Plushenko

[professordeb]

Maybe. But for me, who is only a fan of figure skating the old steps were more interesting. Fast, and difficult, enjoyable to watch. I don't think, that the new system is from the God, and we have to love. Look at the empty seats in the arenas. Thanks to the new system.

Empty seats in the arena is more likely due to the economic factors than the new system. And the new system isn't *that* new nor difficult if people take a bit of time to understand it. Like most sports, if you wish to be a better fan of the sport, you take the time to understand the rules and even some of its nuances. Saying that people can't understand the new system berates people.

[caseyedwards]

People found the money to go to Skating shows in previous slow economies - the main advertising for shows is the amateur competitions and they're not as appealing. Maybe because of the scorig system or controversies over the old one or lack of good personalities in north America.

It's not plushenkos step sequences were level one because of simplicity they were 3 but with goe that was not all +3 so it could be improved to level 4 and get +2 or 3 in goe but usually 3 with 1 or 2

[kwanfan1818]

The surge in popularity of figure skating in Japan, Russia, and Korea coincided with the new system. How exactly did CoP kill figure skating?

[caseyedwards]

They had great winning personalities representing the sport! Plus the US is so focused on the ladies! Needs a great winning lady with connection to people. A personality that can win consistently will make cop dislike by some less important.

[spikydurian]

The surge in popularity of figure skating in Japan, Russia, and Korea coincided with the new system. How exactly did CoP kill figure skating?

IMO, I think it's the lack of dominating figure skaters like Kwan who attracted attention from outside the sphere of figure skating. Interest in certain sports always surge when there is a winner particularly Olympics. Yuna's dominance has brought pride, joy and great interest to the S Koreans, and interest is all time high. Japan has now a deep pool of excellent men and ladies figure skaters and so long these athletes keep winning competitions, the interest will be there. Russia has a long tradition of love in figure skating and they have long dominated figure skating, and will continue to do so even though it may not be in every event.

[rayhaneh]

IMO, I think it's the lack of dominating figure skaters like Kwan who attracted attention from outside the sphere of figure skating. Interest in certain sports always surge when there is a winner particularly Olympics. Yuna's dominance has brought pride, joy and great interest to the S Koreans, and interest is all time high. Japan has now a deep pool of excellent men and ladies figure skaters and so long these athletes keep winning competitions, the interest will be there. Russia has a long tradition of love in figure skating and they have long dominated figure skating, and will continue to do so even though it may not be in every event.

I totally second that. For one, the fact that skating is declining is in the US doesn't have to mean it's in decline globally (it may be, I don't have the viewing and attendance figures worldwide, but that's not necessarily the case)

Also I don't think CoP has got anything to do with it, rather the lack of major US skating figure that's not just dominating, but also marketable/ bankable. That's exactly what's happening in Asia: Yu na may well be the most marketable figure skater in the history of the sport (I certainly don't remember any other skater who's had such an important place in the advertising landscape of their country)

Japan's had good figure skaters for a while now, but what's new is that they have several athletes with strong market appeal (I think Mao, Takahashi and now Hanyu are probably the most prominent ones). What also helps is that they all have a backstory (have been through ups-and-down, had to overcome struggles, etc) that can be used by the media to generate sympathy

Also they have a pretty ready access to China and are accessible (close not only geographically but also closer culturally) to the public there, which can only be a good thing.....

[skatingguy]

I have talked to alot of people who say that they used to watch figure skating all the time but since Salt Lake they don't because they believe that the competitions are fixed - they don't know anything about the new judging system or that it even exists.

[Vash01]

Maybe. But for me, who is only a fan of figure skating the old steps were more interesting. Fast, and difficult, enjoyable to watch. I don't think, that the new system is from the God, and we have to love. Look at the empty seats in the arenas. Thanks to the new system.

In general, I agree with you about COP- I don't HAVE to like it, and I don't like it for pairs in particular. In singles I am on the fence. COP is overdone, IMO, except by a few skaters. About the empty seats though, I don't think COP is the reason. It depends on many factors- the economy being the major one. Also a country that has skaters in contention to win championships seem to get more people interested.

[Iceman]

Figure sakting just does not have much to draw lots of fans. Watch a competition, then a couple of weeks later watch another.
Many of the same skaters skating the same program to the same music in the same costume (the costumes themselves don't say "sport"). "Already seen that" is the attitude of many who are not already fans, so they move on to something else.

[lala]

Empty seats in the arena is more likely due to the economic factors than the new system. And the new system isn't *that* new nor difficult if people take a bit of time to understand it. Like most sports, if you wish to be a better fan of the sport, you take the time to understand the rules and even some of its nuances. Saying that people can't understand the new system berates people.

Really? Interesting, but the economic crisis has not had an impact on other sports. The stadiums and arenas were full of people if soccer, basketball, GYMNASTICS etc. races were held. I agree with them who say, the programs are too similar, and a little bit cloudy, the skaters constantly, annoyingly moving their parts of body. No time left to pass their feelings. The simply viewers don't understand the results-remember to Nice, Chan's victory. And I'm not alone, many famous experts, skaters think same way, for example Fancesca Bianchetti, or I read Vasilev's opinion on this forum some days ago. Yes, I want to bring back the old harmonic pair skating!! That is the most tragic.

[lala]

I totally second that. For one, the fact that skating is declining is in the US doesn't have to mean it's in decline globally (it may be, I don't have the viewing and attendance figures worldwide, but that's not necessarily the case)

Also I don't think CoP has got anything to do with it, rather the lack of major US skating figure that's not just dominating, but also marketable/ bankable. That's exactly what's happening in Asia: Yu na may well be the most marketable figure skater in the history of the sport (I certainly don't remember any other skater who's had such an important place in the advertising landscape of their country)

Japan's had good figure skaters for a while now, but what's new is that they have several athletes with strong market appeal (I think Mao, Takahashi and now Hanyu are probably the most prominent ones). What also helps is that they all have a backstory (have been through ups-and-down, had to overcome struggles, etc) that can be used by the media to generate sympathy

Also they have a pretty ready access to China and are accessible (close not only geographically but also closer culturally) to the public there, which can only be a good thing.....

Don't you know Plushenko's advertising?

Plushy in commercials:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLFOu...eature=related Chupa Chups
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBtMXHgBte8 Chupa Chups with Mikhail Youzny tennis player
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXT_Z6_9msU Dilmah tea
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqXC4...feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfEKV...eature=related Samsung
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44asG...feature=relmfu Oriflame -swedish cosmetic company-"glacier ice" parfum
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_9p2...eature=related "Odri" fashion-Italian style
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t22Er...layer_embedded He skated on little show on the occasion of new Mercedes car models. He is wearing their logo now on his tracksuit.


And he has own watch, Ulysse Nardin "Champion's Diver Plushenko" limited edition(250). Swiss hand made watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fvj_7HJVmRA 11.000$ The Ulysse Nardin's prominent said after he saw Plushy on ECH, Plushy was an excellent choice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9Gm-...feature=relmfu He showed it in Japan.

[kwanfan1818]

Really? Interesting, but the economic crisis has not had an impact on other sports. The stadiums and arenas were full of people if soccer, basketball, GYMNASTICS etc. races were held.

Actually, it has, but soccer and basketball, for examples, are team sports that people get to see regularly on TV, the internet, or, if they are in a professional sports city, live on a regular basis. They are invested in teams for years and years, and that often transcends the athletes who are competing on those teams.

How often do gymnasts compete? Is there a Grand Prix? They only hold World Championships every two years.

Gymnastics has a scoring system that makes CoP look simple.

I The simply viewers don't understand the results-remember to Nice, Chan's victory. And I'm not alone, many famous experts, skaters think same way, for example Fancesca Bianchetti, or I read Vasilev's opinion on this forum some days ago. Yes, I want to bring back the old harmonic pair skating!! That is the most tragic.

The casual fans only understood 6.0 in the old system, because they considered it an absolute score and an endorsement of excellence. Bianchetti pines for a handful of programs and ignores the dreck that most of them were.

[GoGreen]

Actually, it has, but soccer and basketball, for examples, are team sports that people get to see regularly on TV, the internet, or, if they are in a professional sports city, live on a regular basis. They are invested in teams for years and years, and that often transcends the athletes who are competing on those teams.

How often do gymnasts compete? Is there a Grand Prix? They only hold World Championships every two years.

As a gymnastics fan, I have to add that there are plenty of competition events. It used to be World Cup Final on even years, and World Championships on odd years. There is a Grand Prix too.

[Glacier cat]

The surge in popularity of figure skating in Japan, Russia, and Korea coincided with the new system. How exactly did CoP kill figure skating?

It's right on Japan and Korea. But in Russia figure skating is no longer popular. People know Plushenko or Sltskaya but don't care young talented skaters. Only cable or satellite TV airs competition.

[rayhaneh]

Lala, I don't want to reply to you on the Plushenko fan thread because I don't want to spoil it there, but this is what you wrote there:

I put these links to other thread, where one forum member said only Yuna and the Japanese skaters have strong market appeal. But Plushy also has this appeal.

I love you and I admire your absolute dedication for Plushy but I never said only the Asian skaters have market appeal - I was talking about the recent rise in popularity of figure skating in Asia, as opposed to its decline in the US, as continuation of spikydurian's post. I was not talking about Russia, which is a case on its own (and, according to Glacier cat where figure skating as a whole is decreasing in popularity - but not Plushy so yeah!)

So please, next time you quote me, could you do it accurately? Thank you

[lala]

Lala, I don't want to reply to you on the Plushenko fan thread because I don't want to spoil it there, but this is what you wrote there:



I love you and I admire your absolute dedication for Plushy but I never said only the Asian skaters have market appeal - I was talking about the recent rise in popularity of figure skating in Asia, as opposed to its decline in the US, as continuation of spikydurian's post. I was not talking about Russia, which is a case on its own (and, according to Glacier cat where figure skating as a whole is decreasing in popularity - but not Plushy so yeah!)

So please, next time you quote me, could you do it accurately? Thank you

[GoGreen]

I didn't know that Samsung got into figure skating so early. The commercial that Plush did for them should be around 2000 or 2001?

[Glacier cat]

I didn't know that Samsung got into figure skating so early. The commercial that Plush did for them should be around 2000 or 2001?

It aired in 2002 (according to the youtube page). but I think shooting was in 2001. Samsung wanted Russian market.

[GoGreen]

It aired in 2002 (according to the youtube page). but I think shooting was in 2001. Samsung wanted Russian market.

Thanks! That makes sense, 2002 was Olympic year and figure skating attracted tons of attention.

[Sylvia]

Sedge posted this article on Plushenko's withdrawal from NRW Trophy in Dortmund in the event thread in Kiss and Cry earlier today: http://en.rsport.ru/other_sports/201...632846601.html

Mishin said Plushenko would now look for an event to compete in before the Russian championships start December 25.
Plushenko has said he plans to defend his Russian and European titles but intends to miss the world championships, as he has done every year since 2005.