Why are best ever debates only Kim vs Kwan wars

[Gabybackhand]

It seems best ever debates on this forum come down to just Kim vs Kwan and fans of each picking apart the opposing skater. This seems silly to me. Why arent people like Witt, Henie, Ito, Lynn, and some of the other serious candidates discussed.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Because Kim and Kwan were the dominate ladies skaters of the Internet era.

[sk8ingcoach]

I find it funny that there is a debate. I mean Yuna is clearly the better skater.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

I find you funny.

[Susan M]

Real good question. I'm usually up for a well thought out poll, but those thinly veiled salutes to Kim Yu Na are just embarrassing. Her die hard fans (and Kwan's) need to get a clue - not everyone thinks your beloved is All That, and no amount of bogus FSU polls is going to prove anything.

[Gabybackhand]

Because Kim and Kwan were the dominate ladies skaters of the Internet era.

I guess, but I would think true fans of figure skating, who I expect are the ones who participate in a sophisticated internet forum such as this, would appreciate the many number of great skaters before them. Kim and Kwan might be the 2 best ever, but I dont think they are way ahead of everyone else in history the way Woods and Nicklaus are, or the way Phelps and Spitz are to exclude dicussions of the others. They arent even the 2 with the best careers or achievements. All of Witt, Henie, Heiss, Fleming, Szabo, Dijkstra, have had better careers with higher achievements than both Kim and Kwan, unless Kim wins her 2nd OGM, and even then maybe more than her still. Hamill and Yamaguchi too if you add pro careers.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

So it's all about hardware?

Your problem is that you're equating with not being ranked no. 1 as not appreciating a skater. You're also ignoring many other posters who have listed many other skaters other than Kim and Kwan as number 1. When people do subjective measurements as who is the greatest, you're not going to have a clear winner. You may get a consensus, but that doesn't satisfy everyone's idea on how one can accurately measure these sorts of rankings.

The truth is that there is no such thing as a greatest ever. However, since people have it in their head that there must be a hierarchy to things, they have to rank a certain skater as being the best because somehow that would legitimize their own feeling as which skater is the best.

[bardtoob]

Because it is just assumed that everybody should know Cecilia Colledge is the most innovative skater ever ...

[Skater91]

Yeah there shouldn't even be a debate, Yes Kwan has won more World titles but Kim is clearly a better skater than Kwan and Kim has won Olympics!

[iarispiralllyof]

haha ppl "complain" about the same polls being rehashed but then the complaint threads themselves turn into the exact same thing, perpetuating an endless cycle of wank

[falling_dance]

Greatest Man: Snoopy (I hate it when even his membership of this category is questioned.)
Greatest Lady: Bibi Dahl (The sentimental Winston fans are wrong.)
Greatest Pair: McElroy/Michaels (Iron Lotus > Pamchenko any day of the week.)
Greatest Dancers: Torvill/Dean

There. It's settled now. Back to bed, everyone, even if it's midday where you live.

[siouxdonym]

nn
There. It's settled now. Back to bed, everyone, even if it's midday where you live.

Snoopy was a fabulous skater.

[karlon]

I guess here are some fake kimbots...lol

[Karpenko]

Because Kim and Kwan were the dominate ladies skaters of the Internet era.

Once in a great while you get the perfect answer to a thread question in the first post. In a nutshell that is exactly it. I mean it's not going to stop the 20 page pile-up, or the anger management issues, but I just thought that I would point this out..

[os168]

Mwhahahaa... <insert Hallelujah music>. Oh yes I too was anticipate more of the worthy sophisticated discussion when I paid my subscription to join the FSU all these years ago, where the 'true' fan of the sport can seriously debate the merit of Henie vs Lynn, Witt vs Ito, Chan vs Browning, Lambiel Vs Buttle Vs Cranston, but I too remain disappointed.

On the other hand I do find the debate of TRex vs Velociraptor @ the Olympics truly compelling and far worthy of the FSU Trash can. Personally this Yunabot still think Yuna Kim will have won if Dinosaur had lived, since the judges are still likely to be human. (Only humanbeings can come up with something as convoluted as this tragic system known as the COP.) Or if they are not, I strongly think the more sophisticated Dinosaur would have picked something that looks most delicious and more of a hunt challenge being the fastest, powerful, deadly accurate and unpredictable as Yuna Kim.

On a more serious note. If the Dinosaur decide to eat them all, I bet Yuna would be the last one standing/surviving with her sharp blades. Carolina is fast, but she trips far too easily - and the nosebleeds would be a dead give away. Mao may have the best positions but her fab footworks is a bit useless against a Dinasaur's swiping action. Michelle may make them cry, and even sob with emotions with her beautiful skating, but Dinasaur are ultimately cold blooded so they just don't care when they are hungry and they want All American. Witt's Carmen will certainly bring out the red blood boil in their night vision more and get them even more excited... the list goes on. (Although Ito might scare them with her spectacular height jumps, and being a pint size, they may very well leave her alone just for the novelty, she is just a marvelous sight really and far too cute.)

My advice. Time to check out Golden Skate .com Life is all about balance after all.

[spikydurian]

It seems best ever debates on this forum come down to just Kim vs Kwan and fans of each picking apart the opposing skater. This seems silly to me. Why arent people like Witt, Henie, Ito, Lynn, and some of the other serious candidates discussed.

Not too late to start one!
Where are their (Witt, Henie, Ito, Lynn +++ ) fans?

[dorianhotel]

Figure skating only became popular when Harding hired her friends to try and kill Kerrigan. Since that time the best skaters have been Kim and Kwan, thus they have the most support as possible best ever. Ito, Lynn, Yamaguchi, Fleming, Hamill, and whoever else was before Tonya Harding began the sport as someone more than a little sideshow a few people payed attention to.

[RickInSanJose]

Figure skating only became popular when Harding hired her friends to try and kill Kerrigan.

Wouldn't Shane Stant have gone for a head blow had the objective been to terminate Nancy with extreme prejudice?

[DimaToe]

I'm really glad that every time someone on here used the word "best" a puppy isn't killed because it seems like some version of this thread it around in the trash can Every.Single.DAY.

There will always be skaters who have superior skating skills to others, some that are better spinners, ones that delivered when it mattered, etc. Why can't we accept that there have been so many incredible skaters this sport has had, instead of having to find which one we find to be superior to every other skater that has ever existed and then trying to shove our opinion down everybody else's throat? We each have skaters that we consider the "best" and there is nothing wrong with that. What gets me are the endless threads about it and the repetitive arguments...I'm aware that this is the trash can but it really has been getting bad lately. Those were my two cents. You may know continue the Kim V. Kwan argument #14259604

[dorianhotel]

Wouldn't Shane Stant have gone for a head blow had the objective been to terminate Nancy with extreme prejudice?

The various Tonya Harding books mention the men had discussed killing Kerrigan but decided against it eventually. As Harding oversaw the whole plan (yeah lets be real here, she did) she must have been in on the idea of killing her too.