I’m not expecting you to love Rocketman as much as I did. I’m assuming you won’t, for the same reason I don’t expect most people to love Stéphane Lambiel’s 2005-2006 free skate choreography or R.E.M.’s Fables of the Reconstruction as much as I do. It’s a good movie, although not objectively the best movie I’ve… Continue reading Pop Songs for the Gleefully Strange: Why I Love Rocketman
Great Skating Performances of 2018-19: The Breakthroughs
The sun is shining, my taxes are due soon, and another season of figure skating is in the books. (We still have the World Team Trophy to go, but its format is so different from most skating events that it feels more like a year-end party than a real competition.) That means it’s time to… Continue reading Great Skating Performances of 2018-19: The Breakthroughs
2019 World Junior Championships Preview: Ice Dance
We’re less than a week away from Junior Worlds, and if you didn’t spend September enjoying the soothing tones of Ted Barton’s Junior Grand Prix commentary, you’re probably wondering who most of these skaters are. Even if you did catch some of the JGP, there’s a good chance that you’ve forgotten by now, or that… Continue reading 2019 World Junior Championships Preview: Ice Dance
Why I Am Still a (Smug) Patriots Fan
I am going to watch the Super Bowl today, and I am going to enjoy it. My favorite NFL team, the New England Patriots, pulled off their customary playoffs rally, combining their unparalleled strategic acumen with the football equivalent of inflated program components scores. They are the most hated team in the NFL, and I… Continue reading Why I Am Still a (Smug) Patriots Fan
Some Notes on the John Coughlin Situation
I wasn’t all that angry until I saw the red hats. The pairs skaters were wearing them in the Kiss and Cry during the short program at US Nationals. Not all the pairs skaters – specifically, Dalilah Sappenfield’s students. They’re Kansas City Chiefs hats, in tribute to the late John Coughlin and his favorite football… Continue reading Some Notes on the John Coughlin Situation
2019 US Nationals Preview: Championship Ice Dance
Welcome to the third installment of The Finer Sports’ 2019 US National Championships preview! In this one, I’ll take a deep dive into the 12 ice dance teams competing at the senior level this year. For more information on how these previews are structured, see Part 1 of my Ladies’ Preview. Ice dance is the… Continue reading 2019 US Nationals Preview: Championship Ice Dance
2019 US Nationals Preview: Championship Ladies Part 2
Welcome to the second part of my senior ladies’ preview for 2019 US Nationals! If you missed part one, you should read that first, not only to learn about the athletes from the first half of the alphabet, but to see more detail on how I structure my previews. There are 18 ladies competing at… Continue reading 2019 US Nationals Preview: Championship Ladies Part 2
2019 US Nationals Preview: Championship Ladies Part 1
The US Figure Skating Championships are nigh. Elsewhere on the figure skating internet the hype train is revving up and the speculation mills are turning, but here at The Finer Sports, I’m reserving my opinions on whether this season’s ladies’ National Champion will even be old enough for Junior Worlds and previewing every competitor in… Continue reading 2019 US Nationals Preview: Championship Ladies Part 1
Japanese Nationals Start Orders
The start order for the ladies is up in Japanese but not in English, and it looks like live scoring will proceed on the Japanese results site but not the English site. If, like me, you took a Totally Planned afternoon nap and want to see how much of Nationals you can get through before… Continue reading Japanese Nationals Start Orders
22 Memorable Performances from 2018-19 US Sectionals
I love watching Sectionals. For the most part, the second round of American national qualifying events presents a lower level of skating than a major international competition, but that’s part of the fun. Many of the athletes will consider their season a success if they secure a spot at Nationals – and some are shocked… Continue reading 22 Memorable Performances from 2018-19 US Sectionals