Thursday, December 5, 2013

So much for Rosie DiManno

Rosie's back to being ignorant
Months ago the blog tried to hope that Rosie DiManno saw an opportunity and was attempting to fill the gap where quasi-informed figure skating journalism ought to be but isn't. To do this, she would have had to educate herself about figure skating. Nobody was looking for her to be in-depth, just understand some fundamentals of technique and basic skating that can be self-taught.

Maybe she never tried, maybe she tried and it took too much time away from the bar.

In this article she comes up with a caustic but apt name for Meryl Davis on the ice (I don't find it apt based on Rosie's description of Meryl's face, but apt as to how Meryl functions on the ice in lifts), and then declares Davis White the most technically proficient team in ice dance and also declares that nobody, not even Virtue and Moir, can match their blazing speed.

Yeah, Virtue and Moir are faster. This last demonstrates that DiManno isn't even looking. She attends the competitions but she thinks speed is defined in a special way when it's on a rink and not on turf or asphalt, I guess. A lot of term definitions become inverted when it comes to figure skating, that's how people can call a team the best out there when they're not actually skating.

This is what it's like with figure skating "journalism". You read something like Rosie DiManno and get all worked up contemplating registering with a screen name to comment, and then realize it's like pouring a thimble of water on a campfire. There's no push back on the ignorant. The many people/erzatz journalists who write about figure skating "for fun" LIKE that they don't have to know anything about it to write about it with authority and make sweeping declarations. It's a vacation from actually researching their real articles, or knowing what they're talking about.

These quotes:

From Scott: But at the same time we like to measure up — measure ourselves up to the best in the world. This competition, not only with Meryl and Charlie but the top six teams in the world — it’s always fun for us competing against that calibre of skater.

Charlie: Technically, I think we’re a very strong team and always have been. That’s always been our base. But certainly the maturity that we’ve shown on the ice, the storytelling, the character and just making it believable.

support some comments to the post below this that Virtue Moir are always happy to recognize their competition, while Davis White are self-referential. And for the untutored, what Charlie means by "technically" is "technicalities". They do all the work arounds the rulebook allows - and the ice dance rulebook leaves plenty. That's not even taking into consideration that some low level ISU seminars pro-actively instruct novice judges to disregard the rulebook and look for "being busy with the music and doing lots of stuff. Also, give 110% and don't be too pretty."

"Technically" Meryl and Charlie are not proficient in the skating sense. But that's not important in ice dance.

The first practice report mentions that Virtue Moir struggled a bit with the forward facing lift and then did it properly many times in succession. I also hope they did the footwork sequence properly many times in succession. I'm sure everything is going to be perfect at the event itself, no aggravating glitches that hand Davis White their 47th GPF win in a row. There's no reason to expect anything but a winning performance, since Virtue and Moir hit the ground running earlier than usual after last season, and since their mental game is stronger than ever. The reality show hasn't been even the slightest bit distracting.

53 comments:

  1. I'm sure everything is going to be perfect at the event itself, no aggravating glitches that hand Davis White their 47th GPF win in a row. There's no reason to expect anything but a winning performance, since Virtue and Moir hit the ground running earlier than usual after last season, and since their mental game is stronger than ever. The reality show hasn't been even the slightest bit distracting.

    Hah. Burn. I love VM but there's only so much the fans can defend them if they're not going to do what needs to be done.

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    1. It's aggravating because DW's base value is the same, when their base value should be lower. The component parts of everything DW do are easier and more elementary than VM. Therefore, VM should be able to be imperfect and still win. But we all know that's not how it goes.

      At the start of the season Scott talked in throw down terms, driving the roller coaster, etc.

      They ALWAYS worry me when they start talking big. Their habit is to compensate and overcompensate. Most notably about what's going on off the ice (how honest, open, genuine and accessible they are when the reality is they're conducting a massive hoax and are chronic manipulators and liars). And somewhat about their plans (the way they hyped up 2011 all the while knowing they were undertrained and wing-and-a-prayering it). So when they come in with big talk, it's concerning. So far, with the exception of Skate Canada, the pattern has been playing out as usual. The walk doesn't match the talk.

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    2. The Olympics require a 100% effort, at least. If VM weren't all in, they shouldn't have competed this season.

      It cracks me up when people say they still believe that VM can win. VM have already lost Sochi. Fact. They'll be extremely lucky to end up with silver. Lucky to end up with bronze.

      They're not where they need to be right now, and that means they won't be where they need to be for Sochi.

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    3. One might also think that their loving families would say to them - look, we appreciate you wanting to give back, but this is your last season. We want you guys to have nothing to do but focus on your training and your family. That's enough.

      NOPE. They, first of all, must have unreasonably assigned superman/woman status to Scott and Tessa. No need to dial things down - Scott and Tessa are super human! Second, they must tell themselves that having hundreds of people barnacle themselves to Scott and Tessa's season = support, not an energy drain on Scott and Tessa. Third, they're are all squeezing Scott and Tessa's fame dry. Their agenda is themselves, not Scott and Tessa.

      Of course it's on Scott and Tessa to say no, but there's money (the reality show) and there's his family - a family that is as self-serving as it's possible to get. I don't know all the dynamics there but from day one Scott has looked like a guy pathetically eager for their approval and validation, and they're eager to exploit that to keep control of him and have access to their fame. Hence "Scotty boy" and the keeping him in line. I'll say. The better to use his success to feather their own nests, even if it's their own egos. As for Tessa, she seems very susceptible to the challenge of demonstrating she's super woman. That almost seems like the perfect button to push to get her going. Do the impossible Tessa! It's all about mind control!

      But still, I can't think of many athletes who'd think a reality show and Olympic prep are compatible - THIS kind of reality show, where they've got hot and cold running community and family up their ass, jockeying for their moment in the sun.

      It's arrogant. It's hubris. Scott and Tessa KNOW it is, or they wouldn't protest that they hardly notice the cameras, that the camera is just following their regular day, blah blah blah. We can see simply from the previews (and Connor Hilborn's instagram) that it's no such thing. It's as full time as it gets, plus the two of them are styling themselves (hair and make-up prep!) for this. They're lying about the time it takes, we can see that, so they know it's fucked up.

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  2. "The first practice report mentions that Virtue Moir struggled a bit with the forward facing lift and then did it properly many times in succession. I also hope they did the footwork sequence properly many times in succession. I'm sure everything is going to be perfect at the event itself, no aggravating glitches that hand Davis White their 47th GPF win in a row. There's no reason to expect anything but a winning performance, since Virtue and Moir hit the ground running earlier than usual after last season, and since their mental game is stronger than ever. The reality show hasn't been even the slightest bit distracting. "

    They might eek out a decent SD, but the FD is going to be a disaster for VM here.

    VM needed to be perfect this season to win in Sochi. They didn't just need to be perfect at the games, but perfect at each event in the SD, FD, and all practices too.

    They should be able to execute their programs cleanly at this point, but they can't, and there's not enough time before Sochi now. THEY blew it themselves.

    I knew this season was going to be tough, but I didn't expect VM to go all Jessica Dube and half-ass their efforts this season. They can't execute a clean program and they're not mentally focused.

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  3. Hmmm - I think Chuck's ego can use a reality check - seriously storytelling and character...(insert sarcasm)...is he serious? well he can't mention dancing or connection...must be boring to be him...

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  4. marina should've put her foot down when it came to the documentary. she is not helping them AT ALL. she is not doing her job properly. giving them bad costume advice, her trial and error approach with the lifts - and V/M follow her BLINDLY. skate canada isnt helping either. they should've intervened like didier did. they obviously DO NOT CARE about V/M anymore. they have placed all their eggs in the Pchan basket and now he's second the yuzuru. god part of me wishes v/m skated for russia at least they'd be backed up politically. russian skaters and russia have nothing but love for them meanwhile canada does not give two shits about v/m they only care about mens singles and w/p and their insulting native american inspired exibition. as a canadian figure skating fan, canadian figure skating fans suck so much sometimes.

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    1. Scott and Tessa are a big boy and a big girl. Marina is not the boss of them. They have a collaboration.

      Skate Canada might not care, because I still lift an eyebrow at the spin shenanigans last season, and how their scores dropped like a rock while G&P's got over 100, a universe they should never approach. On their best day they might hover near 90s. What happened with Skate Canada falling over Scott and Tessa, I don't know. In some ways the personality types are birds of a feather, and if they clashed, I could see the self-interested among Skate Canada's directors (not a small number), letting the chips fall where they may with VM or even actively throwing them under the bus (as at Canadians). Lavoie was currying favor with the ISU as his exit strategy, Debbi Wilkes just wants a platform for Debbi Wilkes. I don't know why Mike Slipchuk isn't a whole lot more aggressive pointing out what VM do that DW do not. He was never shy about telling the world what Patrick did that others didn't.

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    2. Your idea that VM follow Marina blindly is a fantasy. It appears to be an exercise in looking for a scapegoat. After a certain age the coach/skater relationship doesn't have that control unless the skaters choose and want that control. We will never know if Marina had different or even better ideas for Virtue and Moir that they vetoed in terms of how they manage their lives and marketing. I can just see Marina trying to put her foot down on a project that is going to benefit Moirville and rake in some $$$$. She has to work with who these people are. Who they are is on THEM, not on her. So many fans act as if Scott and Tessa are her puppets. They never consider that while she's brilliant, and they trust her, at the end of the day THEY are the deciders. Even if they frame it as "It was Marina's idea" what they are saying is she is the one who brought it to the table. They're giving her credit. They NEVER mean "It was Marina's idea and we didn't think it was so great but we went along with it." They're smart. If she brings an idea to the table and they understand why, and they agree with it, it happens.

      THEY are running this show. Not Marina. She is not their BOSS. She is their coach. She only has the power they give her. Part of her way of working is to make the skaters responsible for themselves on the ice (when the time comes to deliver) and to a large extent off. This creates a mature mindset and also demystifies the competitive environment.

      People blame Marina for both imagined issues and for speculative issues. Setting aside whether some of this stuff are even issues (I, for one, think the free dance is brilliant, but it's up to Scott and Tessa to skate it clean), the responsible parties are Scott and Tessa. She has no "power" they don't give her and consciously, pro-actively, want her to have.

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    3. Remember Frank Carroll and Michelle Kwan? After she retired, he talked about her father Danny. Why didn't Carroll put his foot down and tell Danny to butt out? Or tell Michelle to tell him to butt out? Or tell Michelle what to do? After a point, Michelle was the person running her career, not him. Even before she started to pull away, prior to 1998, Carroll reports that her father said to her that if she didn't fall down, she'd win gold. Well she didn't fall down and she didn't win gold.

      Skating, as we all know, is a sport where the family loves to be super, duper, UBER involved, even when the skaters are well past adulthood. After a point, most skaters stop parentalizing their coaches. Scott and Tessa are long past the point where we should expect Marina to be their parent. They're responsible for themselves.

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    4. 10:21 - might I suggest that if Canadian skating fans treat other skaters/teams with more enthusiasm, they may be only giving back what they receive.

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    5. Skate Canada wants that elusive men's OGM. They'll throw whoever they have to under a bus for that.

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    6. "Scott and Tessa are a big boy and a big girl. Marina is not the boss of them. They have a collaboration. "

      This. How do we know Marina didn't tell them that doing a reality show is a stupid idea? Or that designing lifts that have absolutely no room for error (like the first FD lift) aren't the best way to go when your competition is taking the easy way out? V/M seem to be just arrogant enough to believe they can do anything. It's what happens when you're surrounded by yes men.

      I'm interested in finding out what happened to people like Marijane Stong and other Canadian advisors (including Tracy Wilson). Did they also try to advise V/M, and were cut out? Or did they say that these choices were the best?

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    7. I disagree that the first FD lift isn't the best way to go when the competition takes the easy way out. What's the alternative? Take the easy way out as well? No way, that runs counter to who V/M are as skaters and that's a good thing. They won't sell out their skating. And OC is right that it's highly ironic V/M will sell out in every other aspect of their public lives.

      I don't think V/M are surrounded by yes men when it comes to their skating. They are surrounded by people who work with them to continue taking it to new levels. That first FD lift is spectacular when it's executed correctly. That's the challenge - the execution. They would not have stayed in the sport if they planned to do what some of their fans want them to do - skate programs that no longer challenge them. Especially if their competitors are willing to dumb everything down or are unable to skate something as difficult.

      I concur that the reality show is stupid, particularly because it seems designed to sell the same old bullshit lies V/M get off on aiming at the public, but there is nothing wrong with their decisions to skate difficult and challenging programs. Fans need to stop looking for scapegoats regarding the latter issue and take long hard looks at themselves. If they want V/M to sell out their skating so they'll win, then they don't understand V/M as skaters or competitors and are probably more concerned with one-upping the fans of whatever teams/skaters they don't like.

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    8. Well, if VM's inability to skate clean and get their levels two programs in a row continues (somewhat exagerated, but it happened last year and it's happened this year) it would be ironic if their bad judgment off ice undermined their integrity on ice. They are huge at compartmentalization. It doesn't work that way. You don't do a reality show concurrently with the Grand Prix and oh no, you're safe inside your training bubble. It's not impacting us mentally at all.

      Give me a break. First of all, we know flat out they're lying about what the show is filming. Virtue and Moir claim it's no stress because the crew they love just follows them around as they do their usual routine. We KNOW that's a lie, because the crew isn't showing that they live together and have a baby. So the reality show is a separate performance they prep for, style for, set up for and then act out, in addition to training.

      Two, even if they were having a real reality show, they were out in the open as married parents, these are two of the most acutely self-conscious people on the planet when it comes to what the camera sees - they're both incapable of just behaving naturally when the camera is on them - particularly Scott, who has never seen a camera in his life (or at least, since about age nineteen or so) that he hasn't tried to play in some way - cue, direct, signal, storyboard, hint, demonstrate. He's always aiming something. Tessa, as control freak as she is, is more capable of being her natural control freak, focused self with a camera watching her than Scott is acting remotely close to uncontrived. (Some of what he contrives is endearing, but it still is Scott being self-conscious). The cameras follow them to the airport (someone mentioned that on the plane home from Finlandia, Tessa was done up to the nines at that early hour. Why do we think she was done up? The reality show.)

      So, the reasons they claim the reality show doesn't impact their focus are lies, because we know the reality show is definitely not following them about their regular routine. Maybe they think they're so in control (we're driving the roller coaster!) - but they have always always always thought they could bend reality with words. Always. If they say they're honest, they're honest. If they say they're in charge - presto, they'll be in charge!

      They're a little fucked up. It would be nice if their off ice didn't fuck them up on ice but they might be the last people to ever see it.

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    9. I'd bet them money on messing up at least the FD, if not the SD as well.

      The sad thing is they probably could have won the OGM in Sochi if they'd hunkered down in their bubble instead of filming this reality show crap. They had the talent, but they blew it. The time they lost working on that show that should have been spent on skating can't be gotten back, and the show is going to continue to be a distraction.

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  5. where are the practice videos? god i hope they change the lifts back to finlandia ones.

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    1. There aren't any. There are only reports from a few FSU posters who are there and some of the Japanese fans.

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  6. i know they are not slower but why do vm look slower on tv than they used to?

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    1. They don't. They are obviously faster. When you watch skating watch the feet and how much each blade travels. Lots of little strokes are slower then a big, deep, powerful stroke. Someone on an old usenet group compared it to watching a large dog lope calmly and a little dog scurry beside him. The little dog is quicker but the big dog has much more power and real speed, even at a walk.

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    2. VM's upper body control might make them look slower but they are faster than ever. Two strokes and they are across the ice.

      Compare that to DW who look slow when they atren't pulling, dragging, and hopping...basically any time they have to use actual edges.

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    3. In the current upside-down world of ice dance, it does VM no good to be so powerful and take less strokes to cover the same amount of ice. They'd be better off if they were taking more strokes given this "tight with the music" nonsense.

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    4. @1:01, if V/M ever did that I would lose all respect for them as skaters.

      The good news is they'll never do it because (1) they can't and (2) they have respect for their own skating. To churn with small strokes goes against the proper form and mechanics V/M have embodied throughout their careers.

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    5. it's so puzzling how VM insist on integrity in their skating and throw it out the window in their lives. I can see the rationalization - it's marketing, not their lives, but it doesn't work like that. Life doesn't compartmentalize like that, not when you cannibalize real things and pervert them and exploit them to sell lies.

      I was reading about something completely unrelated (a real life event) and someone affected by it burst out in exasperation "You keep trying to portray them as normal thinking people!"

      Scott and Tessa aren't normal thinking - that's the best case. The worst case is they know what they're doing is as bad as it is and they do it anyway.

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    6. I once read an interview with Kristin Chenoweth in which she discussed the proper technique for singing, and how it had been ingrained in her over decades of voice lessons. She was then asked if she could sing "incorrectly" and she said no. It would be damn near impossible for her to utilize incorrect technique and would damage her voice. She once had a stage role where she was required to sing slightly off-pitch for a few bars, and she said it was the most difficult thing she'd ever had to do as a vocalist and that it took far more work and energy to sing "badly" than anything else she had to do in the show.

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  7. Why haven't DW even bothered to work on dancing since 2010? Now everything they do looks the same. Where is the Persian dancing? All i see is posing and running in that FD. And the SD is like they just phoned it in--they just zip from one end of the arena to the other, toe-picking their way through. And why are their lifts as poorly executed as they were at the beginning of the season?

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  8. I hate Zueva for giving Tessa and Scott the worst FD of their careers. At least if it had been crappy, but they could win with it, that would have been better. Instead we have a program they can't win with that's also terrible.

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  9. i love the FD but seriously, their upper bodies are too stiff. mahler had more upper body movement and even though its nowhere near as intricate as this FD, it gave the illusion. the second lift is so horrible if they keep it in as is and dont go back to finlandia lifts at end idk what to say.

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    1. Listen, this is pointless. Especially 12:51 and 12:55 - it's completely untrue. Know what you're talking about before venting here, because it's a waste of space.

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    2. I know everyone is frustrated with the current state of ice-dancing. But holycow - what an ugly article by DiManno on so many different levels. If you write an article like that - you have absolutely no respect for this sport or its athletes. Phil Hersh is just as bad...I'd rather no coverage than this garbage...
      Let's see what happens with the skating at the GPF and how the programs have evolved and take it from there....
      At the moment - I have more issues with Skate Canada than I do with Marina Zoueva. So we finally saw a little kink in Patrick Chan's armour today with his SP. Let's see how he skates his free. I mean the guy is human - so it's not the end of the world - and god knows Hanyu has bombed his free in the past as well. But if Hanyu ends up winning - it sends a message that Patrick Chan is not necessarily a lock for gold and perhaps Skate Canada then decides to spend some political capitol on VM...The pairs will be interesting to see as well in terms of D/R vs. MT-M...
      Also have to love that Yuna Kim is entering into the mix. You really have to hand it to her - she has an injury - takes her out of the GP series but it appears that she may have strong programs and if skated well - can contend for Sochi gold...basically what I am saying is that if you have a skater with solid skating skills and strong programs - don't count them out..Yuna could have retired after 2010 and let's face it - financially she is set for life.
      Tessa and Scott need to go out there and just skate - own it. Take care of the skating and then let's see where the chips fall...if the win doesn't happen - well so be it..but goddammit - skate with passion...

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    3. Their upper bodies are still and controlled and extended. That's a good thing. They're not stiff.

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    4. 12:51 here

      just wanted to be clear that I was talking about DW. They are the ones who have not really bothered to dance since their Bollywood OD. They rush through every movement and it all looks the same. Their SD this year is just elements strung together in a re-hash of Die Fledermaus. Their FD was supposed to have Persian dancing in it--where did it go? They pose and then rush through everything else. And their FD lifts still look about as sloppy as they did at SLC. I don't get why they are getting a free pass on message boards while VM are being scrutinized. People act like DW never make mistakes when the reality is that they do and just aren't marked down for it. People pointed this out in the bookie thread--they missed key points in their SD at SA yet still received top levels. And don't get me started on GOE and PCS. None of those scores are deserved.

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  10. OC @ 8:33 am:
    "They ALWAYS worry me when they start talking big
    (snip)
    So far, with the exception of Skate Canada, the pattern has been playing out as usual. The walk doesn't match the talk."

    This is what concerns me. We still have to see how they do this weekend in the GPF but oc is right, the pattern has been that the bigger the talk, the more it's a cover-up for not being able to deliver.

    A simpleton could have foreseen that filming a reality show ("documentary" my ass) and having a camera crew focused on them throughout the summer and the GPs would be a huge distraction. Now we have Tessa and Scott declaring how easy it's been, no distractions, so real and genuine and all that crap. From where I'm sitting, it sounds like their same routine as always - when they have something to hide or something is amiss, instead of dialing it down they dial things *up.*

    And this competition supposedly being the last of the filming doesn't mean it's over. They still have filming to do over the holidays (continuing their sham narratives which this season look to be on TV as well as social media) and interviews and who knows what else all related to promoting this show. How is this not a distraction? I thought Tessa said she needed a bubble to focus? I guess not when it involves their own special brand of *marketing.*
    It's absolutely insane they chose to do this during an Olympic season.

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    1. It's the last big grab by their nearest and dearest. That says all any of us need to know about Moirville. They're for themselves, first, last and always, and they can talk themselves blue in the face into pretending it's all about "supporting" Scott and Tessa.

      Supporting Scott and Tessa? They must be unlike every single other community and family of an Olympian, in which behavior like this, overinvolvement like this, would be a nightmare rising almost to the level of sabotage.

      But okay, not them. All this grabbiness and spotlight jockeying and money grubbing is HELPFUL. It's how the extensive network shows support "in many ways." It helps Scott and Tessa thrive.

      Sochi gold medal? The whole community more excited about the fucking camera set ups in their back yard then they are about the upcoming Olympics?

      Big deal. They'll just tell themselves DW suck, and VM will swoop in to Sochi and walk away with gold because they're Superman and Superwoman, and from the ISC, and Canadian.

      Just like they did in Moscow - except not. And at worlds in London, except they didn't do it then, either.

      This "skating crazy" town and "skating crazy" family are know it alls. They've postured, ridiculed and mocked, because they know all about skating and what it takes, right? They're pros. And at the first opportunity, they turn into media whores in the critical run up to the Olympics. They weighed their priorities and decided on them, not Scott and Tessa. Scott and Tessa are idiots. They're arrogant as well, and apparently susceptible to the sunshine their closest connections blow up their asses. Oh you can do it, Scott and Tessa. You're not regular Olympians, you're not regular human beings. You're unique.

      And Scott and Tessa buy it. When has it worked? It hasn't. But they still buy it. It's unbelieveable.

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    2. As everything with the sham turned into the tail wagging the dog - the sham became proactively reactive - it was trying to create reasons to exist - I guess it would be no surprise, and sort of holistic even, if the sham started having that impact on their skating.

      The reality show, whether it actively identifies Scott's fake love life or just implies it - is sham. It is being filmed concurrently with the Grand Prix. So far Scott and Tessa have had one strong competition where they still managed to fuck up an element (the timing in the free dance footwork sequence), and also spludged the choreographic lift.

      We're not supposed to compare scores at this competition to scores from that competition, but the commentators do it the second VM sit in the Kiss'n'Cry (they say: "The score they need to beat is DW's score of blah blah at Skate America"). VM had every shot at it at Skate Canada but somehow even in the middle of great performances tripped up on the timing end. This is the couple that has the greatest connection in the sport and they're fucking up their timing. It's not about THEM and their actual connection, it's where their minds are.

      So here's a team identified early as a once in a generation (or more) talents with once in a generation chemistry to go with it, and then they became so self-infatuated that it ended up potentially fucking up their skating and making their resume less than what it could have been (DW and DW's scores, as unfair as it is, is their reality, so they need to be clean).

      These are exactly the sorts of people who outsmart themselves while thinking they're playing everyone else.

      If a family - and the skaters themselves - look at what they've got - huge talent, huge chemistry - and become so fixated on exploiting it for personal aggrandizement OFF ice it fucks up on ice, that's when the tail starts wagging the dog. But that's the direction they've been headed for awhile now.

      It's like nobody stops them, so they keep upping the ante to see where the limit is. I think they passed it awhile back but it hasn't registered with them yet.

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    3. It'll register when (not if) they end up with silver, bronze, or off the podium in Sochi. They already gave the OGM away to DW. They had a door open for them, and they fucked it up in the FD at TEB. They won't be given another chance, not that they're focused enough to take advantage of it if it comes along.

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    4. While I still hope they win here, what kind of arc are we looking at for this reality show? Look at adorable Scott and Tessa! See them skate Finlandia! Our golden champions! Come with us on the road to Sochi!

      Cue kiss'n'cry with Scott and Tessa's bit a lemon faces.

      Onto Skate Canada. Sublime, wonderful! Oh, well, they're about five points down from DW due to the footwork and the L1 lift, but the scores are better than they've gotten in awhile so let's call it a win!

      Onward to TEB. They're climbing!

      Oh, gee, well it looks a little more like backsliding.

      Now the GPF!

      I mean seriously. What is this reality show going to tell us? These two can't get their skating act together but Tessa sure looks cute in her sequinned swimsuit? You know we're going to get little nuggets of Moir wisdom and choked up tears about the kids, and how's that going to play next to the skating arc?

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    5. And every time a skating competition gets started or finishes, we hear about the reality show filming set ups immediately. Immediately afterward. Immediately before. It's like this skating thing is a slight distraction from the all important task of the season, which is the reality show. I hope they can squeeze the skating in.

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  11. OC - you bring up some interesting points about the story arc for the reality series...and I cringe thinking how much more media they will need to do before it airs and that it will be the conversation piece before the Olympics instead of the skating...but I wanted to come back to Moirville and how really I don't think Scott will ever be able to say thank you enough. Looking back - Moirville has always wanted to be part of VMs story in one form or another and mama Moir has provided a platform for Scott/Tessa to thank the community...and ultimately this reality tv series is not an ode to their skating...it's an ode to Moirville...looking back - I can understand that Ilderton set-up a big-screen at their community center for the Olympic FD - but did CTV the Canadian Olympic broadcoaster and their local affiliate have to be there - to capture the celebration - not really...when they had the Ilderton parade and thank you speeches - it was about thanking Moirville...the golf tournament - about Moirville...Worlds 2013...about Moirville...Scott don't forget who made you - Moirville - who helped out financially - Moirville - who has provided baby sitting services - Moirville...I can't even imagine the type of pressure Tessa gets from Moirville...
    It's not all bad - I think small communities are great and have been very supportive of athletes...but I also think in this case - there are no boundaries that have been set and respected between the community, the Ilderton Skating Club and even within the Moir family. I think both Scott and Tessa enjoy skating but I also think that due to these expectations of Moirville to win - it's added pressure. I would pay big bucks to have a conversation with Tracy Wilson about VM and Moirville and its evolution over the years..

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    1. If there had just been Moirville but without the added idiocy and preoccupation of a sham love-life for Scott, would things be different?

      Besides all the ways Moirville makes Scott and Tessa's achievements about themselves, there's this other thing that makes them feel important and "needed" and that is their participation in Scott's business (fake business). The blog has talked about how they see themselves as the gatekeepers of the truth and there's such an attitude of superiority in getting to mock the fans for being played. The sham is the main reason why VM don't tell them to take a hike. Otherwise it's just another intrusive small town. Easy to manage when there's not a *Big Secret* to keep hidden and *Big Pretend Life* to maintain.

      So right. The tail is now wagging the dog and VM are victims of their self-perceived cleverness.

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    2. Anon at 8:54 pm - no doubt the sham relationships serve to demonstrate that Scott is not gay and their way of gaslighting fans. Would things be different without the shams - probably. Eventually even moirville would have moved on and found a new hobby - but no that would have bben too easy....

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    3. Well, the entire community, which loves loves loves to preach, especially about the champion mentality, lessons learned from champions, dedication and never quitting, showed their ass the past few years. All that stuff can take a back seat to what's in it for me. It's a wonder the back of Scott and Tessa's skating career isn't completely broken with all the Moirville agenda piled onto it, and they've never volunteered to back off, and nobody in his family has apparently taken it upon themselves to re-think.

      And Scott, of course, in a position to be the one who gives all this to the family - the youngest guy - it looks like he's a sucker for it and gets an ego boost out of it, but it's gotten twisted around to where it's backwards. The skating career supports Moirville - at least in this quad. Not vice versa. And simultaneously, it's as if Tessa has turned into this zealot who believes it's all about the fantastic things she can do with her mind, including bending reality.

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  12. Free Dance SlowMo
    http://youtu.be/QRdFk4AOTbQ

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  13. I don't even bother with figure skating coverage in newspapers here, it is never any good. I prefer blogs.

    Here are two more blogs with actual technical discussion of the skating. One is
    devoted to pairs and ice dance (and I know people have mentioned it here before) and the other is just about ice dance:

    http://www.twofortheice.com/2013/06/

    http://icedanceanalysts.blogspot.ca/

    I wish people like Rosie would take a hint from these blogs--figure skating fans actually are interested in discussing the technical aspects of their sport.

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  14. I'm glad T/S sheam to be havin so much fun. Too disappointing they will come Second though. Their SD is a shitshow. They deserbe to win silber. Just bacausemof all the politics...

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  15. guys v/m were absolutely robbed in the short dance today.
    we must let everyone know - news outlets, twitter, tumblr, ice-network etc.
    let everyone know that davis and white are the usfsa are a bunch of cheaters

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  16. They were fucking robbed. Everyone saw it with their own eyes. It's so easy for the judges to manipulate the scores with the PCS. The IJS is useless. DW were flat & they fucked up their twizzles but still got first! aaarrrrrgggghhhhh

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  17. There was this known DW uber on FSU who said DW must have impressive rinkside because they got a bigger standing ovation. Ha.

    First of all, DW have a bigger fanbase in Japan than VM because the former have consistently been going to NHK Trophy for the past quad, as well as guesting in the ice shows over there (except for this year). DW's fanbase have totally bought into the 'Disney princess' persona and the 'wizard hair'. It doesn't surprise me, Meryl has anime girl proportions. Also, DW have been quite approachable to fans (inc. Japanese ones), interacting with them on social media etc. This is where VM's totally inconsistent and inexplicable media policy hurts them...

    Finally, I'm not sure I would trust Japanese audience's discernment when it comes to ice dance, as they pay far, far more attention to their singles skaters. The Reeds are not even top 10 in the world, and while I'm sure JSF would have loved to get the Shibutanis, the siblings have thrown in their lot with USFS.

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    1. *must have been impressive rinkside

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    2. How delusional of that uber. The Japanese audience was very quiet when DW received their scores.

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    3. Well there it is. VM beat DW in TES, and the judges held up freaking DW - DW - in PCS. After VM skated brilliantly. That's insane, but very obvious.

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    4. Basically it's now the judges have decided DW have a several mistake/bobble/tight edge over a perfect VM, and it's in SKATING SKILLS.

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  18. Now non-ubers know DW are overscored. http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/showthread.php?89739-If-you-like-both-D-W-amp-V-M-but-love-other-couples/page9

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