Sunday, February 9, 2014

Hoisted by their own petard?

First, I want to share this link:

DW's scores explode

This is a piece by Jacquelyn Thayer, one of the best ice dance journalists out there (not a backhanded compliment by any means despite there being so FEW decent ice dance writers anywhere. Her work stands up to anyone's.). She reports for icedance.com as well as her own site, two for the ice, which hosts the article linked above. Thayer is much admired by many, including this blog, for her rigor, research, good taste and, not least, an incisive, waste-not, want-not voice that appears inspired by E.B. White's famous mantra: "Make every word tell."

Now:

The conversation in the blog has noted many times that Scott and Tessa's hoax has been a group effort. Over the years they've been enabled by Skate Canada, by Arctic Edge, by Meryl and Charlie and other teammates, by every skating insider, by every skating commentator. All of them have contributed to hoaxing us, to hustling us, to, basically, lying about us and attempting to gaslight us. Prior to 4CC's 2011, Mike "nothing to see here" Slipchuk was out there hustling, telling us to expect TWO TWO TWO performances from Virtue and Moir, letting us know Virtue and Moir ("and the other Canadians") had arrived in Taipei. MAN they were anxious to let us know Virtue and Moir were there to skate two programs, in case any one suspected that maybe they were there for some other reason, which is only natural, since that happens all the time - skaters enter a competition, arrive at the competition, but do something else instead. Right? Not Scott  and Tessa! They were going to skate TWO programs.

It's not a small thing. Even broadcast networks got in on the act. After all, back in Vancouver, Jessica Dube was a high profile member of the Canadian figure skating team with a colorful back story (the face slash) and, was for the free dance, planted among the Moir family so we couldn't miss her, and the Moir family had a giant ass camera set up to record their reactions. NBC didn't see fit to mention her presence. Why not? Why wasn't that relationship part of NBC's package for Virtue and Moir? Think of the interviews Virtue and Moir gave during that time, and yet not a single journalist thought it relevant to ask Scott how Jessica felt about Virtue and Moir winning gold while she and Bryce had disappointing skates and did that impact their relationship in any way?

It begs disbelief to think most of the ISU in power don't know that Virtue and Moir are the married parents of a little girl, don't know Virtue and Moir are aggressively marketing huge lies. David Dore for damn sure knows. Benoit Lavoie certainly knows. NONE of these people had a word with them, advised them that it would be a good idea to tone it down? That arrogantly flaunting how untouchable you are is not the right way to engage with the public for their sport, that there are obvious long term pitfalls not just for their credibility but the sport's credibility? The sport had some influence, surely, and if word had reached VM to cool it, they'd have cooled it.

Apparently that didn't happen. The sport just gave VM enough rope and when the time was right, yanked, and it was a noose.

Setting aside the fact that the more one looks at this cast of thousands, the more offended one becomes when considering how the ante has continually been raised, offended by how NOBODY in this entire machine appears to think there's a single thing wrong with proactively stuffing a lie down the throat of the public while simultaneously blaming them for it, sees nothing wrong with proactively marketing a complete hoax while flaunting the contempt they feel for the poor suckers they're screwing with - while ENJOYING that contempt - you have to figure there's a whole lot more wrong with this sport than the scoring for Davis White. It's holistic. The sport got involved with it, the sport helped them out. As the blog has said before, this isn't about a zone of privacy, this isn't about rote denials - nobody's playing defense. This is aggressive.

When the blog has talked about karma being organic, this is what it looks like. Scott and Tessa's hoax is enmeshed in the ISU infrastructure, or certainly was when it counted, as much as it is in Moirville. It was propogated by the commentariat as well, all of whom knew what they were pushing at us was a lie.

And it certainly looks as if now that this same infrastructure has decided to fuck over Scott and Tessa with lies about the scores Davis and White deserve for what they put on the ice, Scott and Tessa are trapped because of the lies this same infrastructure has enabled them to tell about their lives.

Their lies have screwed their competitive viability vis a vis Davis and White. Their community, which  preens itself about skating being everything, has FUCKED OVER this sport and their own skaters because they've used the system, the relationships, the organization, to advance an agenda that has nothing to do with skating, that's organized around a huge public lie, which meant that when the organization turned around and decided to fuck them over, they could do nothing because everybody has the goods on them.

I hope it was worth it, because not only did they screw themselves, WE got screwed on both ends. We got screwed by continually being sold a hoax and blamed for the hoax, and, more importantly, we got thoroughly and completely fucked over as fans of ice dance, thanks to the greatest ice dancers of all time.

Scott and Tessa - NICE JOB.

P.S. VM have spent their careers, with of course, the eager assist of the media as well as various skating insiders -  working overtime to undermine the credibility of the public - wait, not the public - THEIR FANS - painting us as a bunch of pathetic, delusional headcases drunk on fantasy, fans who just can't get it through our heads that they are not a couple. Never mind that outside of this blog, the primary message from all of Virtue and Moir's fans is they are not a couple. Go to fsu and goldenskate; they're not a couple. Never mind that though - we're fucking crazy.

That means that, thanks to Virtue and Moir, we can easily be painted as fucking delusional about the skating as well. So VM, THANKS.

157 comments:

  1. Agree 100%

    Tessa and Scott, please spare us the embarrassment. Good job getting the team to silver - sincerely.

    Now withdraw. Scott can sit in the stands and make out with Cassandra while Tessa flirts with Alexei Mishin.

    Let a real team like PB or WP, who have done NOTHING but work for four years have a chance for the podium. It will mean everything to them. You guys have your sham and you have succeeded in hoaxing the public. That's your second OGM.

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    1. Live by the sham - DIE by the sham. Their Olympic prospects certainly have died by the sham.

      I also want to point to the situation with DW to answer fans who complain that the hoax isn't possible because surely SOMEBODY would dissent, somebody would upset the apple cart, somebody would spill.

      Really? Like they did with DW? Their skating is right UNDER OUR NOSES. It's not even off the record, like Scott and Tessa's marriage and daughter. It's right under our noses in front of a legion of skating experts, insiders, media - and NOBODY SAID ANYTHING. How is it that everybody in the comment booth says the same thing about Davis and White and nobody says the emperor has no clothes? How is it that everybody who appeared to be wandering off the party line has been roped back in? You don't need to STUDY to see that Beverly Smith's breakdown of Davis and White's fake skating is on point - it's ELEMENTARY. It's obvious to anyone - to everyone. But nobody says it. And even SHE didn't say it until five minutes before too late.

      It's the same thing. Figure skating is the mob. There's little difference in the politics, and even, on a different level, obviously, in the fear principle, and Scott and Tessa have helped make it so.

      Delete
    2. P.S.- please also notice that when Beverly Smith decided to take apart the skating, citing various experts, not a single person went on the record.

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    3. IIRC, only 2 people were ever mentioned in Smith's recent article -- Paul Macintosh (old VM coach) and Ann Shaw (on ice dance tech committee, I think). But yes, I was struck by how the other experts went unnamed. The Russian coaches may be serving certain agendas (theirs, team Russia's), but they can be candid, frank, and *named*. Well, except for the one guy who went spilling to L'Equipe, and while having the guts to reveal what we already knew, also stopped short to save his own skin by remaining anon.

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    4. I was actually referring to the experts who critiqued Davis and White's skating - Charlie's hockey steps, Davis's problem feet, etc. Nobody will put their name to that.

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    5. Why would they? Putting out their names means risking their necks.

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  2. Why are none of the so called commentators talking about the 7 point gap? Plus Marina is gross. Did you see her reaction when they were showing D/W twizzles in slow motion. She was like don't worry. You fgot this' and kept shaking her head. Why V/M stayed with her is beyond me. We all know who she is for. Plus that ugly WO,an @annmjensen on twitter basically calling Tessa fat. Really? She is one to talk.

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  3. I still think it's unfair not to let them win because of this. Otherwise, gold is always determined by other factors. Politics or the athletes' personal lives, you choose.
    Though I feel like some sort of karma is in the works here (side note: I don't actually believe in that), I also can't help feeling a bit sympathetic.


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    1. Of course it's unfair but they themselves have enabled the conditions that permit DW to win, unchallenged, with crappy skating that's right under our nose.

      WE are fucked over, as ice dance fans, because VM won't win despite being the best ice dancers of all time, because they had other priorities and those priorities hobbled their ability to push back against a system that had decided they couldn't be allowed to win against DW. And by "their" ability I also mean their Fed, because the Fed was also up to its necks in the hoax.

      I am not saying serves them right. I'm saying we are screwed that this has happened to the sport because the best ice dancers IN this sport prioritized their lies. We benefit when they win. It's insult upon injury for DW to win, for these pututive Olympic champions to be foisted upon us as the best in the world, against all intelligent observation, against everything we know about ice dance, figure skating and the rules. It's an insult to us and my perspective is this is made possible by VM themselves.

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  4. I'm also a little confused by what you write. At some points you seem to defend VM and ice dance, at other points you seem to declare how much you dislike them and the sport.

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    1. Actually, I'm pretty specific, it's complex, as in there are many components to the situation, but I think I'm pretty specific about all of the facets to the situation.

      Delete
  5. 1:58
    I don't speak for the blogger but I certainly experience the gamut of feelings when it comes to Tessa and Scott.

    I adore their skating. It's been years since any skater touched me the way they do when they skate. Usually I think they come across as sincere, very likable people. The home-grown Canadian kids, freshly scrubbed, the product of great talent and hard work, plus they're beautiful and charismatic. What's not to like?

    Otoh, many times I feel full of rage and disappointment at their antics. I feel patronized with their attitude toward me as a fan, that I'm treated like a pesky, sex-starved annoyance who deserves to be hoaxed because of my idiocy. I'm perplexed and angry at their PR decisions, making a fake off-ice life the focus of everything they sell instead of focusing on skating and beating DW's PR machine. I hate that they continually up the ante. Upthread someone said something about Scott making out with Cassandra in the stands - probably a facetious comment but VM's antics make me expect all sorts of OTT, gross statemetns and behavior from them and you know what, they haven't disappointed. They do indeed go for the grossest they can get away with. Not only that, they'll push that behavior at me aggressively and with great enjoyment. They throw their own real relationship status under the bus and push on me a fake story with great contempt. What's to like?

    I try very hard to separate VM the skaters (who I love) from the off-ice VM (who I hate) but it doesn't always work. Sometimes because of VM I hate everything about ice dancing and never want to watch it again. For most of this season I had been doing well keeping these things compartmentalized but since their offensive OTT shamming on their reality series I'm not succeeding. Right now I'm only angry at them and the fix in judging doesn't help because I can't help thinking part of it is their fault. I'm hoping by the time the ice dance competition gets here I'll love them again - I really do want to root for them wholeheartedly - but if between now and then they pull some fresh BS sham, I'll probably not cry when they get their silver or bronze medal.

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    1. "Right now I'm only angry at them and the fix in the judging doesn't help because I can't help feeling part of it is their fault."

      Yes. That was the central point of the post. THEY lose, but WE lose as well, and it's at least in part thanks to them.

      Maybe they think the trade-off is worth it, but this sport doesn't exist without the public, and we got completely fucked. Ice dance has turned into fraud on and off the ice and VM have made a huge contribution to that reality.

      Delete
  6. let's just say, that the davis white fix has been in the works since 2010. so let's not overstate how VM stupidity vis-à-vis marketing and their brand and their "connection" and their personal relationships off the ice made or break them. this would have happened regardless. you cannot stand in Russia and the US's way when it comes to Olympics.

    BUT PLEASE someone explain something to me. how are VM's lifts getting 1s and 2s? their lifts are the most difficult this season. not acrobatic like the others but who else can pull off the balance? all the other women are hanging on to their partners for dear life and Tessa's all alone up there!

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    1. Virtue and Moir's hoax has been going on since 2007.

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    2. Over on Two for the Ice, Thayer wrote a great pre-game statistical analysis of the North American pairs and dance teams heading into the Olympics.

      Looking at the breakdowns, something that stood out to me was D/W's average score increase over the last three years. Specifically, check out the numbers from 2011 4CC. V/M sat out the majority of that season due to pregnancy (which they lied about to the public), then showed up in Tapei and outskated D/W in the SD. After that, D/W's scores exploded and they've never looked back.

      Here's the entire statistical breakdown. It's quite impressive work. http://www.twofortheice.com/2014/02/06/olympics-pre-game-analysis/

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    3. I have not been able to access this all night... says page cannot be found?

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    4. I'd try it again or maybe a different browser. When I tested it the URL above worked and the link in the post works.

      Delete
  7. My Comment has been Deleted? WTF? THIS BLOG IS SICK. OC is from the USA. It was made to create LL OF THESE PROBLEMS. Why would you delete my post?

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    1. 7:20pm I haven't deleted anything - if I want to remove something I usually take it off the live blog, but I still have it and it can be reposted at any time. I've deleted stuff in the past (including my own stuff) inadvertently, but that hasn't happened in some time.

      I just want into the spam filter and unspammed a couple of non-spam comments - if one is yours, that's why it didn't appear - it got spammed. However, neither one of the comments I just unspammed seem like your voice, so if I were you, and the unspammed comments aren't you, I'd re-post. I'll let you know if I decide to take it off for whatever reason. I have no way of knowing right now because I don't know what you said.

      In the meantime, stop having shit fits in the comments section.

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  8. Annmjensen on Twitter. Called Tessa FAT. PleASE ALL WHO READ THIS TAKE OFFENCE AND TELL HER OFF...If I don't get deleted again.

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    1. Eh, don't waste your energy (and capslocking). We all know she's not. A casual viewer would say that if that's fat, then the rest of us are obese. I prefer how she looks like compared to Meryl, who looks incredibly skinny. Compared to M, Tessa is pleasantly curvy.

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  9. Why else would OC delete my posts. He/She works for DéW. We are all a bunch of pawns. Why else would my post that describes my real info be deleted. WAKE UP PEOPLE...

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    1. Hahaha, yes, D/W are behind this blog, which has deconstructed their terrible skating technique to no end. Do you read this blog at all? The blogger practically wrote Beverley Smith's article.

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    2. I agree this blog was the first place that deconstructed DW skating in a way that opened many eyes. I'm grateful for the tidalwave it began with many fans who started realizing they could do this and call a spade a spade.

      I hope Beverly Smith keeps writing about it and doesn't give in to the pressure of tptb who want to ignore it and dismiss any attempts at shining a spotlight on DW crap skating and the fix in the scores.

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  10. I hate the new ending. the lifts -except for the first one-has no wow factor. the lifts as they were shown at finlandia were amazing. and the third lift is recycled from 2006! come on. I love them but marena did them no favors this season with that fd.

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    1. All of V/M's lifts are of the highest level of difficulty.

      Please show us where "wow factor" is listed in the code of points rulebook. Go ahead, we'll wait.

      Delete
  11. The choreography and layout of that FD was perfect at Nationals. I don't know why she felt the need to change it.

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    1. you think its possible that they changed it just for the team event?

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  12. I have got to stop being emotionally invested in figure skating. :( It's such a letdown to see fantastic skaters go unrewarded. Maybe I should have quit ahead after Vancouver. The only blight there was in men's with Lysacek and Plushenko. If Daisuke had landed that quad (even two-footed), he would have been Olympic champion.

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    1. Lysacek won fairly. Plushenko landed his quad, his triples were strained and he had nothing else in the program. The scores shouldn't have been that close.

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    2. Oh OC, I know that Lysacek won fairly, as what was required under the system back in 2010. Objectively speaking, I have no problems with him being champion. Emotionally, he did nothing for me (neither did Plushenko). I really liked Daisuke, and I was also ticked off at Lysacek fans vs Plushenko fans. Or the quad vs no quad debates. That's why I sometimes wish Dai had landed that quad.

      When I said I should have quit while ahead was that for me, Vancouver was almost perfect. Everyone I wished gold for (except men's) got them. This quad, it's my being a fan of VM's skating that is giving me heartache. Well, not the skating per se, beacuse they have grown so much since 2010, but because of the way they are being judged.

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    3. Okay, me too. I'm not a huge fan of Lysacek but he skated cleanly and did more - did more skating wise. Better jumps, save the quad, much more content. 4 years later we have a number of men with the quad AND content, so we're better off now.

      I'm heartbroken not just because VM are getting utterly shafted in the scores, but because fucking Davis and White are going to be rubber-stamped as Olympic champions, and everybody who knows skating knows it's bogus, but the heist is being carried off right in our face, with the collusion of everybody in figure skating, and the skating-ignorant sports "journalists" do nothing but aid and abet.

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    4. Totally agree with what you said. I'm actually so disheartened that I am not enthusiastic at watching the skating events live on TV (maybe I'll skip pairs). I'm not sure if I can keep away from the message boards, but they hate VM fans (who dare question the dodgy scoring).

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    5. I'm also heartbroken about all of this--VM's scores, the rubber stamping of DW. I'm also heartbroken because there will be repercussions of this in the judging in the years to come. Yes, we are seeing that it appears the message is that people will have to actually skate and dance in the future, but what it took to make this happen cannot be explained by just people inside the sport not liking VM's lying about their personal life. I think VM's personal choices have made things easier for people at a few points in time, but I also think there is a long time effort, going back to the last quad, to make sure that it would specifically be DW who would be the first US team to receive an ice dance OGM. This sport is rotten to the core, and I can't help but think that going forward, favors will be called in and that other countries will use the knowledge of what the US pushed for in order to get what they want. Maybe we're seeing all the teams trying to skate and dance, but we'll also see a team held up over the others that shouldn't be because of this. It's never going to end.

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  13. Just watch, VM will get silver or bronze in individual. The Russians are furious they've been called out in their cheating, and will punish VM out of spite. Some of them are still bitter about that North American ice dance gold in 2010, even when Shabalin's injury put a big wrench in their training. Also, they still had time to switch original dances when their racist aboriginal OD first caused a fuss, but they didn't.

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    1. Of course VM aren't winning the individual event - DW's gold scores are just a rubber stamp.

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  14. I laughed at this quip of os168 at Yu-Na Kim Forum: "I still prefer Tessa and Scott to Meryl and Charlie. It is the difference of organic lemonade made with real lemons and sugar vs sprite."

    That's exactly it. Real vs. fake.

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    1. i fucking love the yu-na fans <3 do you have a link?

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    2. @11:36, not every Yu-Na fan loves VM, or if s/he's a VM fan, loves the FD.

      But here you go: http://yunaforum.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=5064&st=80

      os168's post is number 85. Yu-Na fans actually have vested interest in the team event, especially in the scoring with the ladies. They are especially concerned with Julia's momentum and hometown scoring. They even noted Japanese commentators remark about Lipnitskaya's flutz (the North American media seems to be ignoring it). It seems to me that both Korean and Japanese fans are concerned because of how the scoring (and alleged scandal) will affect Yu-Na and Mao, respectively.

      Delete
    3. "Tessa has built a habit of making mistakes on twizzles in the last two seasons. When you make mistakes in ice dance, your PCS and GOE are affected significantly.

      They are not gonna beat D/W with this kind of performance. "

      this person is an idiolt lol D/W should not be beating V/M because they also make mistakes

      Delete
  15. Guys, do you think VM got a cold reception from the audience because it's too partisan (go Russia and all that), because they heard about the vote-swap and are furious, or both?

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    1. It seems like anybody non-Russian got a cold reception...even D/W got a cold reception, and their FD is supposedly the more "crowd-pleasing" FD.

      Did you notice though that all the other teams did three twizzles EXCEPT for D/W? Even the Japanese team that is somewhere in the bottom 20 in the world did three twizzles.

      And funny how Carol Lane made a point of stating that...that if a team does a hop into a two-twizzle pass, is is level four, yet all the other teams were doing three. Why is that, Carol?

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    2. I noticed that Tracy Wilson had the nerve to comment on V/M's "cold reception" after their free dance, but didn't mention anything about the audience reaction after D/W skated?

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    3. Furthermore, I/K do a jump into their three twizzle set, but that's not worth mentioning.

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    4. Just a general question out there now that the team competition is over...besides VM taking a hit (as noted in the FD scores)...does anyone else get lowballed in the individual events? ie Chan...or even Duhamel/Radford....

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  16. Here is the Olympic Team SD compared. It's blocked on youtube, so we're stuck with download links, but the mediafire has a video player that you can watch on.
    http://www.mediafire.com/watch/3nbd8nq9yjb9724/DW_vs_VM_#22_-_2014_SD_OGT.mp4
    http://speedy.sh/5Rhp8/DW-vs-VM-22-2014-SD-OGT.mp4

    Also, I haven't forgotten about the Nats FDs, I just got behind, but I figured people would rather see this first.

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  17. I just want to thank you for this blog. I have not laughed this hard in ages. Thanks for bringing the crazy. I only hope you keep a minimum of 500 ft... er in your case make that 500 miles from V&M and their imaginary child(ren).

    I haven't had a chance to read the entire blog so I have no idea why you are so delusional and what you think are the reasons for this epic conspiracy but I can honestly say I hope you get the help you so desperately need.

    It's great to be a fan. But this goes so far beyond obsession that it's just not healthy.

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    1. Awwww. Nice try. The joke's on you.

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    2. Tessa and Scott's child is most certainly real, as is their marriage. I'm sorry you've been duped by them or you're fully aware of the truth and are pretending not to be.

      Either way, you're the loser.

      Delete
  18. The DW uber, reese, posted this in the ice dance discussion thread at FSU regarding the Team SD event:

    "If Tessa and Scott weren't Tessa and Scott, that major twizzle mistake on the crucial first rotation of the second set would likely have knocked them down to a level 1. Instead, they only took a small hit at level 3 and only one judge dared give them a negative GOE".

    So, if D&W weren't D&W, and some other team like C/L or P/B, I guess their twizzle mistakes at GPF and Team FD would've been downgraded to a level 1 as well? What an idiot.

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  19. Latest article in Icenetwork...interesting that Igor would make special mention of judgeShawn Rettstatt:

    http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2014/02/10/67619362/borscht-belts-shpilband-scoffs-at-collusion-talk

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    1. Igor is savvy. He knows he has to work with the USFS next year for CB.

      How funny that in the same article, USFS (I mean ice network) can say there's no way the judging in ice dancing can be fixed, and then go onto to say "But the judging was not flawless" because Plushenko won and Lipnitskaya got 10s. LMAO! It's only fixed when the Russians do well. Ice dance can't be fixed at all. It's just so objective! The whole audience understands the level calls, there are HD slo mos of all the camera angles for the key points, and the rules are explaining so well by the commentators... it just can't be rigged. It's impossible to do something like that!

      At least the singles and pairs have to prove themselves with jumps so there is some kind of honor in it. I guess garbage skating like DW do is deserving of 10s though, right Frank Carroll? And they do so many more transitions than Plushenko? Dragging your partner around on two feet and mimicking a BJ is totally transitions worthy of 10s.

      Delete
    2. The USFSA is so special. Ice dancing judging can't be rigged but mens and ladies can totally be!

      There are supposedly some very nasty quotes from Lynn Rutherford in the Russian press. She takes a direct shot at VM having made mistakes this season.

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    3. So that's it? V/M's mistakes are going to get held against them, regardless of how they skate in their individual events? I guess we can't be "footperfect" like D/W at the beginning of the season.

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    4. Yes, that is it. The individual events in ice dance are not a new day starting with a clean mistake. Every single mistake VM have made this year and last year will be held against them in the form of DW being overmarked.

      And if anyone still thinks VM can win this? To quote OC, I have a bridge with blocked access lanes to sell you.

      Delete
    5. Yes, it is about "momentum" (thanks, Kurt) and they are done. Even if they skate an all level four blowout and DW makes mistakes, they can only make up at most 4 or 5 of these 7 points and of course DW will be getting close to 117 this time.

      Someone shared with me some color commentary from Italian TV. Silvia Fontana said that Gracie skated well, she if she keeps skating that way, her marks will go up soon - Lipnitskaya's high marks were due to her consistency over the season.

      Also, Margaglio said some superlatives about VM, but called DW "perfection." Great to see that kind of support from the Canton coaching team as usual.

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    6. Anon 6:19: "Silvia Fontana said that Gracie skated well, she if she keeps skating that way, her marks will go up soon - Lipnitskaya's high marks were due to her consistency over the season."

      This is one of many reasons why this sport is a joke.

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    7. Lynn Rutherford is a freelance "journalist" for icenetwork. In other words, USFSA's witless lackey.

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    8. WTF is Lynn Rutherford's potshots about V/M's mistakes? What angle is she trying to take here? That the OGM is a reward for a consistent season, not the performances on the day?

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    9. Anon at 3:58 am - you know what this is - basically icenetwork (the USFSA) being pissed that DW's win will not be perceived as crystal clean as the hit and run they wanted...talk about being classless...DW have the medal already...so why bother kicking VM down once again...it's just seems so personal and really unnecessary...In a way it's nice to see Lynn Rutherford's true colors...don't u love the Olympic spirit?

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    10. Anon 4:23: seriously, talk about totally classless. Even before the whole L'equipe article came out, everybody KNEW that D/W's OGM would be an underserved win based on their skating...its a truimph in politics and PR, that's it. Nobody ever questioned V/M's win in Vancouver, because their skating spoke for itself. Nobody (but D/W fans) will remember this "win" for the skating, only the dirty corruption that made it happen.

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    11. Interesting that Russia is falling back a little in the total medal count...since politics is alive and well in figure skating - let's see if this spills over into the ladies with the Yuna - Mao - Kostner etc getting lowballed a bit in favor of Julia and Gracie...
      Anon at 6:20 - well said...

      Delete
  20. Can someone please explain the supposed purpose behind this hoax? It seems like such an elaborate lie to tell, and to what end?

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    1. this is why I cant believe OC. are vm really that stupid?

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    2. Yes, VM are really that stupid. They really are married with a child.

      The shamming began supposedly to protect VM's privacy, but it seems to have morphed into something else over the years.

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    3. protect their privacy from what? their 500 fans? sorry but just makes no sense to me. esp since they will have to come out with this.

      OC, has anyone seen this child?

      Delete
    4. Of course people have seen the child--it's a little girl. The thing you have to remember is that not everything that happens out in the real world gets reported on the internet.

      They think they don't have to come out with this. If/when this comes out, it won't be at their own hands or the hands of anyone inside of figure skating.

      VM have quite a few more than 500 fans. A lot more than 500 fans.

      Delete
    5. im just saying they're not mobbed. I cant believe they would keep a child a secret. once it comes out they could never recover and it doesn't seem as if they want out of the public eye. it just makes no sense whatsoever. it's too unbelievable.

      Delete
    6. It doesn't make sense to any normal person. It does not change the fact that they are married and do have a child.

      Delete
    7. Exactly. Feel free to claim you refuse to believe it because it doesn't make sense to you, or you think there's no way V/M would be stupid enough to publicly assert they're platonic if they actually aren't, and then proactively shove that fake narrative down people's throats in every way imaginable - it does not change reality, which is that V/M are indeed married with a young child.

      I don't get why fans say things like "if she exists, why hasn't anyone ever seen this child?" What the hell is that about? Plenty of people have seen the kid over the years, including a good number of fans. Since she's not walking around wearing a big name tag that reads: CHILD OF TESSA VIRTUE AND SCOTT MOIR, those fans don't recognize her. Doesn't make her less real.

      Delete
    8. I will believe you, but show a picture of the child, tell name.It's libel.

      Delete
    9. Trying to make threats won't get you the information you want but I do have to wonder why this information is never made public. Obviously not a picture of the child but why not share her name, a brief description of what she looks like. What colour is her hair? Her eyes? Surely since so many people know of the existence of this child, sharing that won't give away who you are. I'll never figure out how so many people can know for a fact that the child exists and even somehow know it's a girl but nothing more.

      Delete
    10. 2:19 I know what libel is and this isn't libel.

      Comments like yours usually mean that someone is frustrated they don't have the proof for themselves so they want to harrass the blog into providing it for them. For the purposes of the blog, I'm the only one who needs to know how I know.

      Secondly, unless her name and photo was already identified in public, I wouldn't put the kid's name and image on the blog.

      oc

      Delete
    11. 7:57 you are not making sense. "I'll never figure out how so many people can know for a fact that the child exists and it's a girl but nothing more."

      Really? Because the information isn't on the blog nothing more is known - or are you confusing that with nothing more is shared?

      Furthermore, please tell me how much more we know about Miko Ando's kid. You make no sense. Even for kids who are publicly acknowledged the public usually only knows they exist, and the gender, and that's about it. Here you're missing a name, period.

      oc

      Delete
    12. Miki's daughter is named Himawari (sunflower) IIRC, and I don't think Miki is married to the dad? That's about it. A number of people knew (including Johnny Weir), but they respected her right as mother to let her dictate how much info came out.

      Delete
  21. http://globalnews.ca/news/1139349/figure-skating-scoring-lends-itself-to-scandal-and-getting-worse-expert/

    According to a professor studying figure skating judging in an academic way, the evidence of collusion has increased since IJS was implemented.

    “As someone who has analyzed past data you do see evidence of vote trading and scoring patterns that are consistent with these type of arrangements,” said Zitzewitz. “Since the changes were made in 2002 things have gotten worse.”

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "My research suggest the ISU should go back to the disclosure regime in a way that allows [outsiders] to analyse the results of judges,” he said. “The other would be to allow the central body (ISU) to select judges rather than the federations. Although in figure skating this won’t happen until we have a central body that people trust more."

      That last sentence kills me. When you have a sport where the chance of a gold medal hinges on whether you can socialize with the judges better (with a bottle of wine/vodka), you know you're fucked.

      I wish figure skating had managed to break away from the ISU. A big part of why it's so fucked is because we have to dance attendance on the other skating sports (speedskating and short track) which are essentially racing on ice. ISU head is not a figure skater and doesn't (and has never tried to) understand the culture.

      Delete
    2. Thanks so much for that link.

      There will be no follow up because, once again, the "journalists" who write about figure skating know nothing about it. That's why they can say Charlie and Meryl's history of winning means they will deserve to win next week, without vote trading. Nobody following this sport is capable of verifying for themselves if the scoring is fair, because they have no fucking idea what's going on out on the ice, at blade level. They don't know what figure skating is. They only know the tricks (lifts, jumps, throws, spins). And the people IN the sport are not only keeping their mouths shut, this year they're proactively trying to SELL the politics and pageant part as a legitimate feature of the sport, while irrationally also telling us CoP ensures the skating is scored on the up and up. They're telling us two incongruent things.

      And as with all inconvenient truths, those who want to talk about it are pressured to shut up. We can see what happened with L'Equipe - the first reaction was to shut it down and dismiss it.

      Delete
    3. I think Cecile Nony (the L'Equipe article author) let a good opportunity go to waste. Along with the anonymous Russian coach's claims, she could have done more research -- should have, as she's covered skating before for the paper. There were lots of little things that when added up would seem really fishy. Like the lowballing of the non-Russian dance teams at CoR last year. DW's GoE not being hit when they made twizzle mistakes. Ice dance judging improperly rewarding high scores when teams actually don't show exceptional skating skills. The voting corridor.

      What Nony should have done was to print the accusations alongside the aforementioned irregularities. ISU, feds and Sochi Olympic committee would have done their best to shut her down, but it would have been harder. They would have had to address the other points too. More people would have been talking about the issues, and there would have been more questions, more skepticism. If she had bothered to write about these things, alongside a clear and concise explanation of how ice dance is supposed to be judged, then the L'Equipe article would have packed a whole lot more wallop. But who knows, maybe she had to keep to a certain word limit.

      In fairness, other so-called figure skating 'journos' *should* have been writing too. But a lot of them are in the pockets of their respective federations. And those writers who pay attention only once every 4 years will not bother to educate themselves.

      Delete
    4. Anon 3:23: Totally agreed. But maybe she has another bombshell to drop, and just waiting for the right time to drop it? Doubtful, but who knows.

      I don't think this is the end of the controversy plays out. The pairs free goes tonight, V/T have a nice cushion; was it deserved or by design? V/T are mostly consistent , but as we saw at GPF, they botched their jumps and a clean S/S rightfully beat them.

      Delete
    5. Anon at 4:28 - VT were very good. However a five point "cushion"...yup that's pretty big...the other 2 russian pairs also received some cushion...I have nothing against the Russian skaters...I enjoy them..but it's starting to get a bit ridiculous..let's see if Plushenko actually skates....

      Delete
    6. @4:28
      I hear that after decades of covering the sport, Nony is now walking away in disgust. I doubt we will see anything more from her on this. Sad, though not surprising, that this corruption is chasing away long-time fans including journalists

      Delete
    7. You know anon at 7:07 am - I wouldn't even be surprised if the journalist received death threats...

      Delete
    8. @7:07, where did you hear/see this? That's disappointing. She must have been disgusted by how her 'colleagues' just dismissed it out of hand (in addition to the scoring shenanigans she must have witnessed over the years). What I am most surprised by is that none of the North American media even bothered to talk to her. It's not like they're lacking in French translators! No one's asking under what circumstances she talked to the coach, no one's asking what she thinks that coach's motives are in talking to her.

      Delete
    9. 7:41, some of the French posters on FSU said Nony was walking away. In fact, one of them just did a big interview with her which will be published shortly.

      There is no need for anyone to talk to her. They know what she's saying is true. But of course neither the IOC nor ISU could be bothered to look into...

      Delete
    10. @7:44, May I ask which FSU thread the posts are in? I hope it's not in sekret sources, I don't have access to that...

      Delete
  22. PJ Kwong contributes her glossary of skating terms. Jesus effing Christ.

    http://olympics.cbc.ca/news/article/sochi-cheat-sheet-figure-skating-sayings.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I swear to God, in all of my years of following skating, the nonsense in the judging and coverage has never been higher.

      Figure skating has lost it's effing mind.

      Delete
    2. The Canadian analysts aren't even bothering to defend the sport by educating viewers. I do wonder if it is out of worry for Chan--Canada wants that OGM for a Canadian man and are willing to throw VM (and ice dance) under the bus for it.
      They continue to talk about this rivalry as if it were real...I wish someone would yank that idiot Kurt off the air.

      Delete
  23. So much for a clean DW. I am glad moe people are pointing out that they have made mistakes throughout the season, but those have just been ignored.

    http://daviswhite2014.blogspot.ca/2014/02/but-they-are-so-consistent.html

    So they missed KPs at SA (where they were given level 4s) and missed KPs at GPF (where they again were given level 4s). OC, do you know if they missed KPs at NHK that they weren't deducted for? I know they were marked down for a missed KP of Charlie's.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. DW make mistakes ALL THE TIME. The judges just ignore them. Meryl is clearly on a flat in that second KP and I am pretty sure she places on a flat for the last KP. They have also been messing up their lifts throughout the season and they messed up their spin on the GP circuit as well. Their curve lift at nationals was a complete and total mess and their combination lift wasn't much better. I have never seen analysts and fans just ignore a skater's or team's mistakes like this.

      Delete
  24. This is a goodie: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/here-s-the-reason-olympic-star-charlie-white-doesn-t-want-you-to-know-who-he-s-dating-052659194-olympics.html?soc_src=mediacontentstory

    "Do they deliberately present themselves as a couple?

    "Exactly," said Davis. "Obviously we get a lot of questions about whether the two of us are dating, and that's a good thing, because that means we're doing our job out on the ice. Meryl and I are oftentimes trying to portray people who are in love. We've always been great friends, and we have a special relationship, but we've never been romantically involved."

    Who have we heard say that one before?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thought it was known that he's dating Tanith Belbin?

      Delete
    2. Surprise, surprise, another recycled VM narrative. DW's PR are not leaving one stone unturned, are they?

      Delete
    3. Tanith gave the NBC broadcaster the death stare when he said say hi to Charlie for us on the air during one of the in-studio bits.

      It has never once crossed my mind that DW might be dating. They have none of that tension and more importantly, they don't look at each other

      Delete
    4. Are u serious anon at 7:25 am? LOL...if DW's PR wants to emulate VMs and their storyline - perhaps Tanith needs to rekindle her Evan friendship...I mean the guy is in Sochi...this Olympics just keeps getting more bizarro...

      Delete
    5. Can someone find that article where V/M first said that? can't find it myself

      Delete
    6. Yes, it was painfully obvious. I was laughing so hard my boyfriend come out to see what I was laughing at

      Delete
  25. Johnny and tara are currently going on and on about all the extraneous factors that go into judging, such as how much the audience and judges like you. I wish they would have told me that when I started skating, that I had to make the judges feel something, though I am not sure what in order for my elements and skills to be judged fairly

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tara, I'm not surprised, because she doesn't know what the hell she's talking about; but I'm disappointed that Johnny would say such nonsense, considering his earlier commentary gigs were pretty good in that he talked about the skating. And I'm sure during his career, he would have wanted judges to judge his skating, not his flamboyant off-ice personality.

      Delete
    2. So I guess figure skating is like auditioning for a high school musical...great...the trainwreck continues...

      Delete
    3. Katarina Witt takes the cake though. She said it's impossible for the judges to cheat because of COP and if the judging is questionable it's because the skaters are so fast that the human eye can't see everything anymore and that's why judging mistakes happen. But it's never because of cheating or backhand deals.
      I guess Fraulein Witt has never heard of camera replays and slo-mo. What a moron.

      Delete
    4. Katarina Witt takes the cake though. She said it's impossible for the judges to cheat because of COP and if the judging is questionable it's because the skaters are so fast that the human eye can't see everything anymore and that's why judging mistakes happen. But it's never because of cheating or backhand deals.
      I guess Fraulein Witt has never heard of camera replays and slo-mo. What a moron.

      Delete
    5. Katarina Witt takes the cake though. She said it's impossible for the judges to cheat because of COP and if the judging is questionable it's because the skaters are so fast that the human eye can't see everything anymore and that's why judging mistakes happen. But it's never because of cheating or backhand deals.
      I guess Fraulein Witt has never heard of camera replays and slo-mo. What a moron.

      Delete
    6. Katarina Witt takes the cake though. She said it's impossible for the judges to cheat because of COP and if the judging is questionable it's because the skaters are so fast that the human eye can't see everything anymore and that's why judging mistakes happen. But it's never because of cheating or backhand deals.
      I guess Fraulein Witt has never heard of camera replays and slo-mo. What a moron.

      Delete
    7. Ice dance has been pushing the extranea this season more than ever. In 2010 it was all about the skating. This season and last it's been about the bullshit - they're using the bullshit as a FEATURE; they're saying the pageant part is part of it as a sport, and then they tack on blather about CoP, so it's all incoherent. But there's a reason - take the focus of the skating because that's where the predetermined winners don't hack it.

      Delete
  26. Does anyone else get the feeling that maybe VM are reconsidering quitting after Sochi? I don't know if it's just wishful thinking, but lately I've gotten the feeling from them that they don't seem ready and are kind of talking around the question. They seemed so sure at the beginning of the season, but now they don't seem as sure. Maybe all this judging drama will make them want to stay in for one more season. I wouldn't mind that :) Sorry this is OT.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd understand if VM wanted to end their career on a better note than these rigged Olympics but the judges have pretty much given them the boot. I don't think the federations want them to stay another season.
      They have been beaten twice now by IK on TES, that is a humiliation in its own right.
      If VM stocked around and got beaten by them at world's it would seriously hurt their legacy.

      Delete
    2. Well we'll have to just wait and see what happens I guess but they probably intended to end on top and that probably won't happen now.

      Delete
    3. Do you think D/W will continue to Worlds, or will the ISU say, "you got your undeserved OGM, that's enough"?

      Delete
    4. I don't know but I could see them retiring after Sochi and VM staying in to win one or maybe two more Worlds!

      Delete
    5. I say DW cut it and run. They want a gold medal - they don't like competing, the sport, or each other. You'd think someone would get plain *bored* doing the same shit for 8 years.

      I think it's another one or two years til the Russians catch up to beat V&M. Yeah I&K beat them in TES once (I think the second tie they were .01 below) but they bomb frequently. Would be nice at least to see V&M wrap up that 3rd and 4th world title so they could be equal to T&D, B&B, G&P.

      Delete
    6. I actually have as well. They're completely straddling the line in their public comments, such as "Oh, we have to TELL ourselves this is it so it means more" but they're being very conditional. But just because their words are conditional doesn't tell us anything, because their words mean shit.

      I have trouble seeing how the sport would dig itself out of the way its dumped on Virtue and Moir so as to possibly actually reward them in the next few seasons. Suddenly there would be a turnaround? DW also, I think, have hinted they may not retire.

      Delete
    7. I guess starting with Skate Canada, VM struck me as acting not quite ready to leave compared to teams that are definitely done, such as PB, and other teams in the past as they competed in their final season. It is true that words mostly mean nothing to them, but I still felt like there was that sense of not being quite ready to leave. The Paso Doble SD seems like it's made for them and there are still a few major rhythms out there that they haven't explored in their senior career, such as Blues.

      I am sure this is not how VM imagined their career ending. As infuriated as I am by the shamming, I certainly didn't want their career to end like this because it means very bad things for something I've been following and have loved since before Tessa and Scott were paired up as children.

      The reality is that after the scoring in the team event, we can see that they just no longer have the politics behind them to stand on top of another podium at a major skating event.

      There is a bomb set to go off in ice dance on Monday. That thing is going to blow shrapnel well into the future of ice dance. If DW do stay in, then skating is going to have to justify what they've done this past quad by handing them more wins. If they do retire, the judging shenanigans will continue. VM's off-ice nonsense has contributed to the situation (although I think more in the form of making things a bit easier at times--as determined as the USFSA was for specifically DW to be the 1st US OGM in ice dance, they would have found a way even if VM were on the up-and-up), but that alone is not nearly enough to account for what it took to steal this OGM for DW. Other countries will call favors in. Other countries will have no qualms in using the knowledge of what went into this to get others to do what they want done. If we ever see a Moir atop the podium of a major international skating event again, it'll be (if any of them skate at the elite level) Little Moir, her cousins, or a younger sibling of those three girls.

      For the record, 5:21, In a hypothetical world in which VM stay in, I have hard time believing that either Russian team would actually catch them in terms of the real skating and dancing.

      Delete
    8. I agree, OC, It seems like they are kind of holding back in their comments and having doubts.

      Delete
    9. Don't think the Russians will ever be able to catch V&M's flawlessness, but the implication was that I&K have caught them on TES and will start beating them. I think it's another season or two before that happens because it's still unheard of them to get through two programs without big mistakes. While D&W can't skate, they did learn how to perform their programs with a false confidence and no visible "errors" (the errors are built in to their skating technique) and the Russian teams still don't do that.

      If either D&W or V&M do go to Worlds this year, I'm quite certain either team would win. And maybe V&M could get it next year as a makeup for the shit that's been done to them. D&S (Bulgaria) got dumped after they beat N&K at NHK 2004 and they didn't even allow them on the Olympic podium, but they did get two World titles in return.

      I'm curious what OC thinks because she has always said it's not a problem with V&M's scoring, but D&W's - so if you take D&W out of the picture, can V&M still win? And what about OC's notion that the junky stuff isn't going to be rewarded anymore?

      Delete
    10. "While D&W can't skate, they did learn how to perform their programs with a false confidence and no visible "errors" (the errors are built in to their skating technique) and the Russian teams still don't do that."

      Some of their errors aren't doing the required number of rotations for a level feature and missing edges, but hey, let's ignore those because the public isn't paying attention.

      If DW and VM go to worlds, DW will win. My hope is both teams will stay away from worlds (DW probably won't) and that as a make up for all of the times they should have been on a podium and weren't, PB (if they skate well and if they go as they've now said they're reconsidering skipping it) will be allowed to win.

      My thoughts on the non junky stuff going away are that in VM, you had a team that skated and danced on a level far above anyone else. The other teams left out there (save DW), if all skating and dancing, are going to be on a more level playing field. Being closer and all skating and dancing will be what will allow for the hijinks in scoring to continue on thanks to fallout from this mess.

      I think Bulgarian DS were a rare, rare exception to the rule in ice dance. In singles and pairs, a skater or team can rise from the ashes. After 2009 worlds, who would have thought Kostner would be world champion 3 years later? Especially after the job done on VM with their scores to hand DW an OGM, VM won't be allowed back on top.

      Delete
    11. Do you think V&M would win if they go to Worlds this year and D&W don't?

      In some sense, giving V&M another win or two would legitimize D&W (if they retire) - "see? we had nothing against V&M - it's just that D&W were better."

      I do not think V&M will ever beat D&W again, but I don't think D&W will skate again.

      Delete
    12. My own question(s) for OC now: Do you think VM realize that they're not winning the individual OGM now and do you think knowing that they're not winning will take the pressure off so they can just skate?

      Delete
    13. As far as what Tessa and Scott mean by their ambiguous statements regarding retirement -- I would remind everyone that their history is about talking in circles, half-truths and outright lies. It's more about what fits the moment instead of reality. Since when can you trust anything they say?

      I'm not expecting anything. Wait and see. Going forward they might sound like they're changing their minds over and over while they already know what they're doing. That's the pattern. Not till they are on a plane to Worlds do I believe they're going. Not till they show up for a competition next season do I believe they're in the game again.

      Delete
    14. Anon at 7:28, are you saying they already know what their decision is but are just saying they don't know to the public?

      Delete
    15. I still trust them, I mean maybe they honestly don't know yet. We'll really just have to wait and see what happens. That's all we can do.

      Delete
    16. You still trust them about WHAT?

      Delete
    17. About what they say, except when they say they are just platonic and just friends because their behavior says otherwise. They act like a married couple. Anyways, I am just going to wait and see what they decide.

      Delete
  27. I believe there is a child and they are together as well, Tessa's body definitely changed during the 2010-11 season, but I also believe that they might not be ready to retire yet and are being honest with their answers about that.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Frank Carroll is complaining about Julia's PCS. Not the placement, which he thinks is right, but the scores for components that he doesn't believe Lipnitskaya deserves yet.

    Of course it's ok for an American coach to criticize a rival's PCS (I do think Carroll is right about Julia), but not ok to criticize an American ice dance team for getting world records that don't reflect what's actually put out on the ice. Stones and glass houses, oh the hypocrisy. And don't tell me Carroll talked without USFSA knowing--it's an icenetwork article.

    Both USA and Russia want to have their cake and eat it, too. I wonder how ladies results figured into the scoring negotiations.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Carroll did the same think when Elizaveta Tuktamaysheva won Skate Canada. Ohh, a Russian beating the Americans - gotta shut it down ASAP! And then the Joe Inman/Plushenko thing.

      I think a lot of figure skating fans don't actually understand that that IS POLITICKING. The icenetwork bullshit articles from the experts who say V&M have no connection are politics. There's a difference between politics and backroom deals. From L'Equipe, we know D&W have both going for them.

      American fans by and large (I'm American) probably believe that whatever Carroll or commentators say is valid because they're just "telling the truth" - and that may be so, but they fail to realize how selective they're being especially when they care soooo much about PCS and skating skills when it's Lysacek but will then try to prop up D&W without mentioning their undeserved components.

      Delete
    2. If an American says it's true, it must be true. Yay, sheep.

      Delete
  29. Putin gives Meryl a kiss: http://f5.s.qip.ru/5XIri53g.jpg US-Russian cooperation!!! On the other hand, her face is so annoying...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm no fan of Wagner but she has 10x the balls of Ms. "anthropology student" Meryl. Apparently she snubbed him altogether. Oh wait, I forgot, Meryl is unaware of the gay rights situation in Russia because she and Charlie, a poli-sci major, have never discussed it.

      Delete
    2. Ashley snubbed him? Seriously? I have not heard of this. Is there an article or video? Go Ashley!

      As for 'anthropology student' Meryl, it's one of the stuff that white people like. You know, a major where white students study different (non-white) cultures and talk/teach about it to other white people, and say how much they appreciate those cultures but usually unitentionally appropriate them and do little to better the living conditions or bring about actual positive change to those non-white (and likely developing world) peoples.

      Delete
    3. Did NBC show that Putin-Meryl air kiss? Oh who am I kidding, probably not. On the eve of historic American ice dance gold, no one wants to know that Disney princess Meryl was making nice with the architect of LGBT misery in Russia. She's just being diplomatic, y'all.

      Delete
    4. You know at this point - Ashley Wagner and Jeremy Abbott would probably prefer to do the Canadian Stars on Ice shows...the comraderie would definitely be more genuine...

      Delete
    5. The Daily Fail has a nice picture of Meryl playing the diplomat:http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/02/09/article-2555354-1B553F5800000578-785_634x469.jpg

      I am more amused by Jeremy Abbott's laser stare at Putin, though.

      Delete
    6. I also like that Jason is standing away.

      I don't think there's a video of Ashley. My understanding is she was sitting fiddling with her skates for an extra long time instead of joining her teammates in the pit, and some people think she was deliberately slow so as to avoid Putin. It's just spec.

      Delete
    7. ashley wagner is a goddamn angel. cant say the same for ignorant "anthro student" meryl

      Delete
  30. So Kurt Browning was interviewed on CBC this morning, and when Diana Swain bought the subject up of the collusion, Kurt brushed it off that "in our sport, that's always in the back of your mind, this story was planted, and let's move on".

    So we should just accept that corruption is an inherent part of the sport. Fantastic.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love how everyone is trying to convince the public that this story was planted...really...? Anyways, I think for figure skating fans that follow the sport on a yearly basis - they know something is up....

      Delete
    2. For all Kurt's skating skills, he knows bullshit about how to score ice dance.

      Delete
    3. At 2010 Worlds he said Scott was doing things with his blades that you would think are impossible for physics class. Or something. He knows. There is this big push from SC to homologate DW's scores and results and dismiss the scandal. I can only assume that Chan winning gold is part of the deal and it's more important to them than VM.

      Delete
    4. Kurt and Co. cannot support this story, because they have been going along with the D/W fix for years. If this blew up and it came out that any of D/W's past wins were fixed, they'd look like morons who knew nothing about the sport at best, or lose their integrity in the eyes of the public at worst.

      Delete
    5. Canadian men sucked at winning gold at the Oympics -- from Orser (silver) to Browning (no medal) to Stojko (silver) to Buttle (bronze) to Chan (Vancouver-no medal). Why do I feel that Chan's going to crumble? Tch. Really shouldn't have gone without a tech coach.

      Delete
  31. this sport is disgusting. how is there gonna be change if all the important people keep this shit quiet? it'll only change when someone from the outside exposes it.

    i hope patrick wins silver. boo hoo skate canada, it's your fault you let gold slip away

    ReplyDelete
  32. http://24.media.tumblr.com/2c2ff1f3cb29b53e7774d202ca6b0ed5/tumblr_n0sw6q6ySQ1qjj3lpo1_1280.jpg god meryl looks like a flappy bird in this

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. She's had years and years with Charlie to improve lift technique. Inexcusable.

      Delete
    2. And to think fans gave Vanessa Crone a hard time regarding posture...between Meryl and Bobrova - its ridiculous...Actually its Charlie who should have a t-shirt made saying I've been skating with a hockey stick...

      Delete
  33. Chan would deserve a gold if he skates clean but part of me hopes he bombs just so that Skate Canada gets their final wake up call.
    The judges love Hanyu, if he's clean they're probably willing to give him the gold if Chan makes a mistake. Hometown fave Plyushenko not to mention who could cause a big upset if he's also clean ( doesn't matter that a medal of any color wouldn't be deserved ).

    Do you think the poor results in pairs will do anything to get SC to reconsider ?


    ReplyDelete
  34. This is satisfying because there was no political weirdness of past years - Johnny Weir

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  35. Why do you keep saying Scott and Tessa have a child, where did you get that info from? it all seems a little insane to say they are married with a child when there isn't any proof or at least no information about it anywhere except here. I just stumbled across this blog when I was looking for info on them after seeing there show on W. I had never heard of them before watching the show but its pretty clear neither of them has a child from what I've read when I googled them to find out about there tv show. I don't know anything about figure skating I just like W's shows so I don't understand what your blog is about. Do you like Scott or Tessa? or whoever the heck Jessica Dube is, is this blog written by Jessica? I tried to find an about section to find out what this blog is about but there isn't one. Also do you have any pictures of Scotts girlfriend Danielle? any info about the blog or the claim that Tessa and Scott have a child would be very helpful and muchly appreciated. I look forward to hearing back, thanks a bunch.
    -Ashley.W

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    1. Hi Ashley W,

      I understand why this would be confusing. Some of us know that T&S have a child because we read it on this blog, while others of us have independent sources in the skating/sports world. I can see why it seems made up, but it's not - I realize that's not a good answer. None of us know why they have been hiding this fact for years or why he pretends to have a girlfriend named Cassandra (not Danielle) on the show. Someone can probably link to the photos of Tessa when she was pregnant.

      Jessica Dube is not the writer of this blog. She is Scott's ex-"girlfriend" who was also fake. Google her name, she is a famous skater herself.

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    2. OHHHHHH! OMG This is a juicy blog! Do you know who may write it? if you or anyone could link any pictures that would be fantastic! But I get it a secret! But you could see how I was confused! And everyone on here is probably a figure skater or in that world so everyone is kind of talking about the stuff they know with each other but too an outside source its very confusing. The pictures of Jessica and Scott they look like a couples picture and I thought the writer said Scott gave Jessica jewelry from Tiffany's, were they ever together? why did they fake going out together? Also does Tessa take care of the baby? even better does Scott see his child? did they hide because teenage pregnancy wouldn't go with the Canada's sweethearts image? Is it possible that you could a picture or a link to this blog explaining it? I really appreciate you answering my questions, I thought for sure I would never hear an answer! thank you very much! If you have the time if you could answer any of the above questions I would love to hear back!!! And any pictures of the child or Tessa pregnant would be a big bonus!!! <3
      -Ashley.W

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  36. I just found an entire blog debunking the pregnancy rumor :(
    It shows times and dates of public events when she was supposedly pregnant right up until her 9 month. It is just a rumor, I saw the pictures of her where her stomach was a little extended but I now know those were just unflattering photos.
    http://topics-that-make-you-go-hmmm.blogspot.ca/2013/11/the-case-of-hidden-toddler-moir-deepens.html

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    1. It's not a rumor. It's fact that Tessa was pregnant and she and Scott have a child.

      That other blog used a lot of faulty logic and incorrect assumptions to try to "debunk" the pregnancy. As always, the real truth about Virtue and Moir is something you're going to find when you start asking questions off the internet and out in the real world. I do think that there is enough on public record to put it all together, although I understand while some struggle. But, those of us who state for fact that we know VM are married with a child say that because we talked to the appropriate people out in the real world.

      The thing you have to keep in mind is that it's logical fallacy to assume that all woman are going to carry their pregnancies in one certain way. Not all women look like they swallowed a beach ball. Some women carry to the back and get thick and wide, looking fatter, but not pregnant in the traditional sense. This is what happened to Tessa. You have to keep in mind that Tessa is normally a tiny person and think about how her body changed, not compare back to a non-athlete pregnant person who was larger to start with. Those photos out there from later in 2010 aren't merely unflattering photos. Tessa was pregnant at the time.

      If you take the time to go through the comments left on that other blog, you'll see that someone went to the time and trouble to debunk that blog, providing photos outlining the contours of Fetal Moir inside of Tessa.

      Look at the photos linked in two comments left on that other blog.

      http://topics-that-make-you-go-hmmm.blogspot.com/2013/11/an-amateur-investigative-report.html?showComment=1384296920107#c63242648398614418

      and

      http://topics-that-make-you-go-hmmm.blogspot.com/2013/11/an-amateur-investigative-report.html?showComment=1384296967849#c8432677421503668416

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  37. The person who wrote this blog is saying they don't want to share info about Tessa and Scott and there child yet writing about stuff they supposedly want to keep a secret that's too funny. I think the writer of this blog is a sad person with no life who runs on rumors, its really pathetic!

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    1. The blogger started this blog to document VM's proactive hoaxing of the public. She knows for a fact that VM are married and have a child. She has said she has reasons for not wanting to out how she knows. I understand that as someone who also will not out their own sources.

      The blog wasn't started because VM were keeping secrets about being married and having a child. It was the proactive hoaxing of the public by setting them up, etc., that prompted the blogs creation. If VM had behaved respectfully towards the public, then the blogger wouldn't have come forward with what she knew.

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  38. You have to admit the writer of this blog could just be crazy!!!!!

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