Ice Network's winners and losers from Olympic Winter Games

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

I really take issue with this kind of reporting.

Every athlete who represents their country at an Olympic Games has dedicated their lives to making it to this prestigious event.

To label skaters who haven't measured up to their own high standards losers, and a mixed bag smacks of total disrespect, and does nothing to positively promote the sport.

No surprises who the contributors were, though.

 

[DreamSkates]

Write to Ice Network. I so often see posts here, and wonder how we can make an impact by going to the source and having a conversation, even if that is just by email.

 

[ninjapirate]

Yeah, they could have better entitled it "highs" and "lows".

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

The hacks who write those negative articles are all rubbish to me. They're the losers.

 

[Spun Silver]

It's interesting that they no longer have a comments section. It used to get pretty lively in there. Guess that was the problem.

However, you can comment on Facebook.

 

[alchemy void]

Every athlete who represents their country at an Olympic Games has dedicated their lives to making it to this prestigious event.

To label skaters who haven't measured up to their own high standards losers, and a mixed bag smacks of total disrespect, and does nothing to positively promote the sport.

Oh come on.

Figure skating is a SPORT. A list of "winners and losers" is not disrespectful, it's the truth--the Olympics is a competition, no?

Of course, you are completely right--every Olympic and high-level athlete deserves immense respect for dedicating their life to sport. But we see simple lists of "winners and losers" in every sport-- hockey, football, gymnastics, whatever. I don't see this as disrespectful at all--it's competition and a sport.

Why does figure skating get the double standard of treating everybody with kid gloves? This just seems like fake outrage to me.

 

[rhapsody]

They aren't wrong though.

 

[Aerobicidal]

Oh come on.

Figure skating is a SPORT. A list of "winners and losers" is not disrespectful, it's the truth--the Olympics is a competition, no?

You are completely right--every Olympic and high-level athlete deserves immense respect for dedicating their life to sport. But we see simple lists of "winners and losers" in every sport-- hockey, football, gymnastics, whatever. I don't see this as disrespectful at all--it's sport.

Why does figure skating get the double standard of treating everybody with kid gloves?

I agree with you, but on a more superficial note, I think it's hilarious that the article says that Tarasova and Morosov's bad FS performance left then in fourth, but it was worse that people realized their "Candyman" choreography suffered compared to the free programs by the top two teams.

Yeah, Phil--I'm sure that Nina Mozer has ever said, "My top pair not winning Olympic individual medal is fine, but criticism of program leaves me tearing at mullet. It is God's way."

Next, Ice Network is going to write an article saying that even though Courtney Hicks failed to make the Olympic team, it was more important that she approved of the Wonder Bible commercials during NBC's broadcast of U.S. Nationals. It'll have a whimsically alliterative title like Catastrophic Courtney Credits Christian Commercial for Comfort.

 

[Willin]

I'm not as bothered by the winners and losers thing - as @alchemy void said, in sports there is necessarily a winner and a loser. For the most part the losers they listed (as far as skaters go) are those who underperformed, not the skaters from smaller countries who actually did finish badly. I also think some of the losers listed ("Non-biased Judging" and "Atmosphere in Gangneung Arena") are fair to criticize. The only "loser" I take issue with is the US Ladies. If they thought the US Ladies would place higher than that, they were severely overestimating their ability to compete against such a deep field.

On the other hand, I'm so annoyed about putting Ashley Wagner on the losers list for the tweet about Alina. Just read that paragraph - they criticized her tweet and insulted Ashley's jumping ability. Classy. If they were going to list Ashley as a loser, it should have been for Ashley's move of liking tweets during the Olympics saying she would've done better than the US Ladies who did make the team.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

Oh come on.

Figure skating is a SPORT. A list of "winners and losers" is not disrespectful, it's the truth--the Olympics is a competition, no?

Of course, you are completely right--every Olympic and high-level athlete deserves immense respect for dedicating their life to sport. But we see simple lists of "winners and losers" in every sport-- hockey, football, gymnastics, whatever. I don't see this as disrespectful at all--it's competition and a sport.

Why does figure skating get the double standard of treating everybody with kid gloves? This just seems like fake outrage to me.

Sadly, Hersh and Rutherford are just as negative and unpleasant in person.

Click bait articles like that are designed to feed their egos, and do little to help this niche sport get back on its feet. If I were Jackie Wong or Nick McCarvel, I'd be totally embarrassed to be associated with those two clowns.

I stand by what I wrote, and Ice Network can do better than lowering themselves to the likes of TSL to generate hit rates.