining figure skating only produces real heroes once every four years. Attention spans are far too short to wait four years to see who the next "real" figure skating champions will be. The spike in world interest in skating came in the early 90's when only two years separated the 92 and 94 Olympics -- helped of course by Tonya and Nancy -- I wonder what would have happened to skating in the 90"s had the 94 Olympics been held in 96.

Most sport sites have figure skating as a discipline buried in Olympic sports even during the off years, which tells me how important the the Grand Prixs and Worlds are viewed. There is just not enough fan interest, tv or sponsor money and creative people in federations to maintain indefinitely the feeder system of the National and International programs into a once every four year event. As the money continues to dry up the snowball effect will pick up speed until figure skating will get zero support between Olympics causing boring, lousy olympic skating and such confusing scoring that curling will take over figure skating's premier spot at the winter Olympics.

This new judging system is not helping. It is consuming enormous financial resources and brainpower to mystify the fans. Is it really better to rely on computer programs than to insist on competent and honest judges? Every time the NJS is introduced it is in the context that the ISU simply does not have the will nor commitment to honesty, integrity and competence in their own chosen officials.

Ooops, sorry, I rambled on much too long . . . hopefully there are some great ideas out there that can save this beautiful sport.

 

[attyfan]

First, I agree that all the emphasis on the Olys is not good for skating -- but it has been that way for years. This became a problem because the every-four-years bit made it impossible to sustain the interest that was generated by the "whack" -- but the concentration on Olys was too well established by then to be changed.

Second, I don't agree that MK not going to a lot of competitions would matter too much. When she is at an event, ratings may be up by one or two tenths of a point, but it isn't like the ratings are four times as large if she is there as opposed to when she isn't there.

 

[leon]

. . .Second, I don't agree that MK not going to a lot of competitions would matter too much. When she is at an event, ratings may be up by one or two tenths of a point, but it isn't like the ratings are four times as large if she is there as opposed to when she isn't there.

I agree with your point. Short term Michelle adds interest and does bring fans to the arenas but my point was, longer term Michelle continues to fuel the perception that Olympic gold is the only prize that matters.

She seems to have accepted the media view that even with nine national titles, five world titles, two Olympic medals and many many other titles her career is incomplete without Olympic gold. I really doubt she'd have stayed competitive this long if she'd won gold in 1998 or 2002. If Michelle Kwan feels incomplete, how can any skater feel successful after winning a National or World or any other International title short of Olympic gold?

 

[attyfan]

Like I said, the media and the skating world have been fueling the belief that the OGM is the only thing that matters for decades, so I can't blame MK for buying into it. Maybe, another whacking would help -- whacking some of these "she's not complete/not a legend/etc. because she doesn't have an OGM"

 

[lindasaffell]

I've often wondered if skating's lack of popularity has anything to do with the fact that most fans don't skate - you're either a participant or a fan, with little crossover.

You think not? I wonder. I rarely watched figure skating while I was a non-ice skater; but this year I watched a whole lot of it and with a bit more appreciation of the skill involved than when I watched so casually before. I get the feeling that quite a few participant skaters DO watch skating. But, maybe that's just because *I* do? I think skating's so stereotypically a young person's sport, that the lack of many adults skating must affect the overall "popularity" or anyway, viewership. (I don't know that popularity is so much to be sought after, since American Idol and the Survivor stuff are "popular!"

 

[Mathman]

I blame the over the top out of control promotion of the Olympics as one of the major factors killing figure skating....

Very well reasoned post, Leon, IMHO.

What about this idea? The ISU could rename its annual World Championship and call it the "Olympic Skating Championship." (not the trademarked "Winter Olympic Games, but, you know, a world championship featuring Olympic-sized skaters.)

Or maybe every two years would be enough.

Then they could invite in all of the sports disciplines that the ISU controls -- figure skating, speed skating, short track and synchro.

Then when that other once-every-four-years thing rolled around, they could withdraw and leave it to the X-gamers.

Would this be a start in elevating skating to the status of a "real sport?"

MM

 

[SeaniBu]

Personally love the idea Mathman - A "Blades-Games" would be great. Throw in Hockey and that would be worth taking work off!!!!

 

[Spun Silver]

Very cool idea. Send it to the ISU, please!!!

 

[Piel]

Identify the judges, the countries they are from, and the scores they give out. Folks LOVE to hate the judges. I have friends who don't usually follow skating but got a big kick out of John Nicks on Skating With the Stars.. My Mother is convinced that Sasha not getting the gold at the Olys and Worlds was bad karma coming back to Nicks for being so mean to the skaters on SWTS, LOL.

Put mics on the tech specialist and judges.

COI was last here in 1998. The civic center was sold out almost as soon as tickets went on sale. They haven't been back since?????

 

[SeaniBu]

this thread has been sent to the ISU. - whatever that really means. ????