Maybe I'm paranoid. Maybe I think too much of this site. It's my baby. Or maybe I just track trends extremely accurately.
Hmmmm. I make a fuss about Midori Ito's going after a second triple axel at the end of her program after she blew her first one in her 1992 Olympic long performance. Landing it. For Japan. Then Todd Eldredge goes after a second triple axel at the end of his program after he blew his first one in his long program. And if he hadn't had a bad case of nerves on that skitched-up takeoff (and good luck catching it on tape -- I saw it more by thigh motion than anything else), he'd've had it. Cold. Makes you wonder just how far your URL really has traveled. Long live the Emperor. Hmmm.
Again hmmm. I scream about horrible ladies' short-program judgng. And overturn the posted judging results with a call of Surya-Tara-Chen. What happens in the final? Well, Michelle didn't go on her butt. In fact, she committed far fewer mistakes than I've seen her levered to the top of the podium for. And Tara wasn't all that much better than she's been bronzed or silvered for. But they're flipped. It's Tara-Michelle. And all of a sudden Maria Butyrskaya is out of the medals. B-b-but she was third coming in! There were no major tech errors on Maria's part that I hadn't seen echoed in the short program. But flip. There they were. Chen in third. That was eerie. Who knows what would have happened if Surya hadn't popped that flip and basically mooned the judges at the end of her program?
I post under my first ratings, "Scott. Quit bullshitting. Now." Or some such. By the end of the Olympics he's practically biting his tongue. Now that's an accomplishment. Whoever did it. He talks as fast as he skates.
Lots of us getting upset at the same time? Some sort of massive movement toward the golden standard of common sense? Or (maybe, perhaps) https://members.tripod.com/~loopys/index.html hitting the bullet trains? Don't think I haven't wondered. I think anyone would. Anyone. Especially after Todd's little stunt.
Whatever it is, I'm glad to be part of it. Maybe we can get Tonya back on the ice? Get some more TV coverage of these kids from Nowheresville, South Africa? Maybe even get some decent support for some excellent young pairs and dance teams we have coming up in the US?
I'm supposed to shut up now? "TIFF-ANY! JOH-NNIE! TIFF-ANY! JOH-NNIE! TIFF-ANY! JOH-NNIE!" Let's go! Salt Lake City, here we come! Whoo!!!
Long live the Net!
Just think....with one free-space Tripod site....the world is changing. Or maybe it's one free-space Tripod site and somebody bashing some judges in the head. Or one free-space Tripod site and a savvy coach. Or just a savvy coach and a smart skater...a couple of TV producers who realize what the fans want....and liberal use of the old iron-skillet tactic in the judging booth....but something is happening up there. We can only help it by yelling. Let's go!
Just think what two free-space Tripod sites plus maybe a Geocities can do....
Decisions like that are made in small, closed rooms. Into which the Net may be admitted or the Net may not be admitted.
But it does no harm to scream, right?
TIFF-ANY! JOH-NNIE! TIFF-ANY! JOH-NNIE! TIFF-ANY! JOH-NNIE! TIFF-ANY! JOH-NNIE!
WE WANT TON-YA! (C'mon!) WE WANT TON-YA! WE WANT TON-YA! WE WANT TON-YA! WE WANT TON-YA!.....................................