tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post4663578382858605863..comments2024-03-15T09:03:33.742-07:00Comments on Jessica Dube Loves Scott Moir: Weaver and Poje - Character of the DanceUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-21462143791847374932013-03-25T13:00:25.543-07:002013-03-25T13:00:25.543-07:00I am laughing at the comments at FSU - whoa Lavoie...I am laughing at the comments at FSU - whoa Lavoie - this os a great move for the ISU...blah blah blah...folks can be so blind...you do not leave your organization right before an Olympic Games - especially if you don't already have a replacement named...that folks is NOT leadership...Yes I get that you want to move up in the organization but the timing - could have waited until next spring...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-51438084414672570152013-03-25T11:59:53.720-07:002013-03-25T11:59:53.720-07:00He's running straight into the embrace of the ...He's running straight into the embrace of the "international ISU" - an organization not overly concerned with corruption. He feels he can be helpful to them. I bet he does.oycanadahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14056686007756844095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-40426347587689281142013-03-25T10:21:33.176-07:002013-03-25T10:21:33.176-07:00"Skate Canada is putting their capital where ..."Skate Canada is putting their capital where it can reap benefits for its grasping Director of Business Development. Gilles Poirier tanked completely at Worlds. Virtue and Moir are gone as far as Skate Canada is concerned, so Skate Canada has no use for them. That organization is set up to run uphill - what are the skaters doing for the personnel?"<br /><br />All of this just pisses me off so bad. They have one of the greatest ice dance teams ever that should be gearing up to win a 2nd OGM next year--such an incredibly rare feat. Instead, they've thrown them away, as you said, for a team that finished in 18th fucking place at worlds. <br /><br />And, no, Lavoie isn't going to fight for V/M. No one anywhere is fighting for V/M.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-55469958682166545762013-03-25T10:05:02.972-07:002013-03-25T10:05:02.972-07:00Good luck Mr. Benoit Lavoie - I guess you have lea...Good luck Mr. Benoit Lavoie - I guess you have learned from the latest Quebec based politicians over the last year or two...resign and flee and then the corruption allegations come out...merci beaucoup...let me guess - Mr. Lavoie will be groomed to be the next Dore...whatever...<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-5660750638516488122013-03-25T09:30:08.218-07:002013-03-25T09:30:08.218-07:00Figure skating "journalists" are being l...Figure skating "journalists" are being lead by the nose. They can always be lead by the nose. It's the ignorant talking to the uninformed - it's how it has always been. They can only write fairly about ice dance if they understand ice dance, and they don't.oycanadahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14056686007756844095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-87872210069381663452013-03-25T09:27:51.810-07:002013-03-25T09:27:51.810-07:00Lavois also wants to work closely with the ISU on ...Lavois also wants to work closely with the ISU on an international level so it doesn't sound to me as if he's going to go to the barricades to fight for his great ice dance team that's getting royally hosed.oycanadahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14056686007756844095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-69238822005934896632013-03-25T09:26:53.088-07:002013-03-25T09:26:53.088-07:00As we can read today, Lavoit is leaving. Rats sink...As we can read today, Lavoit is leaving. Rats sinking ship etc. <br /><br />I think SC is in good shape when it comes to quality skating at the top ranks, but its internal operations - not so much.<br /><br />All we know about Skate Canada really is their press releases, skatebuzz, etc. - the media end of it. And we have seen the sponsor situation - the flight of sponsors AFTER Vancouver, the dearth of sponsors for the two years since, and a title sponsor now only for the national Championships, which does not bring in the revenue of a title sponsor like BMO. And we know the media end of it is horribly embarrassing.<br /><br />The public face of Skate Canada is run by Debbi and Barb. Debbi being in control, Barb the toady.<br /><br />When I look back over this Olympic cycle, Debbi Wilkes interviewed Virtue Moir and was pasted to either Alma or Kate at numerous practices.<br /><br />Last year it didn't matter if Debbi interviewed every skater at a competition - P.J. Kwong interviewed Virtue and Moir, or somebody much lower ranked, but not Debbi.<br /><br />Cue Skate Canada pushing the hell out of Gilles Poirier.<br /><br />Skate Canada is putting their capital where it can reap benefits for its grasping Director of Business Development. Gilles Poirier tanked completely at Worlds. Virtue and Moir are gone as far as Skate Canada is concerned, so Skate Canada has no use for them. That organization is set up to run uphill - what are the skaters doing for the personnel? oycanadahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14056686007756844095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-71618065905638107512013-03-24T21:11:29.887-07:002013-03-24T21:11:29.887-07:00"They didn't even make the attempt. That ..."They didn't even make the attempt. That is the egregious part. All over the program la la la up up up and then come the twizzles BAM like a fucking buzz saw. Give em that character of the dance GOE point!"<br /><br />hahaha that's such a perfect descriptionAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-23090084839889775772013-03-24T20:50:57.813-07:002013-03-24T20:50:57.813-07:00Thanks anon at 9:51 am for bringing this comment. ...Thanks anon at 9:51 am for bringing this comment. Another reason why anonymity in judging is bullshit. I don't think there will ever be a perfect system but right now there is too many possibilities to manipulate the scoring sheet. I honestly think that there should be a third panel - independent of the tech panel and the judges who should judge skating skills, choreography, interpretation and transitions. This third panel would be able to work either dance, pairs and singles.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-4011739916596891542013-03-24T20:29:12.487-07:002013-03-24T20:29:12.487-07:00I've been reading up on the Finnstep tonight. ...I've been reading up on the Finnstep tonight. It may benefit D/W stylistically in the general sort of way, but apparantly the Finnstep is supposed to measure the musicality of the couples and be skated with a very upright posture. <br /><br />A few excerpts from ice-dance.com's description of how the dance should be performed.<br /><br />For the first section, ahem, "Good, clean free-leg action is also to be valued throughout this part. The “hop-moves” need to be executed in complete unison using only the legs and knees, not the upper body. Holds and positions need to be elegant, upright, levelled, the upper body lifted erect and almost stiff."<br /><br />Second section: "This section needs to be skated with controlled, deep, nicely flowing edges without losing the character and the rhythm of the dance."<br /><br />Third: "The many hold and position changes throughout this section should be done effortlessly, with ease."<br /><br />Of course, this will all be thrown out the window for D/W while they hop and skip across the damned rink.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-32151160510915679572013-03-24T19:35:32.211-07:002013-03-24T19:35:32.211-07:00Anon at 7:10 pm - I do agree that the judges, the ...Anon at 7:10 pm - I do agree that the judges, the ISU, the USFSA, Skate Canada etc are screwing over V/M but I don't think that Meryl and Charlie are that innocent either. They want Olympic gold bad...and if it means not complimenting your rivals - so be it..if the USFSA is going full force with the anti-VM sentiment...D/W are not going to contradict either...the only other thing that icenetwork needs to do is basically ask for the 2010 Olympic Gold Medals be taken away from V/M and be given to D/W as well...that's how ridiculous this has become...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-89048690755962534172013-03-24T19:10:53.887-07:002013-03-24T19:10:53.887-07:006:45
It's not Meryl and Charlie screwing VM, ...6:45<br /><br />It's not Meryl and Charlie screwing VM, it's the ISU and also VM's own Skate Canada. <br /><br />And DW have been fortunate to have so-called skating journalists and commentators make it their business to prop up DW as much as possible. If the judges/ISU plus the commentators were doing their jobs correctly, they would have been pointing out all these things we're seeing here about DW's skating. <br /><br />For some reason, they've all decided to turn a blind eye and reward DW for their skating that is in fact not according to the ISU's own guidelines. And for that same inexplicable reason, VM are getting neither the acknowledgment nor the points for all the details that make their skating so sublime.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-44606674306472214032013-03-24T18:45:20.382-07:002013-03-24T18:45:20.382-07:00Maybe Meryl and Charlie want to see how many other...Maybe Meryl and Charlie want to see how many other teams they can fuck over in their career. They'll be fucking Tessa and Scott over until Sochi. Post-Sochi will bring new opportunities!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-51526123035576308112013-03-24T18:23:50.320-07:002013-03-24T18:23:50.320-07:00Another note that the ISU might want to consider -...Another note that the ISU might want to consider - I actually think that D/W will want to continue for perhaps another 2-3 years post Sochi...there are earning decent money and I actually think that they have the ego to believe that we can be the best ever..so lets keep going...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-30693526662669187932013-03-24T18:06:52.392-07:002013-03-24T18:06:52.392-07:00After that Skate Canada article - as a proud Canad...After that Skate Canada article - as a proud Canadian, I would rather VM be Russian at this point. There is no way if VM were Russian would the Russian federation throw them under the bus like this. VM has medaled at Worlds over the last 6 years. They won an OGM for Canada. WTF - Skate Canada? Benoit Lavoit - why the eff are you allowing for such garbage to be written...is Skate Canada putting all their capital on Chan and Duhamel/Radford? If that's the case - whoa - are you backing the wrong horses...I am a fan of Chan's but his consistency leaves something to be desired...as for Duhamel/Radford - solid couple but there are 2 issues that concern me is a) Duhamel's health - she has had injury issues in the past and b) to me I still see them as 2 individuals on the ice...(I actually prefer MT-M)...<br />Getting back to D/W - if things stay the way the are and we don't see anything new from them and they win the OGM, I would like every previous ice dance World Champion within the last 20 years to go on record and indicate the reasons why D/W won on camera. I have stated this in earlier posts, I think the only way we can have "fair" judging for the Olympics next year is that is held in Russia and that the Russians would hate to potentially have a scandal at their Olympics - especially in figure skating. <br />P.S. In the Skate Canada article, you also have to love the little dig at the Shibs...sometimes I wish the Shibs would skate for Japan...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-74834850858664941842013-03-24T17:43:33.233-07:002013-03-24T17:43:33.233-07:00^I meant to reply to OC's 4:57 post^I meant to reply to OC's 4:57 postAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-40356539221796895532013-03-24T17:42:31.149-07:002013-03-24T17:42:31.149-07:00I had smoke coming out my ears when PJ rightly def...I had smoke coming out my ears when PJ rightly defended Chan and S/S with her "what people need to understand" and "I've really looked at the numbers now", but then completely sold out VM. What a joke.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-81070886358498149632013-03-24T16:57:27.346-07:002013-03-24T16:57:27.346-07:001:54 - the Moirs are going to do what they're ...1:54 - the Moirs are going to do what they're going to do, shamwise. I don't think reverse psychology is going to have any effect - as in "I know they're figuring out more sham right now when they should be working on skating!" Or "I hope they're dealing with this judging issue and not sham!"<br /><br />I have read a bunch of remarks like this in the comments recently. While this blog is ABOUT the sham, and things related to the sham, I think attempts to get VM to stop via how comments are phrased - warning them off, etc. - is a waste of time and throws the natural course of a conversation off track. Same token, if a conversational thread goes without a sham message for a period of time, it doesn't mean the blog has forgotten about it or that it will enable the Moirs to 'sneak in' a sham while we're talking about other stuff.<br /><br />IOW, they'll do what they're going to do. The sham is of course on point, but IMO not so much when the topic is brought up as some type of effort to stop them from doing it using what happened at Worlds as some type of leverage to get them to hold their fire, or used to try and "paint a picture" for the Moirs and influence them.<br /><br />I'm not sure if that's clear but I wanted to address it.<br /><br />I just dislike anything that looks like an attempt to push their buttons or get some type of message to them and I'm just taking the opportunity to say sometimes it reads like that to me.<br /><br />Back to judging - yes the appearance of healthy judging matters more than good judging and healthy judging means everybody gets a turn cause all top skaters are basically equal!<br /><br />Somehow the American media doesn't like the take-turns model in ladies - they're all about yearning for a huge ladies star to come back and dominate like Kwan. But dance - they're on board.<br /><br />I think obviously everybody involved except possibly the skaters themselves know what's what or Champs Camp wouldn't be making sure Davis White stays inside their little box every season - meanwhile Scott and Tessa seem to barely bother showing up sometimes - they do what they want - and good thing too.<br /><br />As to what can be done about it I think help cannot be found with either Skate Canada or the Moirs. There are plenty of people - not media whores - who know skating and could write informed pieces about why Virtue and Moir are better and why this 'rivalry' is pure farce, but they're not regular sportswriters with regular bylines and they're not the usual figure skating media, all of whom write straight out of received wisdeom that's built on erroneous assumptions and general ignorance. A lot of the people who write about the sport appear extremely insecure and defensive about the sport as a sport and all they care about is "support" from the public or a "name" sportswriter - they don't care if the sport is judged fairly or the skaters are treated fairly. Ignorance is easier for everybody. Figure skating writing is all uninformed opinion and I think the 'journalists' like it like that. How many ever reference CoP? How many every make the distinction between what they think is bad judging that, say, allows a sub-par Chan performance to win, and the system (CoP) that allows him to do so legitimately? <br /><br />The mainstream sports writers who write about figure skating would be out of a job if they wrote about their main area of expertise in sports (hockey or football) with the utter ignorance they bring to figure skating.oycanadahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14056686007756844095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-89177436952757329912013-03-24T14:03:31.692-07:002013-03-24T14:03:31.692-07:00ISU is all about the appearance of "healthy j...ISU is all about the appearance of "healthy judging" in ice dance, not good judging.<br /><br />Notice how no one has won more than two world titles since 1998. Can't let anyone dominate too long.<br /><br />Because of course, it's impossible that one team could actually skate at a higher level than all the other teams for a period of several years, designing programs with difficult content (cause... the best skaters are more likely to be able to skate difficult content!), and skating them well enough to win most events.<br /><br />This is only possible in events like the men's singles, where Chan has won all but a handful of his internationals over the past 3 years. Because his skating is so good, and his programs so difficult, that he can fall several times and usually can still win.<br /><br />But it ice dance, it would "be unfair" for the same team to win all the time, even if they deserve it. Can't make poor DW "wait their turn." They certainly should not be expected to change or improve their skating in order to win titles - that would be unfair!<br /><br />We are just so lucky to have two teams so close in ability, and both from North America, too!<br /><br />Gosh, the judges finally got the judging fair at 2011 Worlds with DW on top of the podium and North America sweeping. They've been slipping - they let VM win a Worlds, and allowed France and Russia on the podium!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-4379148295481334702013-03-24T13:54:43.499-07:002013-03-24T13:54:43.499-07:00"Lovely. The event was a "sign of health..."Lovely. The event was a "sign of healthy judging"."<br /><br />So this is how Skate Canada intends to handle how the ISU is judging ice-dance this quadrennial. Forget about this federation coming up with a media strategy to counter the abundance of "reports that inform" the public how DW are just as good if not better than VM. But as others have mentioned, it's probably just as well. SC would find a way to botch it.<br /><br />It's to be hoped someone from VM's camp addresses this? (Professionally, please.) I hope they aren't wasting their time right now strategizing sham crap instead of bringing in qualified help to make sure this same media scenario does NOT happen again throughout this upcoming Olympic season. And the new season has already started- they need to get moving NOW.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-79190946019284775362013-03-24T13:04:11.824-07:002013-03-24T13:04:11.824-07:00"Lovely. The event was a "sign of health..."Lovely. The event was a "sign of healthy judging". You know what's a sign of healthy judging? Judging what's actually skated according to your own fucking rules."<br /><br />A-freaking-men. <br /><br />In a lot of ways, that statement--the fact that it was even brought up in that press release--reminds me in a lot of ways how the stupid relationship question is brought up in the press. It's not necessary. The relationship question only comes up so V/M can lie and say no. Now, "healthy judging" is brought up in an event with what had one of the most egregious judging transgressions ever in ice dance--a transgression that no one is speaking up about in coming to the defense of V/M. The judging was crooked, no one is calling it out, and then in a press release given by the fed of the fucked over team, the judging being healthy is brought up? JFC. What the fuck is going on here? Why say that?<br /><br />I fell like I haven't been as clear as I'd hoped, but I think you'll get what I'm trying to go for.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-17142074917732486182013-03-24T12:48:23.045-07:002013-03-24T12:48:23.045-07:00That's a great comment by gkelly of fsuniverse...That's a great comment by gkelly of fsuniverse. Thanks for sharing it. <br /><br />I might quote it and feature it in a new post, too.<br />It's relevant as hell.oycanadahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14056686007756844095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-65567815418172887522013-03-24T12:43:44.429-07:002013-03-24T12:43:44.429-07:00Lovely. The event was a "sign of healthy judg...Lovely. The event was a "sign of healthy judging". You know what's a sign of healthy judging? Judging what's actually skated according to your own fucking rules.<br /><br />SC wasn't "preparing" Virtue Moir for a second at two Canadians running. They were stripping points and levels from Virtue Moir while inflating Piper and Paul so Piper and Paul would appear to be in their league. oycanadahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14056686007756844095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-22268054360721281722013-03-24T12:28:56.013-07:002013-03-24T12:28:56.013-07:00This also reminds me on FSU, something along the l...This also reminds me on FSU, something along the lines of "VM had to change their spin...see, they can't do everything DW can do" ??? w.t.f. I think the words this person is looking for are "VM only managed to complete n-1 of the many new things they attempted compared to DW". And that's not even considering VM should never have had to change the damn spin. Proper marking would they'd have a cushion large enough to absorb what is arguably their least strong area.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583966972735299482.post-29339039200112704432013-03-24T12:17:59.686-07:002013-03-24T12:17:59.686-07:00I'm starting to wonder if the marking at Nats ...I'm starting to wonder if the marking at Nats the last two seasons had nothing to do with preparing VM and everything to do with SC being in on the deal. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com