Russians were having none of James/Cipres winning in Russia, but yet it was okay for T/M with a horrid fp and messy errors to steal gold from J/C in France on the GP!!! James/Cipres' scores have been over-managed all season long to keep them behind other teams when they skated better than those teams.
Now, at Euros when J/C were not in top form due to losing training time because of Vanessa's injury, they have a less than stellar free skate but still did not make major errors and they get pushed off the podium by boring, over-rated Z/E?! The judges should be ashamed of themselves. Z/E did not skate lights out technically and they have no connection on the ice at all. S/K are really the class of the field, but they have not been in top form technically and they made errors in both programs. T/M are quite pitiful. They skated so cautiously in their horrid fp and were a mess in the sp, but were held up in the marks in both programs with huge overscores in the fp. Tarasova's touchdown with her free foot on both throws in the fp were ignored by the judges. J/C could see the writing on the wall, and I don't think they were being received very well by the audience for having landed in first place (deservedly) after the sp over the Russian teams.
For J/C to be completely knocked off the podium altogether by one point stinks to high heaven. I wish J/C would continue for another year because they have invigorated pairs with their fresh edgy programs, hot connection and engaging style. But I am simply tired of all the nitpicking they receive all the time. I'm not sure Vanessa will want to continue. She's always given it her all, but it becomes tiresome having to be perfect and then some against other teams who have higher margins for error. The sport is too political and the scoring too manipulative. It's okay to hold up other teams with major mistakes. But with J/C if they don't skate consistently well, even having minor miscues, they are dropped. And in this case, it's clearly political to completely kick them off the podium in favor of all three Russian teams.
I think the pressure of leading after the short got to them
That's your opinion and your excuse. Vanessa has been injured and they lost training time. Do you even know the pressure she's faced in the past and come through, time and again. She's battled long and hard. Stop trying to explain things away please.
I feel like they can revert back their old behavior very easily. I think when things go badly, as in yesterday’s free, he gets a bit moody and sulky.
I watched the BESP highlights (all two couples, T/M and J/C) the guys there felt the judges did everything they could to keep them on the podium, that the GoE was very generous.
Again Eurosport guys' opinion and your opinion. Continue trying to 'splain things away.
What you said in the bolded part is completely insulting, but yeah continue on. I'm sure Vanessa is used to such snide comments by now. Being dissed bothers Morgan more.
motivated to show their absolute best at the Olympics
I don't think being knocked off the podium here (at a less than stellar competition for all the top teams) is something James/Cipres need to be motivated. Their motivation comes from within, or at least it should.
Vanessa knows they have to skate clean to get any modicum of respect.
The problem is they have no margin for error, while other teams do. It will be extremely difficult for J/C to make the podium at the Olympics, no matter how well they skate (they will be battling not only the judges and the Russians, but also the Chinese, Germans and Canadians). When J/C skated well on the GP, their scores were over-managed to keep them behind other skaters. They should have won silver at SC and gold in their home country and made the GPF. That they didn't is purely political. Being first in the sp at Euros is not a result that carries any weight. Missing the podium by such a small margin (when they definitely should have received a medal) is not only disappointing, it's also not their fault, especially not against boring, over-rated Z/E.
It's really enough to make me stop watching. I'm not even looking forward to the Olympics in any discipline. The sport of figure skating stinks, and so does the coverage. I'm tired of hearing all the excuses and 'splaining crap away.
I still celebrate Vanessa et Morgan. It would be nice if they return just to skate for themselves and enjoy one last season. But the sport itself does not deserve them and the exciting breath of fresh air that they have brought to pairs.
https://www.instagram.com/vanessa_james_sk8/?hl=en
So very close.....
But what's with your over-exaggeration? No one said "the universe is plotting against them." 
