How much do you think the PTB are sweating after watching Miner and Czsiny's exhibitions? At least Alissa has a (recent) history of bringing it to the competitions, but they have to be chomping the antacids with Miner. If I were his coach, I think he'd have a season ending "injury" to keep him from torpedoing his international cred. by going to worlds this year. I mean sure, he might have a great skate, but such an unknown...
That said, Dornbush is aces in my book still. Loved his exhibition--very charming.
Bradley has the most to lose by bombing Worlds. If his coach was anyone other than Z, he'd be the one out with the career ending injury. But, as we all know, Bradley skated actually injured last year with no apparent regard to where he ended up placewise. The exhibition was skated close after the Men's Long program. Miner was probably tired. Alissa's been bringing this year when it counts. She was probably tired, also.
It's bad enough that he's always in black- but WHY does Lycacek grease his hair? He doesn't look tough/suave/masculine/strong- he looks Jersey Shore (esp. with the orange) & low rent. You think he'd have learned from the Olympic LP(where a greasy hair spike kept popping up).
Did Abbott & Marlie skate to the same music in the exhibition (part of Marlie's program)?
Do they share the same rink? - would think they'd avoid those conflicts if they hear the other person's music in practice (but then again, am not certain about the rink....)
why would lysacek change what works. From jumps to costume to hair to having Carroll as a coach to having a main ISU Judge Inman lobbying for him to win events and bash his opponents. He is on easy street in skating. He doesnt even have to do quads or 3 axels right.
Alissa probably couldn't sleep the night before the exhibition, after having won the title. Her exhibition skate was just a celebration of her victory! Miner, however, is completely unproven, and plenty inconsistent. I don't know if the USFSA is sweating over it, because I'm not sure if they really care. If they cared, Abbott would be going to Worlds, I would think.
That black unitard was NOT cute. I understand thatb lack is simple and always looks good, but SERIOUSLY, Evan, you're skating to Moulin Rouge, and you're the Olympic Champion, you could give me a little more than a black body suit that flatters nothing.
Oh, and Yu-Na Kim skated to it better than you, Evan. As usual, your emotional and artistic range is more sloth than spark.
Jeremy: I've always thought Jeremy was gay, but after seeing that hat, I'm not so sure. I would think a gay would pick a better one. Plus, he needs to wear crew-style undershirts instead of tanks. A T-shirt will soak up the sweat and avoid pit stains.
Alissa: My mom said it best. "Of course she gets back up every time she falls. What the hell else is she supposed to do? Sit there and cry until the music stops? Don't be stupid."
Evora/Ladwig: Pocahontas? Really? Did she raid MK's closet for that dress?
Mirai: First, let me say I'm a HUGE Mirai fan, but that program was totally phoned in. She looks 17 going on 14. I felt embarrassed for her.
Flatt: There must be a full moon or something, but I liked it better than Mirai's program. And I usually can't stand Rachael's skating at all. The music was kinda odd, but she seemed more connected to it than she usually is.
Evan: Bleh.
I couldn't make it through more than a minute of anyone else's.
Evan was hot. come on people. His body is to die for and I have never seen him that expressive and artistic.
Evora and Ladwig were actually very good, that throw triple loop hit right on the music was pure win.
Jeremey and Marlie skating to the same boring cutsey song? They both are too good for that kind of a program. I want to see some drama. We know they can both pull it off.
Ryan was the best. Even Plushenko couldn't do a quad in the exhibition last year. awesome end to a great competition for him.
Highlights (for me): Marlie, Jeremy, Alissa. Even though Alissa's wasn't skated as well as I've seen her do it, I still think it's such a lovely exhibition.
Meryl & Charlie in the Truth Booth - SO SO SO SO adorable, goodness I adore them. <3
oh my god, it's just an exhibition gala, i don't know what some of you were expecting. they were fun and charming for the most part, and i didn't want to bash my head in.
On another note, Evan made me laugh the whole time.
Oh my gosh I LOVED Jeremy's EX - puts Marlie's choreography of the same song to shame IMHO.
There's a quickness to Dornbush's skating that makes me think he might be able to pick something up from Takahashi if he put his mind to it (I am really hoping Takahashi will influence future generations of skaters).
I'm glad Even retired, now I don't feel obliged to watch his routines anymore. Maybe if he finds a new schtick I'll be interested again.
Raises hand. I laughed at Evan, too. Couldn't help it. The greasy lounge look, the trite skate to overused music. I took a bathroom break and didn't watch the rest.
@Ostrichead: I want a fansite dedicated to all things Meryl Davis. In Internet parlance, I would love breakdowns of her OOTD/N (Outfit of the Day/Night) and FOTD/N (Face of the Day/Night). I admire her off-ice fashion and her always flawlessly applied makeup. The girl is fierce. I would also appreciate a similar fansite spotlighting Tessa Virtue. I also envy the beautiful skin with which the Shibutani sublings were blessed. Which Maia has rocking the winged eyeliner and red lipstick, she hasn't shown the flair for fashion that Meryl and Tessa have. Heck, let's just have a fansite devoted to fabulous ice dancers. We'll include Tanith Belbin as well.
I can't stand Evan. There is nothing authentic about his skating, just a lot of arm-flailing and fake passion. I hate his look,too. How much weight has he lost in the past year? And it's just accentuated by the black outfit. The greasy hair-yech!
"How much weight has he lost in the past year? And it's just accentuated by the black outfit."
and why is that a BAD thing? He stops training and loses weight? more than that other U.S "man" can say, that's for sure. God its amazing how jealous some people can be.
Really enjoyed Evan's skate and I'm a Johnny Weir fan to boot. I see no problem with his outfit, either. I think it suits the program, and shows off his long-tall-drink-of-water physique to its best advantage. Thought he looked kinda sexy, actually--what up with that? I love the Moulin Rouge soundtrack and was happy to see Rachael Flatt skating to its music, too; her program was lovely. She skated like a little pixie. [Sticks tongue out at Rachael's detractors.]
I thought Evan's performance was great. His arm movements are alot better than they have been in the past and seem to go with the music more. I agree that the slicked back hair looks a little odd, but perhaps it is supposed to go with the Tango theme? Other than that, I agree with the poster above-Evan's body is to die for.
Also, Jeremy's skate was cute, and you couldn't tell when he actually meant to fumble the hat or when it was an accident.
Alissa-I'm worried. I hope it doesn't shake her confidence
Except Evan's hair & costume, I really loved his performance... Amazing! Great job 4 the skaters! C'mmon guys, don't be so mean to 'em! Talk is cheap!!! Grow up!!! Geeezzzzzzz...
Dornbush is quite promising. There's something about his jump technique, carriage and spins (love that jump overs are making a comeback) that gives me a kind of 70's throwback vibe, in a really good way. It's cool to see that style weave its way back in to skating.
Of course Inman was bashing plushenko in thos emails he sent out to all the judges in an effort to depress Plushenkos score at the Olympics because he was working with or hand in hand with Carroll to get Lysacek Olympic gold! American Inman was working strongly against another Plushenko win. If he did that stuff in emails who knows what Inman was doing face to face with other judges in his campiagn against Plushenko and for Lysacek! It was just bash bash bash that was in fact before the Olympics so Plushenko hadnt even skated yet! But Inman was like score Plushenko lower and he had two allies on the panel at the Olympics who indeed followed his bashing and BURIED Plushenko-like in the sp TR score.
Exhibition skates do nothing for me anymore. I'm only a fan of the Japanese ladies' exhibitions. Mao's Ballade is exquisite; Kanako's Be Italian is fun and exciting; and Akiko's Tennessee Waltz is wonderful.
I miss Michelle Kwan-like exhibitions. Programs like Fields of Gold, Dante's Prayer and Winter; touching, beautiful programs that really connect with the audience. I'm an uber-Mirai fan but I hated that sugar pop song. I want to see her do something more mature, something that tests her artistic range sense they made it a point to highlight how much of an artistic being she is...
I don't even understand why Evan was there to skate. I assume it was to sell more tickets to the event, but if I were Ryan Bradley, I'd be annoyed. I also theorize that Evan's tango program is a big F-U to Plushenko (recall Plushy's LP last year). Kind of like "THIS is how its done, bastardo!"
Evan's the Olympic champion, of course they're going to ask him to come skate. It's good for US figure skating to remind everyone that, hey, we have an Olympic champion (no matter how much it pains me to say that).
Also, guys, it's been a year now. The Olympics? Old news. The Russians lobbied just as hard for a Plushenko win as the Americans did for a Lysacek win. It's not like Plushenko lost on transitions, anyway - he and Evan had identical PCS in the free. If you're going to cry about something, at least make sure it's factually accurate. I don't even like Evan, but it's been a year. You need to come to terms with reality. The rest of us have.
Of course I was not talking about the Free. Plushenko was buried in PCS in the short and that was enough. It was the strategy of Inman to bury people in the short programs where fewer people pay attention. It is why Weir got a 3.75 in the short program at US nationals but higher in the free skate. More people look at free skates. Working with Carroll and Inaman to bury Plushenko in thes short in PCS was key. He would win the short but doing very similar stuff in torino plushenko had a 10 point lead in vancouver it was .55 lead. The politics against Plushenko was in the short program. He should have had a much bigger lead. 2010 olympics matter until 2014. It is not old news. Lysacek is current olympic champion and will be until 2014. Plushenko is current silver medalist and will be until 2014. The Olymics is not some small event that only matters when they are going on. It is a 4 year thing! Otherwise why would there be all the poiitics. Inman Carroll had two allies on the judging panel and they ENDED plushenkos quest for another gold in the SP PCS score. This is the reality! What are you talking about? That once an Olympics is over everyone loves all the gold medalists?
Plushenko wasn't buried in PCS in the short. He scored behind Lambiel, Lysacek, Takahashi, and Chan. How is that anything but appropriate? In what universe should Plushenko earn higher marks than any of them? The difference between Evan and Plushenko in PCS after the short was barely a point, which Plushenko could have easily made up for if he didn't front-load his programs. That any of his jumps earned positive GoE is more than enough to show you how much power his name commands with ISU judges. You realize his SS mark was higher than Chan's in the free, right? Yup, Plushenko wuz robbed.
Comparing 2006 to 2010 is inadequate. Judging has changed significantly. Plushenko isn't the same skater, either. He didn't perform nearly as well in Vancouver as he did in Torino. He stroked around the rink and made faces, while the other competitors packed in elements and worked hard to earn points.
The judges were more than willing to give him gold if he skated better than Evan. He didn't.
Evan's weight loss is a bad thing because it suggests he has anorexia. What else would cause him to lose weight when he has stopped training? In my opinion, it is not attractive and certainly is not in keeping with his "masculine" image.
For all the talk about judging politics, PCS, artistry, etc., IIRC Plushenko would have won if he'd just tacked on a 2r (maybe even a 2t?) somewhere. Soooo...I don't think we can really interpret the Vancouver men's results as any grand pronouncement about the direction of men's skating.
@9:56 I saw the expression, but sometimes, the skaters shrug like its no big deal, but you have to wonder if it is just for show on TV. Like the skaters who shrug in the Kiss and Cry after getting low scores-they probably do care more than they are letting on. That being said, I hope she does well at Worlds, its not like I want her to bomb.
If nothing else, Jeremy Abbott will have a future as a choreographer.
ReplyDeleteHow much do you think the PTB are sweating after watching Miner and Czsiny's exhibitions? At least Alissa has a (recent) history of bringing it to the competitions, but they have to be chomping the antacids with Miner. If I were his coach, I think he'd have a season ending "injury" to keep him from torpedoing his international cred. by going to worlds this year. I mean sure, he might have a great skate, but such an unknown...
ReplyDeleteThat said, Dornbush is aces in my book still. Loved his exhibition--very charming.
Bradley has the most to lose by bombing Worlds. If his coach was anyone other than Z, he'd be the one out with the career ending injury. But, as we all know, Bradley skated actually injured last year with no apparent regard to where he ended up placewise.
ReplyDeleteThe exhibition was skated close after the Men's Long program. Miner was probably tired.
Alissa's been bringing this year when it counts. She was probably tired, also.
It's bad enough that he's always in black- but WHY does Lycacek grease his hair?
ReplyDeleteHe doesn't look tough/suave/masculine/strong- he looks Jersey Shore (esp. with the orange) & low rent.
You think he'd have learned from the Olympic LP(where a greasy hair spike kept popping up).
Did Abbott & Marlie skate to the same music in the exhibition (part of Marlie's program)?
ReplyDeleteDo they share the same rink? - would think they'd avoid those conflicts if they hear the other person's music in practice (but then again, am not certain about the rink....)
why would lysacek change what works. From jumps to costume to hair to having Carroll as a coach to having a main ISU Judge Inman lobbying for him to win events and bash his opponents. He is on easy street in skating. He doesnt even have to do quads or 3 axels right.
ReplyDeleteAlissa probably couldn't sleep the night before the exhibition, after having won the title. Her exhibition skate was just a celebration of her victory! Miner, however, is completely unproven, and plenty inconsistent. I don't know if the USFSA is sweating over it, because I'm not sure if they really care. If they cared, Abbott would be going to Worlds, I would think.
ReplyDelete@11:55am, pointing out that Plushenko's transitions are weak is FACT, not "bashing".
ReplyDeleteThat black unitard was NOT cute. I understand thatb lack is simple and always looks good, but SERIOUSLY, Evan, you're skating to Moulin Rouge, and you're the Olympic Champion, you could give me a little more than a black body suit that flatters nothing.
ReplyDeleteOh, and Yu-Na Kim skated to it better than you, Evan. As usual, your emotional and artistic range is more sloth than spark.
Zach, not to mention Daisuke. This is how you're supposed to skate to "El Tango de Roxanne": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOtuvbq2cUU.
ReplyDeleteI had to watch it twice to erase the memory of Evan.
Jeremy: I've always thought Jeremy was gay, but after seeing that hat, I'm not so sure. I would think a gay would pick a better one. Plus, he needs to wear crew-style undershirts instead of tanks. A T-shirt will soak up the sweat and avoid pit stains.
ReplyDeleteAlissa: My mom said it best. "Of course she gets back up every time she falls. What the hell else is she supposed to do? Sit there and cry until the music stops? Don't be stupid."
Evora/Ladwig: Pocahontas? Really? Did she raid MK's closet for that dress?
Mirai: First, let me say I'm a HUGE Mirai fan, but that program was totally phoned in. She looks 17 going on 14. I felt embarrassed for her.
Flatt: There must be a full moon or something, but I liked it better than Mirai's program. And I usually can't stand Rachael's skating at all. The music was kinda odd, but she seemed more connected to it than she usually is.
Evan: Bleh.
I couldn't make it through more than a minute of anyone else's.
Evan was hot. come on people. His body is to die for and I have never seen him that expressive and artistic.
ReplyDeleteEvora and Ladwig were actually very good, that throw triple loop hit right on the music was pure win.
Jeremey and Marlie skating to the same boring cutsey song? They both are too good for that kind of a program. I want to see some drama. We know they can both pull it off.
Ryan was the best. Even Plushenko couldn't do a quad in the exhibition last year. awesome end to a great competition for him.
Why is Meryl so fabulous? Everything from the interview, her dialogue, her skating, her beauty...sheesh.
ReplyDeleteHighlights (for me): Marlie, Jeremy, Alissa. Even though Alissa's wasn't skated as well as I've seen her do it, I still think it's such a lovely exhibition.
ReplyDeleteMeryl & Charlie in the Truth Booth - SO SO SO SO adorable, goodness I adore them. <3
oh my god, it's just an exhibition gala, i don't know what some of you were expecting. they were fun and charming for the most part, and i didn't want to bash my head in.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, Evan made me laugh the whole time.
Oh my gosh I LOVED Jeremy's EX - puts Marlie's choreography of the same song to shame IMHO.
ReplyDeleteThere's a quickness to Dornbush's skating that makes me think he might be able to pick something up from Takahashi if he put his mind to it (I am really hoping Takahashi will influence future generations of skaters).
I'm glad Even retired, now I don't feel obliged to watch his routines anymore. Maybe if he finds a new schtick I'll be interested again.
Raises hand. I laughed at Evan, too. Couldn't help it. The greasy lounge look, the trite skate to overused music. I took a bathroom break and didn't watch the rest.
ReplyDeleteNo wonder no one in the US watches skating.
Hey guys, can one of you tell me when the World Figure Skating Championships will be on TV? Date, time, & channel. Thanks!
ReplyDelete@Ostrichead: I want a fansite dedicated to all things Meryl Davis. In Internet parlance, I would love breakdowns of her OOTD/N (Outfit of the Day/Night) and FOTD/N (Face of the Day/Night). I admire her off-ice fashion and her always flawlessly applied makeup. The girl is fierce. I would also appreciate a similar fansite spotlighting Tessa Virtue. I also envy the beautiful skin with which the Shibutani sublings were blessed. Which Maia has rocking the winged eyeliner and red lipstick, she hasn't shown the flair for fashion that Meryl and Tessa have. Heck, let's just have a fansite devoted to fabulous ice dancers. We'll include Tanith Belbin as well.
ReplyDeleteAlright, I'll stop fangirling way off-topic now.
Psh, I can't type. I meant to say: "Shibutani siblings. While Maia has been . . ."
ReplyDeleteI can't stand Evan. There is nothing authentic about his skating, just a lot of arm-flailing and fake passion. I hate his look,too. How much weight has he lost in the past year? And it's just accentuated by the black outfit. The greasy hair-yech!
ReplyDelete"I would think a gay would pick a better one"
ReplyDeleteOh.
"How much weight has he lost in the past year? And it's just accentuated by the black outfit."
ReplyDeleteand why is that a BAD thing? He stops training and loses weight? more than that other U.S "man" can say, that's for sure. God its amazing how jealous some people can be.
Really enjoyed Evan's skate and I'm a Johnny Weir fan to boot. I see no problem with his outfit, either. I think it suits the program, and shows off his long-tall-drink-of-water physique to its best advantage. Thought he looked kinda sexy, actually--what up with that? I love the Moulin Rouge soundtrack and was happy to see Rachael Flatt skating to its music, too; her program was lovely. She skated like a little pixie. [Sticks tongue out at Rachael's detractors.]
ReplyDeleteI thought Evan's performance was great. His arm movements are alot better than they have been in the past and seem to go with the music more. I agree that the slicked back hair looks a little odd, but perhaps it is supposed to go with the Tango theme? Other than that, I agree with the poster above-Evan's body is to die for.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Jeremy's skate was cute, and you couldn't tell when he actually meant to fumble the hat or when it was an accident.
Alissa-I'm worried. I hope it doesn't shake her confidence
Except Evan's hair & costume, I really loved his performance... Amazing!
ReplyDeleteGreat job 4 the skaters!
C'mmon guys, don't be so mean to 'em! Talk is cheap!!! Grow up!!! Geeezzzzzzz...
Dornbush is quite promising. There's something about his jump technique, carriage and spins (love that jump overs are making a comeback) that gives me a kind of 70's throwback vibe, in a really good way. It's cool to see that style weave its way back in to skating.
ReplyDeleteOf course Inman was bashing plushenko in thos emails he sent out to all the judges in an effort to depress Plushenkos score at the Olympics because he was working with or hand in hand with Carroll to get Lysacek Olympic gold! American Inman was working strongly against another Plushenko win. If he did that stuff in emails who knows what Inman was doing face to face with other judges in his campiagn against Plushenko and for Lysacek! It was just bash bash bash that was in fact before the Olympics so Plushenko hadnt even skated yet! But Inman was like score Plushenko lower and he had two allies on the panel at the Olympics who indeed followed his bashing and BURIED Plushenko-like in the sp TR score.
ReplyDeleteExhibition skates do nothing for me anymore. I'm only a fan of the Japanese ladies' exhibitions. Mao's Ballade is exquisite; Kanako's Be Italian is fun and exciting; and Akiko's Tennessee Waltz is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI miss Michelle Kwan-like exhibitions. Programs like Fields of Gold, Dante's Prayer and Winter; touching, beautiful programs that really connect with the audience. I'm an uber-Mirai fan but I hated that sugar pop song. I want to see her do something more mature, something that tests her artistic range sense they made it a point to highlight how much of an artistic being she is...
I don't even understand why Evan was there to skate. I assume it was to sell more tickets to the event, but if I were Ryan Bradley, I'd be annoyed. I also theorize that Evan's tango program is a big F-U to Plushenko (recall Plushy's LP last year). Kind of like "THIS is how its done, bastardo!"
ReplyDeleteEvan's the Olympic champion, of course they're going to ask him to come skate. It's good for US figure skating to remind everyone that, hey, we have an Olympic champion (no matter how much it pains me to say that).
ReplyDeleteAlso, guys, it's been a year now. The Olympics? Old news. The Russians lobbied just as hard for a Plushenko win as the Americans did for a Lysacek win. It's not like Plushenko lost on transitions, anyway - he and Evan had identical PCS in the free. If you're going to cry about something, at least make sure it's factually accurate. I don't even like Evan, but it's been a year. You need to come to terms with reality. The rest of us have.
Of course I was not talking about the Free. Plushenko was buried in PCS in the short and that was enough. It was the strategy of Inman to bury people in the short programs where fewer people pay attention. It is why Weir got a 3.75 in the short program at US nationals but higher in the free skate. More people look at free skates. Working with Carroll and Inaman to bury Plushenko in thes short in PCS was key. He would win the short but doing very similar stuff in torino plushenko had a 10 point lead in vancouver it was .55 lead. The politics against Plushenko was in the short program. He should have had a much bigger lead. 2010 olympics matter until 2014. It is not old news. Lysacek is current olympic champion and will be until 2014. Plushenko is current silver medalist and will be until 2014. The Olymics is not some small event that only matters when they are going on. It is a 4 year thing! Otherwise why would there be all the poiitics. Inman Carroll had two allies on the judging panel and they ENDED plushenkos quest for another gold in the SP PCS score. This is the reality! What are you talking about? That once an Olympics is over everyone loves all the gold medalists?
ReplyDeletePlushenko wasn't buried in PCS in the short. He scored behind Lambiel, Lysacek, Takahashi, and Chan. How is that anything but appropriate? In what universe should Plushenko earn higher marks than any of them? The difference between Evan and Plushenko in PCS after the short was barely a point, which Plushenko could have easily made up for if he didn't front-load his programs. That any of his jumps earned positive GoE is more than enough to show you how much power his name commands with ISU judges. You realize his SS mark was higher than Chan's in the free, right? Yup, Plushenko wuz robbed.
ReplyDeleteComparing 2006 to 2010 is inadequate. Judging has changed significantly. Plushenko isn't the same skater, either. He didn't perform nearly as well in Vancouver as he did in Torino. He stroked around the rink and made faces, while the other competitors packed in elements and worked hard to earn points.
The judges were more than willing to give him gold if he skated better than Evan. He didn't.
I'm done with this.
They look equally ridiculous and laughable when they try to act artistic (PE, CH, IN). But Lysacek doesn't a quad.
ReplyDeleteTo Justine, that website has to happen. IDK how, but it must.
ReplyDeleteEvan's weight loss is a bad thing because it suggests he has anorexia. What else would cause him to lose weight when he has stopped training? In my opinion, it is not attractive and certainly is not in keeping with his "masculine" image.
ReplyDeleteFor all the talk about judging politics, PCS, artistry, etc., IIRC Plushenko would have won if he'd just tacked on a 2r (maybe even a 2t?) somewhere. Soooo...I don't think we can really interpret the Vancouver men's results as any grand pronouncement about the direction of men's skating.
ReplyDelete@9:06 Then you clearly didn't see Alissa's expression when she got to the stands. She just smiled and shrugged it off.
ReplyDelete@9:56 I saw the expression, but sometimes, the skaters shrug like its no big deal, but you have to wonder if it is just for show on TV. Like the skaters who shrug in the Kiss and Cry after getting low scores-they probably do care more than they are letting on. That being said, I hope she does well at Worlds, its not like I want her to bomb.
ReplyDelete