MaKaM

Was it the Torino Olympics where Johnny did a trio with a US pair? I remember loving that. (or was that his My Way performance)

I don't think anyone who watches skiing can hold the calling the the race. The people outside the top 20 in the world cup almost never (i'd even say never) hit the podium much less win. Skiing just isn't something you suddenly become fast at (especially if you lack the equipment technicians and course reporters of the top people). So the article already is pretty stupid for holding that against them. But whatever, Bode was always going to be a polarizing figure and I didn't mind him and I thought from the start it was an attempt at humor that Dan failed to pick up the ball on.

I like (used to love) skating but still like seeing the other sports. I'll stream the gala tomorrow during the day or something. This is the end of the Olympics and I like to see a variety of hard-working athletes doing what they've trained for. It would, in fact, be utterly shocking if NBC only showed the Gala and I'll bet never in the history of ever have they done that. ETA: but the bobsled announcers simply have to stop mentioning Steve Holcomb. I tear up every single damn time.

But we get Andrea as our announcer. Why do you hate us NBC? Also, they should have done the theater lighting whole Olympics to hide how empty the rink always seemed.

It is odd, you watch older programs and they seem so empty, there is not constant movement in all directions, arms and body going in opposite directions from the feet, etc. But they also had time to hold a position and actually interpret music. An Ina Bauer that crossed the entirety of the ice, a change of edge spiral that flowed with the music, a sequence of split jumps, etc. Yeah, the programs were emptier but they were, well, faster. And more joyful. It would be nice to see if a middle ground could ever be reached.

Especially when at least one of your teammates has already used it. If we can't get worldwide agreement on 1 top level skater or pair per song, at least we should be able to get country limits. Only 1 Canadian per Moulin Rouge, Hallelujah, Swan Lake, etc.

Wonder what kind of world records will be set at that? Does everyone get bonus or docked points based on how many steroids are in their bloodstream? Yanno, to keep it "fair" for those who doped slightly less than their competitors.

Yeah. Gymnastics is another one that will break you, but at least gymnasts have the option/potential to get a college scholarship and compete in a more team orientated atmosphere instead of struggling alone for nearly no payoff until you have to medically (or financially) retire. And a lot of international gymnasts are starting to take advantage of the US college system and come over on scholarships too.

The final rundown (American Version): Liked: The Australian lady on the figure skating stream (Belinda something?). Knowledgable and steady. The guy with her was a waste of a paycheck and he can gladly never do this again. He couldn't get Medvedeva's name right consistently and filled his time telling us how much time had passed in every damn routine. Utterly useless. Mike Tirico. A bit bland, yes, but he clearly studied how to correctly pronounce everyone's name, no matter what their nationality and I really appreciated that. Bode Miller. Yeah, soporific at times, but he clearly respects everyone out there and only had good things to say about them personally, and if they were doing something wrong, still willing to point it out. Rebecca Lowe. Nice and friendly and kind in interviews. Tanith Belbin. Classy and informative and maybe a bit too forgiving and tongue bathy of her favorites but kept it to a reasonable amount. Did NOT Like: The halfpipe snowboard guy. Holy shit, if he said one more time that that move was named after a Canadian boarder, I was going to shove a frickin' michalchuk down his gd throat. Al Trautwig. SHUT UP AL The other guy announcing cross country skiing who seemed like he was going to stroke out from excitement (or was that during Biatholon? Whichever. Awful) Andrea Joyce. OMG, NBC, FIRE HER. Put her out to pasture, Johnny and Tara have shown you can take some risks with some new blood. She doesn't know how to interview anyone and especially anyone who is English as a second (or fifth) language, she is completely insensitive and lacking in basic human empathy, and her questions are often mean and/or inane. Adam Rippon's schtick was getting tiresome but if he was trolling Andrea, hire him. He can't be worse. I was Okay with: Johnny and Terry with Tara as okay once in a while. They didn't do too badly, too biased toward the Russians but it was clear they did their studying and prep for this. And some of their google home commercials are frickin' cute. I almost wish they were still the second string because they were much more relaxed and natural but they are still better than Hammond/Hamilton/Bezic that we were stuck with for far too long. Tom Hammond is okay when he is doing track and field and speed skating. Never let him near figure skating again and I'll be at peace with him. Apolo Ohno. He didn't seem to add much but I also don't think I saw nearly as much short track as in previous Olympics so maybe he was better than what I saw.

They've somewhat changed the rules in response to that if I recall correctly. Your ski length is based on your height/weight ratio so it disincentivizes being extremely underweight. But most elite sports have this weight fixation to some extent. Wrestlers and martial artists have to "make weight" (aka be the heaviest possible in the weight category but not an ounce heavier). Honestly, I don't see US Figure Skating making any kind of big comeback when to be at the top, parents have to sacrifice their kids on the altar of sport. Yeah, there are some who will do it, but fewer now than in the past. With so much emphasis on abuse in sports and all the parenting-by-the-public that happens now in the US (you let your kids walk to school? Abuse!, Your kids are playing outside alone? Abuse!), the number of people willing to send their kids to certain crippling/head injury/eating disorders/emotional disorders is shrinking. I think that is why Ice Dance is gaining in popularity. It looks fun, takes skill, and you don't usually have to have a full blown eating disorder to compete (even though it appears Tanith at least did). And you aren't going to be needing double hip replacement at 23. I wonder if this will happen to every sport as it distills into the most elite of the elite. There weren't major advancements being made in ski jumping (at least that I've heard of) so the only thing a person can improve (other than technique to an extent) is their body. So that's what they started tinkering with their weight ratios. Figure skating is just about at the point where there nothing left to improve (unless skating boot technology starts incorporating angi-grav). They can tinker with the rules, make it harder to get certain levels which will then continue eliminating certain body types (as is already happening--if you can't do a Bielmann or other super-flexy move, you are going to greatly limit the types of spin combos you can put together). So yeah, NBC can say all they want about "do you want to try X sport?" in their commercials, but if you don't have the right body type for the sport you love, you are not going to be winning anything and we should all stop pretending otherwise.

But what were they expecting her to do, suddenly become a medal contender? Be sad that she didn't medal when there was no way she was ever getting closer than 4th even with a triple axel? The author clearly wanted her to own the fact that the US (and ALL OTHER COUNTRIES) are far behind the Russians at this time and take the blame for the lowest US finishes since the beginning of time. But is it their fault? They are the best we had, no matter what Ashley says (she was never going to medal either short of norovirus taking out the rest of the field). This article and the one linked above seem like they are offended that the US is not a contender any more and that is hardly the fault of the athletes. And, oh poor baby columnist, they aren't destroyed at not winning that medal they were never going to win so we have to shit on them. Let's make America mad at our failures because they are athletes and not people.

Quoting myself because I found I have more to say. Reading that SI interview again, who pissed in the author's cheerios? He clearly had an angle he wanted and when he didn't get it, dumped on her. Yet another interviewer who doesn't think Figure Skating is a sport and thus, knowing how to do the 3A once should be good to do it forever. How dare Mirai still have fun doing what she loves at the Olympic Games when she missed that first jump! She should have just started crying right then to show us all how disappointed she was! Frankly, that article says more about the author than any of the skaters.

Yeah, this. And anyone used to being "interviewed" by Andrea is going to be on the defensive from the start. Plus with social media people (like us!) just waiting to tear you apart, there really is no "correct" answer to any question. Always waiting to put the worst interpretation on everything (the Japanese girl, Russian, and Canadian aren't chatting it up in the "winner" lounge, youth these days suck! when, huh, maybe there is a language barrier. Or, they are afraid of saying anything because there is the camera ready to catch every error and magnify it!). And if you stick to the bland, "I just wanted to skate my best" then you are a snooze with no personality.

The rankings should rightly be OAR, OAR, CAN, JPN, JPN, KOR, ITA. Can Kostner retire? And take her overscore with her?

Yeah, I jeez Eteri, if you didn't want Alina to win, give her more basic programs. Poor kid. If she wants to defect, Team USA could use the shot in the arm. Bravo to Osmond. Beautiful skate, deserved medal.

Very worthy top 3. Top 4 really. Need to add an Olympic pewter medal.

Carolina is artistic when she steps out of jumps and grabs her face, emoting. Caroflation. ETA, plus, Kaori is too young and not Russian to enough to merit high PCS.

I don't remember the robot in Amelie...

I wouldn't have said it like that, but I've never gotten the appeal. She used to be fast, but still awkward. Score shenanigans again.

That waiting room with cameras is asinine. I would have a book or knitting. Or just say screw you, and head to the dressing or exercise room.

Daymn! Burn! If Bradie wants to skate to Cinderella, she should at least do Rogers and Hammerstein Cinderella.

Med's costume would be prettier without the collarbone appliqués.

Forgetting that she would have dug herself a hole in the SP, most likely.

Well, she is the US national champion... So she should be the top US lady.

I don't mind if it is an elegant position, but Maria's are so flat and odd looking.