Maofan7
02-17-2012, 03:30 PM
Ottavio Cinquanta & David Dore are now both in their seventies. So, who should replace them at the top of the ISU hierarchy when they retire?
Figure skating's central problem at the moment is as set out in the following articles - decline in audiences, TV coverage, shows, and tournaments:-
Washington Post article (http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/10-years-later-figure-skating-still-feeling-effects-of-judging-scandal-at-salt-lake-olympics/2012/02/14/gIQAtMRbDR_story.html)
Montreal Gazette article (http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Figure+skating+slides+into+fringes/6160505/story.html)
The issue of whether COP should be replaced has been addressed in another thread. But, I feel the sports problems go far deeper than just the marking system. So, what do Cinquanta & Dore's replacements need to do therefore to turn around the decline?
Snooker, like figure skating is now, was only a few years ago a sport in decline. Audiences and TV coverage were falling away and the number of tournaments was dropping year on year. Indeed, matters reached a point where its governing body decided that they either turned things around quickly or the sport would reach a tipping point beyond which recovery would simply not be possible. So what did they do? They appointed a man called Barry Hearn (who had been one of the people responsible for creating the original boom in the game back in the late 1970's/early 1980's), and sure enough within a few years he has completely turned the situation around. Audiences and TV coverage are up and so are the number of tournaments. Moreover, as fans of Eurosport will know, in many ways the increased TV coverage of snooker on Eurosport has been partly at the expense of figure skating.
Its my opinion that unless the ISU takes decisive action soon to address the decline in audiences, TV coverage, shows, tournaments, etc, then it is likely to reach a tipping point beyond which recovery is simply not possible. Hence, the retirement of Cinquanta & Dore will present the ISU with a real opportunity to find new leadership to take the decisive action that is required to address the sports decline. Whoever it is, it needs to be somebody like Barry Hearn, somebody with the know how, the entrepreneurial spirit, the drive, the connections, the charisma, etc, to turn the sports fortunes around and get it back on track. That is, the road to recovery in my view begins with new leadership.
Figure skating's central problem at the moment is as set out in the following articles - decline in audiences, TV coverage, shows, and tournaments:-
Washington Post article (http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/10-years-later-figure-skating-still-feeling-effects-of-judging-scandal-at-salt-lake-olympics/2012/02/14/gIQAtMRbDR_story.html)
Montreal Gazette article (http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Figure+skating+slides+into+fringes/6160505/story.html)
The issue of whether COP should be replaced has been addressed in another thread. But, I feel the sports problems go far deeper than just the marking system. So, what do Cinquanta & Dore's replacements need to do therefore to turn around the decline?
Snooker, like figure skating is now, was only a few years ago a sport in decline. Audiences and TV coverage were falling away and the number of tournaments was dropping year on year. Indeed, matters reached a point where its governing body decided that they either turned things around quickly or the sport would reach a tipping point beyond which recovery would simply not be possible. So what did they do? They appointed a man called Barry Hearn (who had been one of the people responsible for creating the original boom in the game back in the late 1970's/early 1980's), and sure enough within a few years he has completely turned the situation around. Audiences and TV coverage are up and so are the number of tournaments. Moreover, as fans of Eurosport will know, in many ways the increased TV coverage of snooker on Eurosport has been partly at the expense of figure skating.
Its my opinion that unless the ISU takes decisive action soon to address the decline in audiences, TV coverage, shows, tournaments, etc, then it is likely to reach a tipping point beyond which recovery is simply not possible. Hence, the retirement of Cinquanta & Dore will present the ISU with a real opportunity to find new leadership to take the decisive action that is required to address the sports decline. Whoever it is, it needs to be somebody like Barry Hearn, somebody with the know how, the entrepreneurial spirit, the drive, the connections, the charisma, etc, to turn the sports fortunes around and get it back on track. That is, the road to recovery in my view begins with new leadership.