"Where else would you go when you have an ax to grind?"

Friday, March 12, 2010

Higher, Faster, Stronger, Prettier

Nevermind what I think about figure skating for just a moment and go read the funniest thing I've read in a few weeks of reading silly, over-the-top, crapola about figure skating. Mind you, its not as creepy as the second half of this earlier piece by the same writer. If I were Mao Asada, I'd be looking into a restraining order.
Look, I won't deny that figure skating is very popular and major draw for the olympics. It draws a huge number of television viewers and that means moneny. I would never deny it is very athletic and requires a huge amount of skill, discipline and talent.  So does synchonized swimming. So does rythmic gymnastics. So does ballet. None of these are sports, they are artistic endevours which are for some reason forced into competition and judged on subjective criteria.
Anything in which your chances of winning can depend on the music you choose, the costume or make-up you wear and whether you smile while competing is not a sport.

3 comments:

David Webb said...

""Mao" rhymes with "wow."

Oh hell.

"Figures skaters train the hardest"

...he's employed...why?

Rev.Paperboy said...

yeah, I particularly liked the bit comparing the big skateoff to the Thrilla in Manila and the Rumble in the Jungle and all other big events everywhere combined.

I'm told the writer has a daughter who is keen to get into bigtime figure skating and that a lot of what he's writing is basically to try to curry enough favor to get her foot (skate?) in the door with the right people.

Mike C said...

Jesus H....bigger than Hearns v Leonard?!?! The Rumble in the Jungle?!?!?! The Thrilla in Manila?!?!?! THE THREE COMBINED?!?!?! Jack's truly, truly, truly lost the plot...I live in Hong Kong and it didn't even register on TV here, so it can't have been that bloody big! Utter nonsense.