aftershocks
Banned Member
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LOL, cross-posting from U.S. ladies thread:
Eh, you must not actually enjoy watching pairs that much, regardless of a country's medal cache. I'm a pairs fangirl regardless. And that's why I brought up U.S. pairs' changes of fortune. The fact is most 'what have you done for me lately' fans fail to recognize that historical perspectives are key in any sport. And that's excruciatingly true in figure skating for every discipline.
I disagree with your Thelma & Louising it analogy to characterize U.S. pairs fortunes, but sure it def has a nice twang to it and also a horrific existential dilemma kinda urgency. But lemme think of a better filmic analogy, cuz no U.S. pair in my memory has ever taken the 'over-and-out, there's no hope for the future' approach to competition, despite going on some bumpy thrill rides. Hmmm.... Give me a moment...
Meanwhile, have you checked out @clairecloutier's recent interview with Deanna & Nate? U.S. pairs will continue battling and never give up. None of them give two fcuks about what friggin' naysayers in the rest of the world think of them. Coming back from illness and injury, and building up recently-formed partnerships takes time. I personally don't care how things ultimately pan out over the course of the season placement and scoring-wise. I just know I'm going to enjoy watching U.S. pairs go to battle, while keeping fingers crossed they all stay healthy. Fcuk the political scoring and rep gift-giving that goes on. Regardless of what happens for U.S. pairs, the entire pairs discipline is the bomb, literally.
Ice dance discipline ain't shabby either. And historic U.S. ice dance reflections are always delightfully welcome!
ETA:
Okay, a better filmic analogy for U.S. pairs: A double feature of Goodfellas and Eat, Pray, Love. But of course the film analogy possibilities are endless. And I obviously have an Endless Love for pairs skating.
aftershocks said:...As far as cyclic changes re competitive results, go back in history and realize that U.S. pairs were the first NA team to land gold at Worlds after European dominance ended in the aftermath of WWII. Canada then followed in U.S. pairs' footsteps, but ultimately surpassed the U.S. in winning multiple Olympic gold medals and World medals, thanks largely to the legendary Barbara Wagner & Robert Paul. And this was before Belousova/Protopopov showed everyone how to skate two as one, and heralded in an era of Russian dominance in pairs that has slowed slightly but not abated...
you are bleak today
I’d image a more positive spin would be to compare it with dance, how the US started off in the mix, then lost lots of ground to European dominance, then came back strong and are currently amount the top.
Comparing it to pairs, who right up until SLC were still in the medal mix before Thelma and Louising it over a cliff, is too depressing a future to even contemplate for US ladies. US pairs: talk about digging yourself a hole that will take huge effort to climb out of!
Eh, you must not actually enjoy watching pairs that much, regardless of a country's medal cache. I'm a pairs fangirl regardless. And that's why I brought up U.S. pairs' changes of fortune. The fact is most 'what have you done for me lately' fans fail to recognize that historical perspectives are key in any sport. And that's excruciatingly true in figure skating for every discipline.
I disagree with your Thelma & Louising it analogy to characterize U.S. pairs fortunes, but sure it def has a nice twang to it and also a horrific existential dilemma kinda urgency. But lemme think of a better filmic analogy, cuz no U.S. pair in my memory has ever taken the 'over-and-out, there's no hope for the future' approach to competition, despite going on some bumpy thrill rides. Hmmm.... Give me a moment...
Meanwhile, have you checked out @clairecloutier's recent interview with Deanna & Nate? U.S. pairs will continue battling and never give up. None of them give two fcuks about what friggin' naysayers in the rest of the world think of them. Coming back from illness and injury, and building up recently-formed partnerships takes time. I personally don't care how things ultimately pan out over the course of the season placement and scoring-wise. I just know I'm going to enjoy watching U.S. pairs go to battle, while keeping fingers crossed they all stay healthy. Fcuk the political scoring and rep gift-giving that goes on. Regardless of what happens for U.S. pairs, the entire pairs discipline is the bomb, literally.
Ice dance discipline ain't shabby either. And historic U.S. ice dance reflections are always delightfully welcome!
ETA:
Okay, a better filmic analogy for U.S. pairs: A double feature of Goodfellas and Eat, Pray, Love. But of course the film analogy possibilities are endless. And I obviously have an Endless Love for pairs skating.
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