Wednesday, February 16, 2011

This and That




Preview of Voir's new Samba free dance.  Finally, they have something to talk about other than her shins and the two months where they didn't talk (and needed to go to couples counseling over.)

And an article about it with cocky quotes from Scott Moir.

A BBC Shawn Johnson update.  They love Shawn in the UK, as she is built sturdily, like typical British women.


Nastia on set for GK, looking fierce and avoiding rice and soy sauce in her sushi.

IG2 gave us a Nastia Liukin interview where they posted about her cameo on Hellcats and her clothing line.  Love Nastia, but who gives a shit?  Tell us about her training!  (They're saving that for their magazine, which has tens of subscribers.)


An article about Shayla Worley 'finding her footing.'  Funny, she could've used it on her beam dismount last weekend!

Anna Li is filming her Honda commercial tomorrow.  She went on the audition on a whim, got it and will now be flipping across a TV screen near you.  I've never been so glad to drive one of their fuel-efficient vehicles.


Tara Lipinski used her day off in NYC to visit coach Craig Maurizi in Hackensack.  The Lipinskis tried to fire Callaghan and make his then-assistant Tara's coach in Nagano, but the USFSA wouldn't have it.  Craig was often seen with Tara by the boards at professional competitions.

Julianne Hough is in talks to star in the film adaptation of Rock of Ages.


Alex Shibutani is writing the only worthwhile blog ever posted on IceNetwork.

Pang and Tong announced that they will marry after Worlds.  The Chinese pairs have an opposite approach to the Russians.  The Russians encourage their pairs to get it on and marry while a competing couple, while the Chinese save that for marriage---which they postpone til after the major competitions of their career.  By that time, the Russians are usually heading to Reno for a quickie divorce.

Kim Navarro is enjoying her time in Europe (who wouldn't, with sexy Michael Solonoski as her cast member and main source of man candy.)

Hannah Whelan, Sam Hunter and Cyril Tommasone were added to the field for the American Cup.  The Mag 7 will also be honored at the event...for no particular reason other than the event being near Shannon Miller's hometown.  The fifteenth anniversary of the win isn't until July.

Elsa Garcia is recovering from hand surgery and hopes to be in top form for the World Championships.

19 comments:

  1. That pic of nastia is from a GK photo shoot, not hellcats.

    i'm with you though on not giving a shit about hellcats.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I liked Kim Navarro's writing for IceNetwork too, but that ship has sailed.

    ReplyDelete
  3. At the beginning of this season, I was more excited for Meryl and Charlie's programs despite being a huge Tessa and Scott fan. Now, it's the opposite. That samba looks awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Alex Shibutani's blogging style is very typical of Japanese-Americans: meticulous, dry sense of humor, and so overstimulated with information that you wonder how they can remain composed while on the job, smiling proverbially without simply bludgeoning their adversary. It's like he becomes embedded in ice. Just imagine him in bed, after work or class, slaving in a fucking claustrophobic cubicle all day, crunching numbers on screen and beneath the desk. It pays the bills, eventually. That's Alex, bringing sexy back, in stellar prose, which is why their programs are breathtaking and will only get sharper: it's all in the details.

    "You can easily find two contradictory characteristics of Japanese culture or characters: one is elegance, one is brutality, but these two characteristics are very hard to combine. Our brutality, I think, comes from our emotion. It is never recognized or systematized, like Nazi brutality. I think brutality might come from our feminine aspect, and elegance comes from our nervous side. Sometimes, we are too sensitive of our refinement or elegance or sense of beauty or suggestive side. Sometimes, we are tired of it. We need, sometimes, a sudden explosion to make us free from it. For instance, after the war, our brutal side was completely hidden, but I believe it is just that, I think: Hidden. I don't like how Japanese culture is represented only by the flower arrangement, as if it's a sort of peace-loving culture. We still have a very strong warrior mind, you know" (Yukio Mishima).

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm very much looking forward to the Marlie/Voir showdown. Right now, it's looking like the Marlie SD will be better than Voir and just the opposite with the FD.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Alright, I just have to say it: WOW has Shayla filled out (in a good way)!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Alex Shibutani should blog every competition!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I REALLY wish Nastia would've learned punctuation at Spring Creek. You know... periods, commas, hyphens. Anything to make that girl take a breath every now and then! Sheesh! She'll need all that wind to get through a floor routine what with her being away all the time mid-comeback.

    ReplyDelete
  9. "tens of subscribers" Too funny!!!

    Nastia is looking great. Hope she keeps it up.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sj & Nastia are both looking good. Though not sure why SJ hasn't hired a nutritionist, seems like a missed opportunity to really put an exclamation point on her commitment to be in tip top form. Nastia needs to take a page from SJ's book and look straight into a camera and not down - not a good angle! Though at least she's training every day(!!!)...except when she's in VAncouver :?

    ReplyDelete
  11. shawns peice was from bbc, i dont think she shot it herself. nastias is just on her phone i think, so give her a break on the cinematography

    ReplyDelete
  12. I just realized the concious decision by the Shiplband/Zueva team to have all three top teams dancing ballroom for the FD. Foxtrot/quickstep, tango, samba/rumba. interesting. Its easier to compare across teams that way. If Voir's program is as great as this clip makes it out to be then I understand why Marlie look so worried all season and also why Marlie will leave Canton after this season. Marlie got the lesser FD at the olympics and looks light it might happen again (as amazing as the Tango is).

    ReplyDelete
  13. "also why Marlie will leave Canton after this season"
    Huh? Where is this coming from?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Yeah, and Marlie also got what everyone thought was the best OD of the year. Voir had the better FD, but both teams had vehicles that suited their style of dance.

    ReplyDelete
  15. We have not seen Voir's OD yet and have no idea how it will be received. It might be another masterpiece (but i doubt it will be on its first showing at 4cc). Actually I have not heard much critical aclaim for Marlie's OD. It gets the job done but has no "wow" factor and dosen't have the style of P/B's.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anon 12:47, Not OD anymore but SD, remember? ODs don't exist anymore, due to the new rules this season.

    You know what? I liked Meryl and Charlie's Phantom of the Opera FD much better than Tessa and Scott's last season despite it all, so I really can't agree with the idea that Voir had the better FD...

    ReplyDelete
  17. Did you see Voir's SD Score today? PCS 5.5
    Are you kidding me?

    ReplyDelete
  18. I hope it's just the pic/angle, but that leo looks disgustingly high cut.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Uh...I don't know how much it has to do with his race, but Alex's blog is *hilarious*. What a witty, smart, kid.

    ReplyDelete