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Giannawannabe
Guest
I think he’s a little over the top with the criticism of the skaters. Sometimes he’s downright mean. It’s about time he retired, IMHO
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mary_bobo
Guest
Sometimes telling the truth sounds mean. He is certainly very able to critique a skater and perhaps he is telling it like it is for those of us who do not know the intricacies of the sport.I think he’s a little over the top with the criticism of the skaters. Sometimes he’s downright mean. It’s about time he retired, IMHO
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aurora77
Guest
From my perspective, it sounded like he hated everyone. None of the skaters could live up to his expectations. My favorite was when he said that Pleshenko won his gold medal by bamboozling the judges. How tacky! Honest critiquing is one thing, this guy was just over the top.
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Giannawannabe
Guest
Oh yes!! That WAS over the top. He was even embarrassingly critical of the skaters’ outfits and body shapes!!! The other commentators never seemed to respond to him. I’d rather see Scott Hamilton take over the top commentator job.
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wisdom_3_5
Guest
I thought the skating was not up to the usual standards myself. Especially the pairs skating. Many of the comments (about skating) he made I made too and I’m not that into the sport. There was just alot of sloppy skating going on. I suppose he was disappointed and was maybe trying to shake things up in this respect.
As far as Plushenko bamboozling the judges, well, isn’t that part of the “sport”? I think the skaters are more like performers than athletes and no one wants to see a performer that is not confident.
The comments on the figures of the skaters was inappropriate.
As far as Plushenko bamboozling the judges, well, isn’t that part of the “sport”? I think the skaters are more like performers than athletes and no one wants to see a performer that is not confident.
The comments on the figures of the skaters was inappropriate.
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UtahMaggie
Guest
My husband even noticed that his comments were over the top and down right rude. It was driving him bonkers :whacky:
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Giannawannabe
Guest
Dick’s gold medals were in 1948 and 1952. In his day they didn’t even do triple jumps (maybe not even double jumps). It drives me crazy when he talks about how sloppy jumps are, how tired a skater looks, or how their program is not creative and “flowing” enough. My goodness. Some of the worst ladies’ programs in this Olympics would have beat his program in 1952 HANDS DOWN!!! Not that he’s not qualified to do commentary, but sheesh!!! One Finnish skater, who has competed in 3 Olympics really got criticized by Button—he said something like she shouldn’t even go to the practice rink if she didn’t change her routine. 
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ElizabethAnne
Guest
wisdom 3:5:
That said, I thought both Dick Button and Peggy Fleming were just downright mean throughout the competition. It is one thing to say that the performance is disappointing, but when Mr. Button went on and on about how he was disappointed in a female skater, I thought it was totally inappropriate. It’s one thing to say, “I don’t like that position” or “Other skaters have had a better position on this move” and quite another to say “This position is completely unacceptable.” Unacceptable to whose standards? Apparently Mr. Button’s, which aren’t necessarily held by the judges.
In general I thought they were holding all of the skaters up to standards they just couldn’t meet. There are only a few skaters who have mastered every move, have the benefit of good choreographers, and are consistent. They actually don’t need the complete package for me to enjoy their performance.
I yell at my TV, “Hey, Mr. Button, they can’t ALL win the gold medal, so why don’t you just be quiet for a couple of minutes so I can enjoy the program without needing to mute out you AND the music.”
Then, I realize he can’t hear me and do my best to tune him out.
I completely agree!
That said, I thought both Dick Button and Peggy Fleming were just downright mean throughout the competition. It is one thing to say that the performance is disappointing, but when Mr. Button went on and on about how he was disappointed in a female skater, I thought it was totally inappropriate. It’s one thing to say, “I don’t like that position” or “Other skaters have had a better position on this move” and quite another to say “This position is completely unacceptable.” Unacceptable to whose standards? Apparently Mr. Button’s, which aren’t necessarily held by the judges.
In general I thought they were holding all of the skaters up to standards they just couldn’t meet. There are only a few skaters who have mastered every move, have the benefit of good choreographers, and are consistent. They actually don’t need the complete package for me to enjoy their performance.
I yell at my TV, “Hey, Mr. Button, they can’t ALL win the gold medal, so why don’t you just be quiet for a couple of minutes so I can enjoy the program without needing to mute out you AND the music.”
Then, I realize he can’t hear me and do my best to tune him out
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Potato1
Guest
I am so glad others noticed this my wife and I were in stiches over the commentating on the olympics this year. It was down right entertaining (not in a good way) Part of it has to do with the obsurity of some of the sports (not iceskating) and people like mary carrillo (a brilliant tennis commentator) talking and analizing sports that she or others don’t know so well. So there was plenty of the Duh! statements. You know, “He really needs to ski fast to get this Gold.”
The ice skating was a whole different deal. All three commentators were the worst I had ever heard. Peggy, was rude and negative, Dick the same, and scott was just plain annoying the way he would scream at every jump. "and here she goes, she…LANDED(MISSED) it. Like somebody was sitting behind him with a cattle prod. Also, I often confused his voice with Peggy’s.
The ice skating was a whole different deal. All three commentators were the worst I had ever heard. Peggy, was rude and negative, Dick the same, and scott was just plain annoying the way he would scream at every jump. "and here she goes, she…LANDED(MISSED) it. Like somebody was sitting behind him with a cattle prod. Also, I often confused his voice with Peggy’s.
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saggal
Guest
While I completely agree with your assessment of Dick Button, I feel the need to point out that Sandra Bezic, not Peggy Fleming, was his female broadcasting partner during the Turino Olympics.
I fondly remember Miss Fleming’s 1968 gold medal performance in Grenoble, and seeing her skate a few months later in Detroit.
I fondly remember Miss Fleming’s 1968 gold medal performance in Grenoble, and seeing her skate a few months later in Detroit.
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4HisChurch
Guest
I kept thinking it was Peggy Fleming too, until I noticed my captioning was identifying her as “Sandra”.
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Lonevoice
Guest
He was getting on my nerves too.
The whole time I was listening to him talk, I was thinking that he should drag his old butt out there and pull off a triple or two. It really took away from the enjoyment for me. Nice to know that it wasn’t just me that he was bugging.
The whole time I was listening to him talk, I was thinking that he should drag his old butt out there and pull off a triple or two. It really took away from the enjoyment for me. Nice to know that it wasn’t just me that he was bugging.
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chicago
Guest
On the one hand, I missed Dick Button when he wasn’t on during the last couple of Olympics (as his contract was still with ABC). His insight and experience is something I value. OTOH, I suppose that the producers at NBC likely “encouraged” him to be extra controversial. Which probably doesn’t play so well considering figure skating’s audience.
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