Dick Button

[va32h]

If you're going to critique it, you should have at least accomplished it once, IMHO.

That's just silly. Kimmie Meissner can land a triple axel. The only other two women to have accomplished this in competition are Midori Ito and Tanya Harding. Should they be brought in for the sole purpose of commenting on this element? Scott Hamilton never had to land a quad, should he be banned from the men's event?

The takeoff and landing of a jump is the same, whether it has one rotation or ten.

Dick Button was a pioneer, one of the best of the best, still the only American to ever win the European Championships (probably the reason Americans aren't allowed to compete in it anymore).

Perhaps we've become so spoiled by our feel-good, everyone's-a-winner mentality that anything short of gushing praise is considered mean and picky.

If a skater cannot perform an element correctly, Dick Button is hardly the only person to notice. The judges notice, the coaches notice, and their comments are probably far tougher than Dick's.

The job of the commentators is supposed to be to make the event understandable to the viewers at home. How are the viewers supposed to know why one skater is marked above another if they can't point out what was done well and badly?

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

I completly disagree. If someone skates well, he will say so. If not, he again, will say so.

I would so much rather hear a commentator say "That wasn't very good" when someone does something not so good rather than someone going on and on about how good something was when they just crashed and burned.

I heard him say something the other night about someones sit-spin not being good. Well, for someone who only watches occasionally, it is good to know because otherwise they would think it was being done correctly.

Absolutely. I also enjoy his comments on people's positions in layback spins and in spiral sequences, otherwise, one would think everyone was just doing perfectly unless they fell or something.

And he could not rave more about someone's positions and spirals than he does about Sasha Cohen's. Deservedly so, as they are exquisite.

 

[inaminute]

If you're going to critique it, you should have at least accomplished it once, IMHO.

And, who are the judges again? Have they all accomplished the same moves seen on the ice? Funny, I've never heard of any of them. Couldn't even tell you their names to be honest. Yet, they're judging the athletes.

Dick Button is not judging the skaters. He's offering his commentary to the television audience. I really enjoy his commentary and admit I've learned a lot about figure skating from him.

 

[Evil Genius]

I find his attitude to be offensive. Last night after watching the Chinese skate, fall, and win a silver, Mr Button announces that the Men's skating will be the following night. His final comment "It will hopefully be as eventful as tonight was" Are you hoping someone falls? I'm sorry he's becoming a cranky old man, kind of like having your grandfather doing commentary.

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

I find his attitude to be offensive. Last night after watching the Chinese skate, fall, and win a silver, Mr Button announces that the Men's skating will be the following night. His final comment "It will hopefully be as eventful as tonight was" Are you hoping someone falls? I'm sorry he's becoming a cranky old man, kind of like having your grandfather doing commentary.

What? THIS is your example of an inappropriate comment?

There are many things that could be considered "eventful", not just a fall. Talk about being overly critical.

 

[lbgraves]

I think that last night's skating was very eventful...not because of the fact that the Chinese skater fell, but because she was able to gather enough strength, determination, & courage to go back out on the ice & not only resume & finish their program...they did well enough to earn the silver medal. Her determination brought tears to my eyes knowing that she could have easily said she was in too much pain to continue. Their performance did make the pair's long program very eventful IMO.

 

[inaminute]

Mr Button announces that the Men's skating will be the following night.

You found a REQUIRED network plug offensive?

"It will hopefully be as eventful as tonight was"

The only thing you found "eventful" was the skater that fell? Wow. That's really ALL you took from it? Wow.

You really found that comment offensive? I'm truly surprised

 

[inaminute]

Oh, yeah...about this comment:

I'm sorry he's becoming a cranky old man, kind of like having your grandfather doing commentary.

Maybe YOUR grandfather was/is a cranky old man, but mine would have done a wonderful job commenting on any number of subjects. I loved listening to him.

 

[Stacerita]

Dick Button just annoys me. I have no reason why or nothing to back it up with. He annoys me and thats that.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I have to say -- it seems like one of the DIS commandments is quickly becoming

THOU SHALT NOT CRITICIZE ANY AMERICAN FIGURE SKATING ICON!



Gosh people, they are just opinions. Unless you are Mr. Dick Button himself, no need to take it so personally.

 

[marybet]

I love Dick and have said so several times during the Olympics. He is my favorite. I have been listening to him for years and learned a great deal about figure skating. He is honest and not like Paula Abdul who loves everybody or Simon who hates everybody and is just nasty, Dick tells you what they did right and what they did wrong and how they can improve. He is great.

 

[teacherforhi]

I really haven't liked him since the 1994 or 1995 World Championships (the year is approximate) where he was commentating with Peggy Fleming. His brilliant skating commentary? "Well, people may be starving in Russia, but there's certainly no lack of sequins!" Yes...that has a lot to do with how well or poorly Alexei Urmanov was skating that night.

I just found the comment hateful and unnecessary.

 

[palmtreegirl]

I love Dick Button, he's so snarky.

 

[mariethecat]

I watch a lot of figure skating and I find him to be the most annoying commentator. I usually watch the Canadian version but switch over to the American channel to get a different perspective on the skaters. I find he rarely has anything nice to say and I really don't understand why he has been doing this job for so long.

 

[stevenpensacola]

Why do we even need commentary during the routine?

If you were there, watching it live, you don't have someone giving you the play -by-play on what's happening. Let the skating speak for itself.

 

[Evil Genius]

You found a REQUIRED network plug offensive?



The only thing you found "eventful" was the skater that fell? Wow. That's really ALL you took from it? Wow.

You really found that comment offensive? I'm truly surprised

Wow!! Are you related to Dick?? No that is not all I took from the evenings performances. I think you read a whole lot into my comments. You are definitely entitled to your opinions as am I.

 

[HoneyPooh]

I've always liked Dick Button but he does get a bit "snarky" sometimes (of course sometimes my sense of humor is a bit "snarky"). I like him but hate it when he won't shut up. There are times when he seems to talk just for the sake of hearing his own voice and there is really nothing he needs to be telling us. Sometimes we would like to hear the music and enjoy the program without the voices interfering. If there is nothing to really tell us, SHUT UP (I find myself yelling this at Dick on the TV sometimes ). There are definitely plenty of "buttonisms" to choose from and you can always count on him to call a skater on her weak leg position in a layback spin or her extension in a spiral.

Scottie is so cute as a commentator, he does get really excited doesn't he? He has a real love for the sport.

 

[Princess Dot]

Why do we even need commentary during the routine?

If you were there, watching it live, you don't have someone giving you the play -by-play on what's happening. Let the skating speak for itself.

But the problem for a majority of people watching figure skating on TV is that we need some explaination of what is going on, since most of us don't know an axel from a lutz or a loop! I enjoy the commentary since it helps explain what we are seeing and how it will be scored.

I love Dick Button's commentary and am so glad is doing the Olympics.

 

[OhMari]

My 2 cents-

Dick was commentating last evening when the Russian skater was skating and Dick gasped. Scott said the jump was done perfectly. Dick said, sorry, "it just scares the heck out of me whenever he does that".

Why did I bring this up. Because he comments the minute someone does something perfect, or he also comments when someone misses. This was so in the middle for him-I didn't know if the guy made a mistake or not until Scott said it was executed perfectly.

 

[Princess Dot]

I love Dick and have said so several times during the Olympics. He is my favorite. I have been listening to him for years and learned a great deal about figure skating. He is honest and not like Paula Abdul who loves everybody or Simon who hates everybody and is just nasty, Dick tells you what they did right and what they did wrong and how they can improve. He is great.

I totally agree! I was thinking that he was like the Simon Cowell of figure skating! He has no problem saying when something is not good, but I don't think he is negative all the time about everyone except Michelle Kwan. But it is always clear that he prefers the graceful, ballet type skating over the more athletic "jumpy" style skaters.

I like that both Scott Hamilton and Dick Button are commenting. You get the snarkyness of Button and the over the top excitement and enthusiasm from Scott.

Without the commenting I would think all the skaters look great. Its only when someone falls that I can tell a mistake has been made!