When Nicky and Simon misstep, they misstep.

puglover

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,729
I don't want to see commentators muzzled - either on the air or in their social media accounts. I am interested in their opinions on trends in skating, judging, federation choices, programs, technique on elements, etc. and i especially like to hear from those who are current in the sport. I am glad there are interviews and podcasts with people in the know who push back the curtain and share some of the behind the scenes with us. I don't think this needs all be positive but I do think some obvious things should be off limits such as weight, body discussions, unfounded speculation, disclosing private matters not first made public by the skater, and name calling. There are probably more but those are the things that come to mind.
 

Lemonade20

If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.
Messages
2,379
I don't want to see commentators muzzled - either on the air or in their social media accounts. I am interested in their opinions on trends in skating, judging, federation choices, programs, technique on elements, etc. and i especially like to hear from those who are current in the sport. I am glad there are interviews and podcasts with people in the know who push back the curtain and share some of the behind the scenes with us. I don't think this needs all be positive but I do think some obvious things should be off limits such as weight, body discussions, unfounded speculation, disclosing private matters not first made public by the skater, and name calling. There are probably more but those are the things that come to mind.
So true, the right commentators can bring a lot to the table. Unfortunately they are far and few. Duhamel can be very opinionated but she never shames or judges people on their bodies.
 

Seerek

Well-Known Member
Messages
5,780
That Duhamel's brand is linked with TSL makes it even more so.

At this point, we or TPTB have to ask ourselves - "...is any audience better than no audience at all?".

Yes, TSL is overtly dismissive and negative towards 90% of the competitors in their reviews and has a very peculiar Groupthink aura (you can read the "preaching to the choir" replies to Jonathan's tweets), but their tone is at least generally consistent and their audience rather loyal. Perhaps that's all that's needed these days?

Support Belinda Noonan from Australia. She was great when she got to commentate.

She was on the International Feed in Beijing, so we got to hear a lot from her recently. About as fair of a commentator as there can be.
 

Desperado

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,373
Have to add my love of Tracy Wilson’s commenting on CBC and NBC, before she was too busy with coaching.

I’ve also enjoyed Kevin Reynolds - very good on air voice and great technical knowledge as well as Megan’s commenting. It’s very hard to have deep technical knowledge of all disciplines, but I can understand how expensive having multiple commentators would be for the ISU.

As for Megan’s comment being unethical. :lol: I don’t see Nick and Simon as being her colleagues. Maybe if they worked for the same media company, but that’s not the case. It’s also glaring that they would never have taken her comments seriously, if given privately. They clearly have no respect for her which considering her skating pedigree, shows them in a really bad light.

Lastly, Ted Barton had a fit with Twitter comments too, but I don’t think he personally insulted anyone and he does include pertinent feedback in his commenting, so go Ted!
 

Trillian

Well-Known Member
Messages
962
Duhamel can be very opinionated but she never shames or judges people on their bodies.

With the caveat that I don’t follow her closely on social media and I wasn’t following the online discourse enough to know how much she was called out for this at the time… Meagan did comment on Shcherbakova’s body at least once last year that I remember. And granted, there’s a more complicated history to the public discussion of Anna’s eating habits and dietary restriction in Eteri’s camp in general. But there are better ways to frame that concern than by commenting on a skater’s appearance.

I missed a big chunk of Meagan’s competitive career because I barely watched pairs for most of a decade, but it’s amazing how much of the hate she gets online seems to be rooted in straight-up blatant misogyny. God forbid a woman be opinionated and outspoken about it. I’m surprised no one’s called her “shrill” yet.

Have to add my love of Tracy Wilson’s commenting on CBC and NBC, before she was too busy with coaching.

I mostly remember her commentary from the ‘90s and I was still a teenager then, but I loved her at the time.
 

VGThuy

Well-Known Member
Messages
41,020
Have to add my love of Tracy Wilson’s commenting on CBC and NBC, before she was too busy with coaching.

I mostly remember her commentary from the ‘90s and I was still a teenager then, but I loved her at the time.

If you want a counter-opinion, just call on the Grishuk/Platov fans. As a Tracy fan, I have to admit her commentary on them is a blight on her reputation. She sounded like they personally affronted her and wanted everyone to know it.
 

Taso

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7,367
If you want a counter-opinion, just call on the Grishuk/Platov fans. As a Tracy fan, I have to admit her commentary on them is a blight on her reputation. She sounded like they personally affronted her and wanted everyone to know it.
ITA. She was awful towards them and almost blind in her support of B&K and K&O in challenging them at times when it really wasn't close. Totally classless. I hope she's grown as a person since then
 

Former Lurve Goddess

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,661
If you want a counter-opinion, just call on the Grishuk/Platov fans. As a Tracy fan, I have to admit her commentary on them is a blight on her reputation. She sounded like they personally affronted her and wanted everyone to know it.
I'm glad I've never heard Tracy's NBC commentary on G&P because I'm sure I'd be:angryfire if I had. Most of Tracy's CBC commentary was great, except for when she was commentating on G&P.
 

Trillian

Well-Known Member
Messages
962
If you want a counter-opinion, just call on the Grishuk/Platov fans. As a Tracy fan, I have to admit her commentary on them is a blight on her reputation. She sounded like they personally affronted her and wanted everyone to know it.

Oh boy, now I’m thinking back to how much I hated G&P as a Very Young Figure Skating Fan and I wonder how much of that was Tracy’s fault.
 

Judy

Well-Known Member
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5,527
And Canadian skating commentary has been pretty bland ever since. I loved Toller's skating and his :drama: over-the-top commentary was EVERYTHING.
I went to his showing of his art in downtown Ottawa … so long ago (sorry “showing” is not the right word I am sure) with a friend who really wanted to see it.

Then at 2013 worlds we were having lunch? and Toller was there with a group.

He def was one of a kind. I was sad when he passed.
 

Coco

Rotating while Russian!
Messages
18,538
I think what Simon & Nicky were reacting to was MD tweeting at the ISU that there were better commentators available for the job.

Also, as I haven't seen it in this thread, there is this:


I spoke to
@mhjd_85
and apologised.Meagan understood that my off mic joke was hinting at the most reckless thing that Nicky could have said. Meagan accepts this, knows that I’m a big fan of hers, that it’s really unfortunate it was heard out of context. We hope to meet for a beer
 

marbri

Hey, Kool-Aid!
Messages
16,356
I went to his showing of his art in downtown Ottawa … so long ago (sorry “showing” is not the right word I am sure) with a friend who really wanted to see it.

Then at 2013 worlds we were having lunch? and Toller was there with a group.

He def was one of a kind. I was sad when he passed.
I have two of his pieces, well limited edition giclée on canvas, but still :D!
 

marbri

Hey, Kool-Aid!
Messages
16,356
I think what Simon & Nicky were reacting to was MD tweeting at the ISU that there were better commentators available for the job.

Also, as I haven't seen it in this thread, there is this:

He posted that almost 24 hours after she posted this:

"Skating twitter, I hope we all enjoy some amazing skating today. I have received personal apologies from Simon Reed and the ISU president and I don’t think a public apology is necessary at this point. I appreciate and respect their apologies "

In case you missed that.
 

Bouffantrex

Banned Member
Messages
266
That Duhamel's brand is linked with TSL makes it even more so.
TSL is...fine? It's perfectly fine to not like Dave and his bearded sidekick, but this is how media works today and how the sport reaches new audiences. No one under the age of 40 watches network television, like ever.

Duhamel is smart to be featured from time to time on their podcast, to grow her brand and also provide a new perspective.

I think there are some fans here who are stuck in 1990s mindset.
 

overedge

Mayor of Carrot City
Messages
35,798
It’s very hard to have deep technical knowledge of all disciplines, but I can understand how expensive having multiple commentators would be for the ISU.

If the ISU wants people to take skating seriously as a sport, and to grow its audience, then it should make this investment. It can't sit around and whine about its declining audience while continuing to let its product go out to the world with uninformed commentary that trivializes what's going on.

Commentating is hard, and calling a live event is really hard, and it takes time to develop those skills and be comfortable using them. But the only way to get good at that is to do it. Personally I wouldn't mind a less experienced commentator if they have the background knowledge to be able to provide insights. They don't even have to be a famous skater - there are lots of former skaters who competed for years without winning major titles who know the sport very well.

And as long as we're on the topic of gender......with the number of women in skating vs the number of men, there should be way more female commentators than there already are.
 
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overedge

Mayor of Carrot City
Messages
35,798
I don't want to see commentators muzzled - either on the air or in their social media accounts. I am interested in their opinions on trends in skating, judging, federation choices, programs, technique on elements, etc. and i especially like to hear from those who are current in the sport.

I only want to hear their opinions if they have some substance to them, and some basis in fact. Not just "you should listen to me because I am on TV/I have a podcast/whatever".
 

screech

Well-Known Member
Messages
7,409
(By the way, Carol Lane, caught your faux-pas on yda's TV broadcast. Since it was aired tape-delayed I cannot fathom why CBC did not edit that part on the afternoon broadcast, nor for the late-night partial repeat.)
What did Carol say?

My preference for commentators would be Terry Gannon and Tracey Wilson working together. I was one of the odd ones who always liked Rod Black, but he's retired now. Terry is wonderful, and Tracey is fantastic and knowledgeable about all the disciplines. Though she's been attending events more as a coach lately (unlike Carol Lane)
 

Andora

Skating season ends as baseball season begins
Messages
12,018
Uncle Dick, while oddly endearing, made countless egregious errors, and Peggy went from being a total d-bag to sickeningly saccharine sweet ("Oh, she's really FEELING this music!"). Barf.
Seeing Peggy called a d-bag might be my favourite FSU moment of all time. My inner 16-year-old is living for it. 🤣

Have to add my love of Tracy Wilson’s commenting on CBC and NBC, before she was too busy with coaching.
Yessss, Tracy was such a HUGE step up from Barb Underhill! She made Rod Black manageable, and she validated my K&O uberdom. (honestly, **** G&P in 1998. I don't care if you disagree) She had the right voice for commentary, and generally was the classiest option in skating for a long, long time. I think Tanith was the first time I felt that same sense of knowledge in a TV-ready package.

All in all, I'm so annoyed with Simon and Nicky for making me want to defend Duhamel. She is a bitch, among other things (too free with her opinion of her friends and compatriots to hangers-on, lacking empathy or ability to see past her own nose...). But she a) didn't deserve that bullshit, and b) truly lives the sport and speaks from a place of love and her own honesty. I can't hate that. I'm glad Simon apologized. I hope he pays for top-tier beer. She deserves nothing less.
 

flowerpower

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,789
Speaking of both Toller and Tracy…in her first year of doing commentary, I remember Toller calling her out on air for being too diplomatic - along the lines of “Tracy, you need to tell us what you really think!”

Toller’s OTT comments were legendary - e.g. when the crowd went crazy after Christopher Bowman’s 1990 Worlds gala program - “I only wish we could have seen this in the competition, because if we had, the ceiling would have caved in and killed everybody….I guess his only problem is that he doesn’t have an ego”. :rofl:
 

AxelAnnie

Like a small boat on the ocean...
Messages
14,463
Since we pay for Peacock, we should have the option of a commentary-free stream. I don’t think that would cost Peacock any extra. I hate having someone chatting during the skating. Ted Barton always was able to say everything he needed to say during the replay. The ISU must have told him he had to talk throughout for Worlds, even during gala programs. Now he’s become annoying.
People casually watching on TV might need commentary. Fans who pay for streams or who know to access the ISU stream know how to get any information they need from the tech box. Having a commentary-free option would also yield data on how many fans actually want the commentary.
Do you believe in unicorns? Why in the world would Peacock offer a comment-free option? I would think that would be twice the work. And add an unwanted cost to their production. Of the percentage of people who watch figure skating, how many people do you think would like the comment-free version? I assume that the majority of skating fans who watch figure skating are not knowledgeable enough to know what elements are being performed. As to watching the counter in the upper corner. I find that I am so busy watching the scores that I miss a good deal of the skating. Although, I must say that I am always happy with myself when I can distinguish a flip from a lutz.

I really like Ted Barton. I wondered why he was doing so much talking at Worlds. It was pretty weird. I love his critique AFTER the skating - and during the replays. I sure hope TPTB will recognize the value of his approach.

BTW - Some of the commentaries by Tara and Johnny are great. When they explain how the toepick did not dig in, which caused all manner of things. Or she/they got such fine lift on that jump because. ...
 

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