tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post2265749121023741742..comments2024-03-15T09:03:33.742-07:00Comments on Jessica Dube Loves Scott Moir: Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-45938620508259816652016-12-13T07:28:11.395-08:002016-12-13T07:28:11.395-08:00Hope you are right 12:19 PM, although if 2022 is t...Hope you are right 12:19 PM, although if 2022 is their year, they would have had a long, long wait, through no fault of their own. All politics. They had to be kept 20 points down from D/W in order to validate that shit show, and that fed into the narrative that they were a second tier team. They were also at Canton and didn't leave Canton, despite it being obvious that no way in hell was the ISU going to let Canton get another run on World Championships, and certainly not the 2018 Olympic gold. So the commentators are busy lying to us about how come only now the Shibs are breaking out of the pack. I respect them for sticking with Marina, and I respect them for never losing faith in themselves. I don't know if they lost faith in the "sport" or not, but they persevered and never pandered in their programs. They had to get in line behind more than a decade's worth of agendas.oycanadahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14056686007756844095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-16823980313188604372016-12-12T19:23:47.006-08:002016-12-12T19:23:47.006-08:00My eyebrows raised when Scott appeared to become i...My eyebrows raised when Scott appeared to become irritated at the suggestion that the lyrical programs used by VM, P/C, etc. reflect a trend. Of course they reflect a damn trend. Of course they're political choices, they're p.r., etc. Alex, too, seemed to get a bit edgy about it, although I'd believe him as genuine every day and twice on Sunday over how the other two teams represent themselves in this sort of context.<br /><br />The teams all seemed pretty bored, the mileage they've all put in at press conferences like this one showed and then some. I didn't find the questions particularly stupid, as they often are, but the teams didn't do much to conceal their boredom with the exercise. For that matter, the entire room lacked any kind of energy. The Shibs' remarks about how they developed their program, arranged the music, and how they were not just invested in the music "but in the movement" were the most engaging. Everyone else was phoning it in. Did roll my eyes a bit when Gabriella (whom I like as a personality) claimed they wanted to do something different and more difficult this season. That's how you play it, straight out of the D/W handbook. Don't do it, but say you did.oycanadahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14056686007756844095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-91747481374085715212016-12-12T19:04:48.417-08:002016-12-12T19:04:48.417-08:00Watching it now, thanks. I get the feeling Scott m...Watching it now, thanks. I get the feeling Scott misses Canton (him seeking out interaction with Alex Shibutani), but you do what you have to do, and they're not giving a third ice dance gold in a row to a team coached by Marina Zoueva.oycanadahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14056686007756844095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-61591368993141637062016-12-12T12:32:13.856-08:002016-12-12T12:32:13.856-08:00https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOnMfWhI-IE
This p...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOnMfWhI-IE<br />This press conference is hilarious- Scott is so clearly "I'll play along like I promised, but you guys know I'm over this shit".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-51884464379177381502016-12-12T12:19:01.319-08:002016-12-12T12:19:01.319-08:00I remember in 2005/6, someone posted a video of th...I remember in 2005/6, someone posted a video of the Shibs from Nats (Intermediate? They definitely hadn't reached Novice yet), and commented "these may be the 2010 Olympic champions". And I replied that no, in 2010 Maia wouldn't even be old enough to compete, and 2014 was also too soon, but I wouldn't bet against them in 2018- although 2022 was more likely to be their year.<br />I think my prediction is panning out nicely.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-80433757124603220512016-12-12T07:20:42.285-08:002016-12-12T07:20:42.285-08:00I think the same thread also finds Virtue and Moir...I think the same thread also finds Virtue and Moir fake, obviously lacking natural performance/expressive talent; they've obviously learned it all by rote and it shows. Not that there's anything wrong with that! They do it very well! <br /><br />My favorite response to that was an observation that those saying such things are themselves full of shit and dishonest. I agree.<br /><br />Many Papadakis & Cizeron fans know their team is held up by politics. They spend all their time convincing each other on skating forums, in between bolstering their untouchable god of the dance, Cizeron.<br /><br />I cracked up when one participant dared to wonder what the hell Cizeron's sd costume had to do with swing. :)<br /><br />Here's what I believe is happening - Papadakis & Cizeron fans were confident their team would defeat Virtue and Moir. VM fans worried Papadakis & Cizeron would defeat Virtue and Moir. Just look at the predictions threads. Instead, not only did VM beat P/C, they beat them soundly, despite not being absolutely flawless. Meantime, the protocols took (relative) note of P/C's flaws, at least vis a vis VM. <br /><br />That's not how it's supposed to work. I think the P/C fans (and many V/M fans) anticipated that it would be D/W v. V/M redux, with P/C gifted while their flaws are ignored, and V/M needing to be perfect to even stay within hailing distance. That's not how it played out. It wasn't close.<br /><br />AND you can believe it didn't get past any P/C fan that the Shibs defeated P/C in the short program. That's why we're reading how "academic" the Shibs are, and how they lack the power and ice coverage of the "top teams."<br /><br />Listen, we are living in a world where reality is optional. oycanadahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14056686007756844095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-82330550971940708762016-12-12T01:19:06.853-08:002016-12-12T01:19:06.853-08:00Reminds me of a real pearl of a tweet an opera sin...Reminds me of a real pearl of a tweet an opera singer made the other day: "Shibs are great. But seeing them back to back with P/C it's a difference between students and artists."<br /><br />Sure. Anyone care to define what constitutes P/C's elusive, untouchable artistry? I mean, opera is a technical art but ice dance is PURE art. Technique is something that has to do with magic!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-59660412021602199262016-12-11T21:48:56.994-08:002016-12-11T21:48:56.994-08:00Outside of the Shibs own thread on fsuniverse, the...Outside of the Shibs own thread on fsuniverse, they are routinely dismissed by other fans as not as fast or powerful as the other teams. Yet they far and away have the second best stroking in ice dance with more ice coverage per stroke. They employ a running blade in their elements/choreography more frequently than any team save Virtue Moir. They also have rhythm for days and can perform any rhythm.<br /><br />I think just the other day someone lamented that the Shibutanis weren't musical. The Shibutanis. Not musical.<br /><br />I wonder if some of the problem here is people don't know what musicality is, exactly, because they (Shib critics) lack it themselves. Nor do they really know the difference between speed and quickness. <br /><br />No ice dance threads are full of more mumbo jumbo than the Papadakis Cizeron threads, and the lack of respect/appreciation accorded the Shibs comes from pure ignorance. How many people on these skating forums actually grasp the fundamentals of ice dance anyway? I'm not seeing a crowd.<br /><br />oycanadahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14056686007756844095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-34741573824519759742016-12-11T19:27:50.926-08:002016-12-11T19:27:50.926-08:00" i.e., that they're even remotely in the..." i.e., that they're even remotely in the same league as VM and could beat them even on a VM bad day and a Shibs best day"<br /><br />While I agree that there is a clear substantial difference in the general level of skating, this is a ludicrous statement mathematically speaking. If V/M made some serious element mistakes, the Shibs could deserve to win. There's a varying mistake buffer V/M have above every team competing, but that buffer is the smallest against the Shibs and, although it is unlikely that the Shibs would deserve to win anything, it is also far from impossible.<br /><br />A lot of V/M fans greatly underestimate the Shibs because they don't like their undramatic unromantic style and mistake that stylistic difference for some sort of great technical or movement deficiency. They do not have the flawless speed and control of V/M, but they are still superb and far and away the second best team currently competing. Not saying you belong to this group, and I understand your point was versus V/M, but what's ludicrous is how they are regularly dismissed as slow and unconnected in comparison to the likes of P/C. Anyone who doesn't see how the Shibs are exceptional ice dancers doesn't really grasp the fundamentals of ice dance.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-68925033854929413692016-12-11T13:48:42.954-08:002016-12-11T13:48:42.954-08:00To be fair, and while what you say is true, it is ...To be fair, and while what you say is true, it is also true of every other team competing, not just the Shibs. In fact it is less true of the Shibs.oycanadahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14056686007756844095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-60742155570809664322016-12-11T13:19:03.268-08:002016-12-11T13:19:03.268-08:00P.S., my hope is VM skate clean - if so, they will...P.S., my hope is VM skate clean - if so, they will win gold. And I hope the Shibs get silver. I do not question that they DESERVE gold, but the fact is VM returned and VM are the better ice dance team. That was my only regret about VM's return - the Shibs had finally crawled out from under the bus. The ISU suddenly remembered Davis White were retired and it might be ok to actually score the Shibs as they skated. Even though they train with Marina, and Marina has been put on a championship time out in order to give other coaching centers a turn - well, in order to let a Canadian ice dance center dominate.<br /><br />Ice dance being ice dance, the "sport" can't just throw P/C overboard with no warning, even though they elevated them pretty abruptly. Fingers crossed the Shibs are setting up to be the real international #2 and will take gold in Korea in 2022. Although they were certainly forced to take the long road.oycanadahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14056686007756844095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-71725084767436925892016-12-11T11:50:09.145-08:002016-12-11T11:50:09.145-08:00I am second to nobody but perhaps yourself and Shi...I am second to nobody but perhaps yourself and Shib ubers in my love for the Shibs, but they are the second strongest ice dance team competing now. V/M are easily ahead of them. I hope the Shibs are being set up for 2022.oycanadahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14056686007756844095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-39371369813160160032016-12-11T11:19:28.479-08:002016-12-11T11:19:28.479-08:00The idea that the Shibs should be "fighting&q...The idea that the Shibs should be "fighting" for the gold - i.e., that they're even remotely in the same league as VM and could beat them even on a VM bad day and a Shibs best day - is so ludicrous that I can't even laugh.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-75059542699790798152016-12-11T09:58:04.602-08:002016-12-11T09:58:04.602-08:00I feel like V/M and P/C are on lock for 1st and 2n...I feel like V/M and P/C are on lock for 1st and 2nd in 2018 while the shibs will have to fight for the bronze which is BS since it should be for the gold.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04956603170218082512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-35288329900924595492016-12-11T07:46:20.461-08:002016-12-11T07:46:20.461-08:00Thanks canadablue. I think I finally did a decent ...Thanks canadablue. I think I finally did a decent job of it in Avidemux, but I'm having issues getting the edits to save on the actual video. It's been a long time. <br /><br />My question is, what good are (presumably) soft knees and quiet edges if you can't do anything with them. They also take many many more strokes than do V/M - if the edges are so soft and so controlled, why aren't those edges doing their job? Why can't P/C's edges support complex choreography and high level execution? Why is everything so elementary?oycanadahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14056686007756844095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-44541345249821780552016-12-11T00:57:23.248-08:002016-12-11T00:57:23.248-08:00I'll do my best to get to that this coming wee...I'll do my best to get to that this coming week some time - have since switched computers and will need to reinstall some software, but it's not a huge job. :)<br /><br />-canadablueAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-34326676712159400872016-12-10T20:20:20.438-08:002016-12-10T20:20:20.438-08:00I think Shawn Restatt was a player/prime mover in ...I think Shawn Restatt was a player/prime mover in the scheme to give D/W the gold in 2014, but he definitely was not acting alone. Virtue and Moir's own team, own Federation, betrayed them. If a deal has been set to not block Virtue and Moir this time in exchange for whatever, including talking up Gadbois, then it doesn't matter what Shawn Restatt does.oycanadahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14056686007756844095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-50758177661146296782016-12-10T18:41:31.734-08:002016-12-10T18:41:31.734-08:00I just deleted a previous comment that said I'...I just deleted a previous comment that said I'd try. It's been so long since I've done it, I can only recall a very sloppy attempt with windows movie maker and a censor bar hack. Later I figured out how to do a cleaner job, but it was w/a different program. Canadablue does this very well.<br /><br />Excellent description of P/C's "beautiful edges." If the so-called beautiful edges can't do anything, what is the point? The skaters aren't secure, the edges aren't strong and deep, and as you note their footwork is rudimentary and they can't dance in close hold. They appear to me to be an affectation, not actually something they can use to, you know, skate a program.oycanadahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14056686007756844095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-11416957828959898752016-12-10T18:26:37.060-08:002016-12-10T18:26:37.060-08:00Part of me remains incredulous that P/C could imag...Part of me remains incredulous that P/C could imagine they're competitive with V/M on any level. The other part of me is horrified that it might be true - that they actually might think they could legitimately compete with them.oycanadahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14056686007756844095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-2731518774953266532016-12-10T18:23:16.076-08:002016-12-10T18:23:16.076-08:00I've hesitated to say this for fear of jinxing...I've hesitated to say this for fear of jinxing anything, but fuck it. Vis a vis P/C, and taking into account the fiction we must maintain that P/C are a world class team, V/M are being scored as they should always have been scored, with a decisive margin. It wasn't close at NHK; it wasn't close at the GPF. In the second Olympic cycle vis a vis D/W, D/W would get massive scores no matter how they skated, while V/M were scored against an abstract concept of absolute perfection, and even when they met that standard, they'd be lowballed. <br /><br />Against P/C that's not what I'm seeing. I thought their FD performance at NHK was stronger, but it was comfortably ahead (properly so) of what was considered a much improved FD performance by P/C. Something's up. I wouldn't bet the farm, but I also do not think V/M would do all of this bullshit about going to Gadbois unless they got some pretty strong guarantees in return. I doubt very much P/C were brought up to speed. If P/C had any brains, they'd understand that VM wouldn't go to Gadbois if they actually had to pretend they were on the same level as P/C - they're too old, too smart, too experienced to buy into that crap. As soon as it was announced V/M were going to Gadbois, P/C ought to have figured it was over. <br /><br />I'm often wrong - things are often much worse than I think they are, but here I'm assuming that Virtue Moir are not at all as they pretend they are. Whatever they say is, as usual, the opposite of the truth. They came back for a second Olympic gold. They'll skate wherever and say wherever - whatever politics demand, and do it with a smile. But they also know they remain the best ice dancers ever, and if they skate like that, they wanted a guarantee they wouldn't again get screwed over for some garbage team. For them, the politics are ok because they also actually deserve the wins.<br /><br />I can't believe the Shibs were ever allowed to defeat Chock & Bates. I wish I knew what happened last season to absolutely reverse course. I don't believe the Shibs found the magic formula, suddenly began skating like this instead of that, suddenly found their identity blah blah blah. It was, as with everything in ice dance, politics. <br /><br />They might be one of the most screwed over teams in figure skating. They had to be repressed lest they come too close to D/W - remember that one time they defeated D/W in TES? They remained with Marina, who, as the coach of the 2010 and 2014 Olympic gold medalists (put 2014's in quotes), likely was pushed down on the list so other coaching centers could get their turn (another reason V/M couldn't go back to Canton - no way Canton would be permitted 3 Olympic golds in a row).<br /><br />Maybe the Shibs are being set up for 2022.oycanadahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14056686007756844095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-73322559705920501762016-12-10T17:06:10.158-08:002016-12-10T17:06:10.158-08:00Have no fear: Shawn Restatt will be back to downg...Have no fear: Shawn Restatt will be back to downgrade VM's levels. He was absent here and Judy Bloomberg couldn't do it by herself. Yeah, I'm cynical. eusebeiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09561656344574637573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-68943684349948936592016-12-10T13:30:39.154-08:002016-12-10T13:30:39.154-08:00Can we have some "feet only" footage of ...Can we have some "feet only" footage of P/C's FD? There's no intricate footwork and their so called beautiful edges have no depth. Sad part is they spend so very little time in closed dance holds and have no excuse why they can't add more substance to their footwork. Let's not even talk about their lifts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-34546114429595578682016-12-10T13:25:40.356-08:002016-12-10T13:25:40.356-08:00I'm more concerned the narrative now will be f...I'm more concerned the narrative now will be for P/C to overtake V/M in the Olympic year. Let's face it, they weren't going to be allowed to dominate the entire quad and this was the perfect opportunity to have the off year if there ever was one.<br /><br />Sidenote: I can't believe the Shibs were ever beaten by Chock and Bates.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-80322231873553291732016-12-10T13:16:19.812-08:002016-12-10T13:16:19.812-08:00Well, they will deserve it on the skating merits, ...Well, they will deserve it on the skating merits, by a measure of infinity. Still, if you are implying that they cut a deal to train at Gadbois while acting all humble and just happy to be in the mix, and in return they'd be permitted to sail to a 2018 Gold, I wouldn't argue with you.oycanadahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14056686007756844095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-47626465422976522772016-12-10T12:19:41.405-08:002016-12-10T12:19:41.405-08:00They didn't. For the free dance, they featured...They didn't. For the free dance, they featured replay video highlights of Marie-France (sometimes Romain) for HD, PC, and VM. No extended clips of Igor and Fabian for CB, Zhulin for BS, or Marina and Massimo for the Shibutanis, just the standard closing shot of a coach clapping. For Marie-France we even got split screens of her reacting to teams.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com