<p>The secret judging was instuted to counteract the undue pressure being placed on judges to score according to traditional ranking instead of performance. No one could go against the prevailing way (Russian). New skaters finally had a chance when secret,random and high low elimination were brought in. If you doubt the scoring you should watch Tara and Johnny analyze the events. They were for the most part spot on with the judging. </p>
<p>The Canada vs. U.S. hockey game felt like the Gold Medal game. A great game with terrific defensive work. Lots of good scoring chances and some quality goaltending. The game on Sunday will likely be a letdown after this one.</p>
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<p>That’s so true. Other than Lipinski and Weir, I haven’t heard one other skater who agreed with the scoring. </p>
<p>I am a huge fan of Tara and Johnny also. I find Sandra so annoying, that drove me at first to watch the live events. So glad I did as I thoroughly enjoyed t&j. Even terry with them is pleasant. I agree the hockey announcer is great. I’m tired of the ‘fluff’ people like mary Carrillo and Matt Laurer and al roker living out their athletic dreams. I do like al michaels and bob costas, but really I would have loved Bonnie Blair on speed skating. Apolo ohno too. Blair was in the audience and when interviewed seemed to know it wasn’t the suits, but the way they trained. Put her in the the announcer seat! And they need help finding an analyst for the skiing. I just read an article that the ratings are much lower than Vancouver, but the time delay accounts for a lot of that. Who tunes in when they already know the results. </p>
<p>So many linas to keep track of! Adelina, Carolina! So far, no one has been saying a word about the third American lady in the competition - yet another …Lina. Polina Edmunds. What a lovely girl! When she matures as a skater, she will give the competition a serious run for their medas. </p>
<p>Bummer about the US hockey teams. So many around here were hoping for another miracle on ice - our men’s team creaming the Russians in the gold medal game. :(</p>
<p>Rio should pay attention.
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<p>I don’t know much about Johnny (other than that he is fashion fierce), but I think Tara is biased because her style of skating was similar to Sotnikova. She was all about the big jumps and, if irc, she was criticized for her lack of artistry. I think Sandra and Scott (the telecast that I watched) look at the whole package. If the skaters are purely judged on athleticism, I don’t think there would be much controversy. However, considering there is an artistic component score, it is highly suspect that Sotnikova out scored Kostner. </p>
<p>I thought Polina was great. </p>
<p>Tara and Johnny were more accurate live on analysis and placement. Johnny skated for the u.s. in 2006 and 2010 olympics. He was the U.S. champion in men’s in 2004, 2005, and 2006. I actually felt like I learned more about the judging process from them. I do like Scott Hamilton, just not Sandra talking over him. I am excited for our women’s team in the next olympics. Gold and Edmunds had strong showings. </p>
<p>What was annoying about Sandra Bezic’s commentary? She’s been involved in skating for years. First as a pairs competitor with her brother (from Canada) and as a choreographer (she choreographed routines for Tara Lipinski, Kristi Yamaguchi, and Brian Boitano among others). She’s a commentator on Canadian tv as well as in the US and directed the Stars on Ice programs that toured the US/Canada.</p>
<p>Brom field, IMO she talks over the other two, interrupting which I find annoying. She may have the knowledge, it is her delivery that I find annoying. Scott Hamilton just said on nbc the Russian was correctly given the gold, no controversy in his eyes at all. </p>
<p>I think the difference between the commentator groups is that primetime is a short version of a long event. The actual event stretches out over 20 skaters - 24 for the short program - and has breaks for warm-ups. This means Tara and Johnny can be quieter when it’s appropriate to watch and can talk when a performance doesn’t bear watching. And they get to talk over each skater’s slo-mo replay and don’t have to cram information in when you want to watch. They are also blunter and direct about their judgements, which nearly always agree with the judges. They also have the time to include comments about how the technical panel has graded the program. All in all, being on in the day, they are able to talk about the skating as skaters. Johnny’s comments are the kind of thing skaters say about each other. </p>
<p>That and none of Scott Hamilton’s howling.</p>
<p>Almost disappointed USA won the silver in the short track relay - I wanted them to go home knowing how disappointing they were. A total shutout.</p>
<p>“Brom field, IMO she talks over the other two, interrupting which I find annoying.” </p>
<p>Who was the other woman? I thought it was Peggy Fleming - but whoever it was she was practically screaming at the end of Kim’s performance and didn’t stop until well after the Russian girl was hugging everyone. </p>
<p>I loved Tara and Johnny (and Terrance) and I agree with Shiloh.'s post number ??? 
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<p>Emilybee, I first thought it was Dorothy Hamill! Her name is Sandra Bezic. </p>
<p>My favorite are the guys who announce for biathlon and it’s relatives. One has a deep, slow, easy-listening-radio voice, the other gets excited easily by a missed shot and always sounds a bit hoarse by the end. They know what’s going on and don’t feel the need to wax poetic. It’s Sandra Bezic’s poetic waxings that bug me.</p>
<p>Another pet peeve is announcers who call women girls. The ski half pipe announcer was one and they even mentioned that the youngest competitor was 20 (practically ancient compared to some others) but still called them all girls. </p>
<p>The comparison to Lupinsky is apt in another way. She was another technique-y youngster who came from nowhere to beat the artistically-gifted favorite, Michelle Kwan. I wasn’t happy about that one either. </p>
<p>Shiloh, Apolo Ohno did commentary for short track. </p>
<p>“Her name is Sandra Bezic.”</p>
<p>She was incredibly annoying. </p>
<p>I am not, in the least, qualified to judge, especially when there is virtually nothing between skaters. If they do a face plant on the ice, that’s a different story. </p>
<p>I loved the American ice dancers but there were people who thought the Canadians should have won. I liked Kim’s short program more than the Russian’s and vice versa in the long. </p>
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<p>Unless they are in fact girls, which is often the case in figure skating.</p>
<p>Gosh, I’m 50 something and refer to my friends as girls, as in, "I’m going out with the girls for lunch, or I’m playing Maj jongg with the girls, today, etc., etc., etc. </p>
<p>I don’t mind people who call women girls, as long as they call men boys in the same situation. I have yet to hear a commentator call the male Olympic athletes boys.</p>