What are your sports announcers saying?

[Deb in IA]

Last night Dick Button had himself in knots with some of his comments.

I mean I am sure Dick Button was great in 1948 and 1952 but that doesn't make him the know all be all of figure skating today. Frankly, I was hoping he'd be retired before these games.

Yes, Dick can be annoying. Have you ever seen any footage of his routines? By those day's standards he was the best, by today's its sort of comical.

Dick Button has had 2 serious brain injuries - one from being the victim of a random mugging and beating in Central Park, and another time when he fell while skating in a public rink, fracturing his skull. He's a spokesperson for the Brain Injury Association of America. When I listen to him speak, I think he may still has some neurologic effects from his injuries.

I think it was the Belgian skater (wearing the skeleton costume and skating to "Night on Bald Mountain").

Was it just me, or did anyone else think of "Fantasia" when that music came on?

Especially when we heard Scott Hamilton go into a giggle fit and couldn't compose himself for a comment until half way through the next pairs routine.

Gosh, I missed that last night. I like Scotty Hamilton, but I wish he would stop that GRUNTING he does whenever the skaters land their jumps. Has anyone else notice that?

 

[MomofKatie]

Was it just me, or did anyone else think of "Fantasia" when that music came on?

As soon as I saw his costume, I thought, "What music could he be skating to that he is dressed as a SKELETON?? Maybe Night on Bald Mountain..."

And then that was the music that played!! I totally called it!! Yep, I thought of Spectro and the Chernabog when the music started...

 

[XTinabell]

I thought the figure skating announcers were pretty harsh last night during the men's short program. There was a guy performing who isn't in the medal hunt, but he went out and skated a clean, perfectly wonderful program. As soon as the music ended, the guy was so happy, he fist-pumped and celebrated. The commetators said that he performed "as well as he was capable of" and said, IMO, VERY patronizingly, "Good for him". Of course, they immediately followed that with, "Of course, he has nowhere near the quality skating of the top men, so he won't figure AT ALL in the medal picture". Yeesh, way to pick on the poor guy... I thought he did really well, and they were so dismissive of him. I think it was the Belgian skater (wearing the skeleton costume and skating to "Night on Bald Mountain").

The first guy that skated last night our commentator ripped to shreds. He pointed out several times how the guy was pulled off a list to come to the Olympics because they needed more athletes and how he was nowhere near the level of the other skaters. When he got on the ice it was clear how nervous he was and I thought he skated pretty well but the commentator kept saying "He's quite ambitious but he's not even going to come close to the other skaters." I thought it was so cool that his first big competition is at the Olympics and he landed all his twirly things so I was rather sad that the commentator wasn't a little more supportive and excited for the guy rather than picking him apart and continually pointing out how much he sucked compared to the others.

I never did stick around to the see the skeleton skater.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Dick Button has had 2 serious brain injuries - one from being the victim of a random mugging and beating in Central Park, and another time when he fell while skating in a public rink, fracturing his skull. He's a spokesperson for the Brain Injury Association of America. When I listen to him speak, I think he may still has some neurologic effects from his injuries.





Was it just me, or did anyone else think of "Fantasia" when that music came on?




Gosh, I missed that last night. I like Scotty Hamilton, but I wish he would stop that GRUNTING he does whenever the skaters land their jumps. Has anyone else notice that?

I am sorry to hear that about Dick Button, but in my mind he is past his prime for whatever reason to do commentating. I also find that many times, he is negative. So while I do apologize for sounding harsh (again I had no idea about all of this) I just think some of the comments get old. I admire that he's still in the game but when I said he was in knots, I was referring to him sort of dissing the Russian and then when Costas had them play the tape of the Russian guy saying he wants to be like Dick Button, he had to backtrack.

I do hear that grunt of Scott Hamiltons and I like him too but to me it sounds like he's either in pain or having a bm!