2014 Winter Olympics

Teddy    

I imagine it does feel the same as it did for you and Angel with Michelle.   It's so tough when you follow someone so closely for so long and then things don't work out for them.  I do have to say I am getting better with it though.  When Kurt didn't win and when he fell apart in his short program, I think I cried for an entire day thinking about it.      These young people put so much into it and so much is expected of them.  When it all works out it is fantastic but when it doesn't.      I take heart in the fact that Brian, Kurt and Elvis have gone on to be incredibly successful without those Gold medals and I expect Patrick will as well.  He seemed okay with Ron, but you could sense sadness but also a sense of relief.......in his own words 'it's like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.'  I think he's looking forward to sitting on the balcony at the Olympic village and watching the sunsets and just enjoying the experience now.  I have to say Ron McLean is an excellent interviewer.  He is so kind and insightful.

I just watched it all and for me the real showman was Jason.  I think he is going to be great by the next Olympics if he stays healthy.

The young Japanese skater had two falls, but in between the falls he was wonderful.  Expect for that ridiculous top of his costume     What the hell was that???  But he is a cutie and he is going to be a real force to be reckoned with in the years to come.

Patrick just had so many mistakes.  For me he has the strangest look out of his eyes and while skating he just looks vacant.  Jason has so much personality on the ice and that makes him so much fun to watch.

Overall, just not a great night of skating.  Nobody had a truly great skate except for Jeremy, which sadly was too little too late.

I hope it goes way better for the ladies.

I will agree with you that it was not a stellar night of skating.

I am looking forward the ice dance competition which is up next on Sunday. Time for the Canada/US showdown.   

Watching Women's curling. Canada undefeated so far and almost in the semi-finals. Tonight we are playing Japan. Best showing since 1998 http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/olympic-womens-curling-canada-beats-denmark-8-5/2014/02/13/b1fafc74-9486-11e3-9e13-770265cf4962_story.html Even hubby is enjoying watching the curling this year.

BRAVO JEREMY BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so proud and relieved for him. On a whole this Olympics wasn't what he surely hoped for and wanted. I know it wasn't what I hoped and wanted for him either. While there were major disappointments and struggles he rose up above them and delivered an outstanding program to wish the world goodbye leaving them with a great performance to remember him by. That is something I am truly grateful for and again I am so proud of him. I am really happy to have seen him skate the kind of program I knew was in him and that he's shown he could do before on that Olympic ice tonight. Despite anything and everything else I know having that skate tonight is something he'll cherish always. In my heart of hearts to have had that wonderful performance means the world to him and to me too. So you go Jeremy!

Everyone really had their own set of problems. Falling. Stepping out of jumps. Two footing jumps. Under-rotating jumps. Doing triples instead quads or doubles instead of triples. Bobbles in the footwork. When you accumulate so many mistakes it really adds up and takes away a huge chunk out of the score they're capable of. Every single one of those components has a grade of execution and when any kind of mistake is made it lowers that grade. (I have struggled continuously trying to figure out exactly what that all means and entails.)

I do think the cushion Hanyu had from his short program set him apart and helped him some. However, Patrick was less than 4 points behind him, which honestly is not very much when you consider the whole picture. The short program is 1/3 of the overall score so the long program very well and truly would have made a difference. With the mistakes Hanyu made the door was wide open for Patrick because in essence Hanyu gave away that cushion. Even so Patrick still had to be as close to perfect as possible. It was completely and easily doable for him as he is more than capable, unfortunately, it just didn't happen. If he had only made a couple of the mistakes versus the several he did I fully believe he would have won.

They had a nice little piece on Patrick during tonight's coverage prior to his skate that I really enjoyed. It's so wonderful to see them give time and highlight some of Canada's greatest. Keep it up NBC!

Jason was just on doing an interview with Meredith Vera for the late night portion of the games. He is such a sweetie. So humble and charming. He's so grateful for the experience and has really just taken the time to soak everything in as he should be. He's so happy to simply be there and get to take part in the Olympics. It warms my heart. He's definitely become my new favorite.

Overall not the best night for the men and while the majority did not skate to their potential I remain happy.

Congratulations to Hanyu, Patrick and Dennis.

Thank you Jason and Jeremy for making me proud albeit for different reasons but proud nonetheless!!

On to the ice dancing on Sunday!!!!!!!

Canear I am very sorry about Patrick he tried so hard but with the mistakes it cost him      What Teddy says is true.  What you are feeling is like us with Michelle.  In 98 she skated totally clean but not with the abandonment like she had at the 98 Nationals and Tara was able to grab the gold cause as the judges went with Technical over artistry on this year and Tara had the more technical number with some great artistry and she got it.  One judge had told Michelle that her and few other judges wanted to give both Gold,(I saw they did this for this olympics on one sport so I don't see why they could not of done this for 98     makes me sad). In 2002 Michelle had one fall but the rest of the skate was totally on and she freaking got the bronze.  She should of had her gold but no Irina Slutskya,(Who I happen to like),who skated slowly and Sloppy and did not have a clean skate at all,(almost falling on her head after a triple jump), got marks pretty much even with Sarah Hughes who had the two triple triple combos and skated pretty clean and ends up making it where Sarah was assured the Gold but she got Silver and Michelle the Bronze.  It just wasn't fair.  If Irina would of been scored fairly then Michelle would have her Gold, Sarah would of had Silver and Irina would of had Bronze.  I would have been even okay with Sarah having her Gold if Michelle would of had at least the Silver but it just breaks my heart that cause of the judges not scoring fairly Michelle got screwed          2002 hurts worse than 1998 in all honesty.  In 98 I know there was no unfair judging between Michelle and Tara and i can handle the Silver but knowing what I know for 2002 it just makes me want to slap some judges from that Olympics and telling them they should feel ashamed of themselves.  Michelle has had a glorious career but that is the gaping hole in her resume.  What gets me is when she wasn't looked on as the favorite she went onto win Nationals and Worlds,(96 Nationals and Worlds, 98 Nationals and Worlds, 2000 Worlds, 2001 Worlds, 2002 Nationals,(her season was iffy before Nationals and people were talking up Sarah and Sasha), 2003 Nationals and 2003 Worlds,(She did not have really strong showings at earlier events for late 2002 early 2003 and people were focusing mainly on Sasha Cohen.The performances Michelle had at these two events were kind of like 98 Nationals and Worlds cause she skated with so much abandonment and just put it out there not knowing how things would go) but when she was looked on as the favorite and had the pressure of USA on her shoulders she got Silver or Bronze,(97 Nationals, 97 worlds, 98 Olympics, 99 worlds, 2002 Olympics, 2002 Worlds, 2004 worlds, 2005 Worlds) The only ones I know she did win going in as the fave were 99 Nationals, 2000 Nationals.  Pressure is not a skaters friend.  It hurt Michelle and on Valentines day in Sochi it hurt most of the Skaters for the men's event and it took out Patrick of getting the Gold he so wanted.

I also feel bad for Jason.  He came soooooooooooooooo close to getting the Bronze and he couldn't get the pressure off him.     

I liked the German guy who skated before Jason and his number was freaking amazing.  The music was incredible.  I need to go see who did that version of that queen song.  I just love the violin on it.  If that performance would of been clean it would of been off the freaking hook.

The Gold medal winner had the ugliest shirt in the competition!

sad for Jeremy.  His short was the writing on the wall and that one fall in the short cost him in the long and that just sucks cause he had an excellent long.  I hate they put so much on the freaking technical and jumps.  The sport is called Figure Skating not Jump skating.  It is all about the jumps now and artistry is pretty much thrown out the window.  Please don't tell me that is not true cause if they had more on artistry then the glorious spread eagles and spirals and Ina bower would be held longer throughout the routines and not just looked at as throw away elements.  Ugh drives me bonkers to watch a guy or girl go into one of these and have it be over within a blink of an eye.  Back in the days when Paul and Brian skated they showed the brilliant spread eagle in all its glory.  A great spread eagle done Correctly is as tough as some jumps.  Dick Button said that.

Now going into Dance and I am praying for Meryl and Charlie with all I have.  USA has NEVER had a Olympic Gold in this event.  They have the pressure of all USA on their shoulders.  So yeah I am praying for them     

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Yay for Noelle Pikus. She was the happiest silver medalist I have ever seen      Glad she was able to end her career on a high note.

USA and Norway are tied at the top with 13 medals each.

Shannon   

Canadian Women's Curling Team on top of the leader board with China second. Way to go Skip Jennifer Jones and her crew.

Angel, it's called "figure" skating and they totally got rid of that part of the competition!  Remember when they had to make figures in the ice?  That was the first part of the competition!  Way too much emphasis on jumps!  I don't even give a hoot about the jumps.  It's all the skating in between that is enjoyable to watch!

Yeah for Jennifer Jones. She is having an awesome Games. Hope that the men's team can keep it up as well even with their bad start.

Ooops, those darn Russians just tied it up.   

Woah the USA just dodged one there!

Okay these international shootouts are weird...........the same guys over and over again.   

GOOD GUYS WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok I watched the men's figure skating last night.  I totally understand Canear's disappointment.  FC Patrick's edges were impeccable.  If only he skated a clean program he would have won.  

I love that young Japanese skater.  But his long was just not good enough for Gold.  IMO.  Two bad falls and such.  Jeremy of the USA had one fall and then skated GREAT perfect and was crucified. He had the BEST skate in the long.  No bobbles, no double footed landings no falls and his score was too low.  He should have moved up.

I also loved the other Japanese skater.  He was more harshly judged as well.  No falls but only double skate landings?  Makes no sense.

Jason Brown is the most artistic of the bunch.  Beautiful skater.  No bobbles or falls in either program but because he doesn't have a quad he is harshly scored.  Again makes no sense.

   The USA beat Russia.  Not sure they should have.  Quick definitely dislodged his own goal.     No idea why that goal was disallowed.  But man oh man that TJ Oshie is incredible.  The way he plays cat and mouse with the goalie.  He doesn't fly but rather teases and is the star of the game in my opinion.  I was surprised that Kane was not one of the shooters.  He has been incredible.  Funny how I HATE him when playing against my Bruins but love him now in the Olympics.   

Canear that was weird. Oshie just went over and over. In soccer a player can only go once. I also found that very strange.   

Oh what could have been Hathor.  I daresay Patrick is having a day of introspection today.   The bar is set by the quad these days.  If you don't have it, you don't make top 3.  Jason is young and will be a force in the sport over the next few years.  Several of these skaters will be retiring so the door will be wide open.  Patrick hasn't said what his plans are but he is only 23 so we will see.

Honestly, I had never heard of TJ Oshie before today.   

Canear, neither had Terry or I.

I had to google him.

Timothy Leif "T. J." Oshie is an American professional ice hockey center currently playing for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League. He was drafted by St. Louis in the first round, 24th overall, in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft

Most on twitter like this international style of shoot out.
Good game but I thought that goal was good.

Canear Brad Jones won also but Jennifer has no losses. Now watching her and the team play Russia.

I love jumps in figure skating. I like a well rounded program. Jumps have always been one of the most important parts of scoring and mow everyone needs quads to make the finals.

Toller Cranston loathed the figure portion of the completion lol. Thank god they took that part out of competition.

Oh he plays in St Louis, no wonder I don't know him!  I couldn't name anyone on that team.   :lol!  Quiet day at the Olympics here........no hockey or figure skating.  Canada did win a bronze in oval track speed skating though!   ...and the curling teams both won. Good stuff.

Kate, I think skating has lost some artistry. To much focus on the jumping and not enough on the edges and skating in between the jumps. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate and am in awe of the jumps, but it is boring as all hell when a program is all set ups for the next jump and zero artistry.

Why is a quad the be all to end all? A clean program should score higher than ones with multiple falls IMO regardless of quads.   

You should hear Toller lament how bad the state of figure skating. When I'm on the PC I'll post his thoughts on it.

Caner women's curling still on. Canada vs Russia in Women's Curling.

Patrick with his Silver medal!  He is going to be on CBC with Scott Oake at 3:45 pm Eastern.

Gosh Canear, Patrick to me looks very happy!! Hopefully he is proud of his silver medal. what an accomplishment.

Did you say Patrick is 23? He looks much old. I would have guessed 33.

33?      That is not his best picture obviously!

Here is a great interview with him and there are some good comments from Jeremy Abbott in it as well.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/sochi/after-olympic-heartbreak-patrick-chan-unsure-of-future-in-figure-skating-1.1687988

Great interview Canear!! Thanks

canuckadamfan4eva wrote:

Most on twitter like this international style of shoot out.
Good game but I thought that goal was good.

Canear Brad Jones won also but Jennifer has no losses. Now watching her and the team play Russia.

I love jumps in figure skating. I like a well rounded program. Jumps have always been one of the most important parts of scoring and mow everyone needs quads to make the finals.

Toller Cranston loathed the figure portion of the completion lol. Thank god they took that part out of competition.

Jumps are fine but the program should not be all about the jumps. It should be a well rounded performance with a mix of artistry and technical and there is far too many skaters going for the big technical stuff cause they lack in the artistry department. Many many coaches have said this so it is not just my opinion. Many coaches are upset that some coaches aren't making there students work harder on their artistry and they are tired of some choreographers making some of the most beautiful elements in skating just throw away things that you would miss if you blinked. I think the skaters and all the jumping is killing their bodies. Tara as a teen had to have hip surgery, Michelle had to have surgery on her hip and that injury is the reason she had to pull out of the 2006 Olympics, Plushenko 12 freaking surgeries on his back. I can name others who have had really bad injuries from the jumps that have cost them their careers or made them have so many surgeries. Having the Quad be the big thing right now is going to end many a male skaters career early.

A lot of skaters loathed the figures but they helped a skater in a lot of ways. Frank Carrol makes all his skaters skate school figures daily and he has done that his whole coaching career. He does that cause that is what his coach had her skaters do at practice all the time and of course he was doing school figures at competitions himself.

Shannon