NHK Trophy - Men's Discussion

[evergreen]

Congradulations Brian

[iloveskating]

I thought he look "off" in places. There was some stuff he did brilliantly and he looked better than ever but other spots where he seemed to be struggling, and that was before he fell.

Without seeing the protocols, it's difficult to know how many points that fall really cost him. The fall was messy and very disruptive to his footwork sequence which likely cost him at least one level, the fall would mean and automatic -3 GoE but without the level, we don't know how many points that translates into, plus -1.00 for the fall.

He has a stumble a few steps before he fell. I also beleive there were 1 or 2 small stumbles earlier in the program. Maybe he has (or needs) new boots or blades.

[berthesghost]

was that a SP or an exhibition? just abysmal.

I want my old Baboo back

MrBG thinks he borrowed the outfit from Nancy Kerrigan

[kwanette]

was that a SP or an exhibition? just abysmal.

I want my old Baboo back

MrBG thinks he borrowed the outfit from Nancy Kerrigan

Baby Baboo just for you..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSVzer72xqw

[rosiekins]

Wow, after watching the lugubrious ladies, I really appreciated how much energy these men have. Jeremy seems to skate in one giant, continuous movement. So elegant. And I'm not Brian J's biggest fan, but that SP was lots of fun and wow, does he attack! Johnny looks great...I'm so happy to see him skate clean. I love Dai. Bizarre fall, but he utilizes his whole body so well. Give the ladies whatever these boys are drinking!

[MarkusNJ]

Jeremy was sublime.....he looked rather awesome....light, fun, athletic, artistic.....maybe the change to Yuka was good!

I very much enjoyed the "Johnnyness" in Johnny's program. AND, he skated really well.

I do not understand why Joubert places high, it really does baffle me....

[aaronts]

only having watched Johnny & Jeremy, i'm extremely happy with both SPs. but when did Jeremy start doing some of Johnny better than Johnny (not to mention, possibly some of Michelle better than Michelle)? what's next, Adam skating to Otoñol and/or Aranjuez?

Jeremy looks hungry & confident. Evan's got the World championships on his back. IMO, Johnny MUST deliver at Nationals - no matter how well he does here. i'm not throwing in the respective fandom towel yet, but i'm not holding my breath either. i'm just hoping he puts out as much as he hopes to.

Booboo, Beebee, Jooboo,... whatever people call the cute french person with the disco leotards & mismatch schoolboy hairdo, he's still a poor man's Yagudin. he has the jumps, & the tired "do-it-itself" music, but i could care less. i'll watch him when live TV gives me no choice~

[berthesghost]

Booboo, Beebee, Jooboo,... whatever people call the cute french person with the disco leotards & mismatch schoolboy hairdo, he's still a poor man's Yagudin. he has the jumps, & the tired "do-it-itself" music, but i could care less. i'll watch him when live TV gives me no choice~

But it got worse while you were looking the other way: he stopped being the poor man's Yags ( like in Kwanette's vid) and now he's the poor man's Plushy, hip thrusts and choreographed mugging et all, like catching your dad hitting on the babysitter *shudder*

[iloveskating]

Here's what Jenny Kirk had to say about Brian's SP scores.

After Friday’s short program at the NHK Trophy, the international judges seem to be sending a clear message: They want to see Brian Joubert on the podium in Vancouver....It’s disheartening to see these results, and I’m sure it’s frustrating for skaters like Abbott and Weir who were artistically superior to Joubert at this event.

http://trueslant.com/jenniferkirk/20...ting/#more-922

[kittyjake5]

GO Adam and Artem!!!

[kittyjake5]

Congrats to Brian, Johnny and Michal.

[Shiprock]

Congrats to Brian and Johnny. I am so happy for them. Also the 3rd place finisher (Czech skater). I don't agree with Jenny (sorry) that Brian is not artistic. He just skated a powerful long program, you gotta have the guts and pizazz to pull off a skate to a powerful music (which he just did, btw). And, its about time Johnny pull off a long program with zest and confidence. This will be good for him going to U.S. Nat'l.

[MKPerfect6.0]

Johnny was cautious, but he did it and now he will have confidence. He looked very happy and I am happy for him.
Happy for Brian too, good job.
A few implosions that were unexpected. Sorry Jeremy.

Pheww...I was so nervous for Johnny.

[missmarysgarden]

only having watched Johnny & Jeremy, i'm extremely happy with both SPs. but when did Jeremy start doing some of Johnny better than Johnny (not to mention, possibly some of Michelle better than Michelle)? what's next, Adam skating to Otoñol and/or Aranjuez?

Jeremy looks hungry & confident. Evan's got the World championships on his back. IMO, Johnny MUST deliver at Nationals - no matter how well he does here. i'm not throwing in the respective fandom towel yet, but i'm not holding my breath either. i'm just hoping he puts out as much as he hopes to.

Booboo, Beebee, Jooboo,... whatever people call the cute french person with the disco leotards & mismatch schoolboy hairdo, he's still a poor man's Yagudin. he has the jumps, & the tired "do-it-itself" music, but i could care less. i'll watch him when live TV gives me no choice~

I agree with you about Brian - what's the big deal? His long program music just left me puzzled - terrible cuts, no cohesiveness - like the choreography was done first, and then he just picked bits of completely unrelated pieces from an old collection of discs and threw it together.

Other than his jumps, which he does still pull off - the program is just sort of nothing. There is no sit in his sit spins. He wasn't close to the horizontal position of the support leg requirement in any of his spins, nor were they particularly fast. His footwork is boring. There was no "fly" in his flying sit. I think that the jarring music and choreography were set up for long rests between jumps. The slow parts are mostly two foot skating around. I don't understand his scores at all.

[edenlover]

Johnny's speed and flow was much better, but what's with his jumps? He's got to get them back; I don't think he needs the quad as much as he needs his beautiful 3/3s and a three jump combo. I really enjoyed the program this time --and he should be proud. His FS score was about 14 points higher than in Russia.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for him at Nationals.

[cestlavie000000]

Congrats to Johnny who needed to do well and did pretty well. I am so proud he hit a 3 axel-3 toe. How long has it been since he has done that combo in competition? He had lots of fight as well---glad to see it. He has always had problems with that 3 loop....he should just change it to a 2a in a 3 jump combo a la Yu Na like Edenlover said.

I like Joubert...completely different than Johnny but his power and speed are unmatched. Brian's spins were pretty darn fast on my computer and his sit cannon ball position was really quite low....boy has wide hips..what are ya gonna do?

Jeremy (and the male Japanese skaters will come back)...he is such a beautiful skater and I love seeing him with Yuka!

I gotta watch the Czech boy's program but congrats to him .....highest LP TES score!

So I watched Brezina...great speed, good edges and fast rotation with height on jumps...down factor....lands with hunched shoulders...

[kwanette]

Thrilled that my full bladder allowed me to wake up for the final 4 men..

1. Loved Jeremy's costume..something from the Paul Wylie/Todd Eldredge collection..Every male skater should have it in his closet.
2.Felt bad for Dai..wonder if he will ever return to form after his surgery..
3. Johnny..I felt mesmerized by his skating..It may have been in my head..BUTT..it just seemed so quiet in the arena..He has a way of drawing you in..That said..up the tech content...please, Little Sparkly Boy..
4. Baboo...has the best hair do in men's skating..my mother would have loved that..When his jumps are there, they are things of beauty...BUTT..I don't get his PCS...anymore than I get Plushenko's...I do think that he has great presence on the ice...To me he skates "BIG"...and I also appreciate any skater who doesn't flap and flail...Still...

[bekalc]

I gotta watch the Czech boy's program but congrats to him .....highest LP TES score!

Brezina has a real future. HE should have been second here and won the long but was lowballed on PCS. He shouldn't get top PCS yet there are things to fix. But they should have been higher than what he got. He has absolutely incredible jumps light airy with beautiful landings. (am I the only one who thinks his landings remind me of Oda's) Wonderful soft knees. Potential musicality. He's 19, huge future.

[berthesghost]

Here's what Jenny Kirk had to say about Brian's SP scores.

http://trueslant.com/jenniferkirk/20...ting/#more-922

I swear I am not Jenny Kirk, nor do I play her on TV, nor do I ghost write her blogs... it's just a coincidence that we agree on everything, I swear.

[MKGrace]

Nice to see Brian come back from the Paris debacle with a win. And yeah Johnny!!! Hopefully this will help his confidence. Now it's time for him to go back and work on his technical content for Nationals.

[MKGrace]

I swear I am not Jenny Kirk, nor do I play her on TV, nor do I ghost write her blogs... it's just a coincidence that we agree on everything, I swear.

I'm tired of Jenny's blogs. Personally I don't need to read Jenny's take on every phase of every competition, so I don't read them.

[MKPerfect6.0]

Johnny will up his tech content. I think this second place is a huge victory for him. He was cautious on those jumps ...but now he knows he is capable of doing them so he will move forward from here. I know all this cuz I just spoke to him on the phone .. No, I'm just guessing here.


I was not all impressed with Brian. I believe his marks were too high.

So does Johnny get to go to GPF or is that still to be determined?

[kittyjake5]

I'm tired of Jenny's blogs. Personally I don't need to read Jenny's take on every phase of every competition, so I don't read them.

After reading Jenny's take on Joubert's SP in comparison to Jeremy's SP, I wonder if she will give equal time to Jeremy's LP in her next blog. lol

[berthesghost]

dork alert! lol Paul's breakfast spins comment was so nerdy

ETA: ok, that was just painful!

Baboo: the costume, the music, the whatever that is that's suppose to be choreo, the attitude... all just painful to watch
Brezina: ZZzzzzzz
Johnny: better. Not good enough, but better.
Dai: Ouch.
Adam: not so bad
Jer: painful to watch. Probably should have stuck with The Planets. Paul should keep his mouth shut.
Taka:

Overall, just a sad night of skating

[Dots]

OMG Jeremy!!! for a moment I thought I was watching Alissa He was either falling on his butt or underrotating jumps. How can someone's jumps go from good to FATAL?!?!?!?