Does anyone else think the Americans won the ice dancing last night?

[joeybee12]

Second question--does anyone care?

I really thought their performance far superior to the Russians who won, despite the 2 small flaws. The second best performance was by the Italians, who were too far down for the judges to give them decent scores. The Ukranians didn't deserve third.

All in all, the fix was in. But the Americans know to keep their mouths shut and wait for their turn on top of the podium. Unlike other figure skaters, ice dancers will stay on top for a dozen years or so, and if they play the game, they are eventually rewarded.

[HuckleB]

1. Well...

I can't bear to watch ice dancing, so I guess I don't care, and I certainly have no opinion on the matter.

[joeybee12]

2. So...you decided to only answer my second question, eh? n/t

[HuckleB]

14. Indeed.

Are there no Brazilian ice dancers?

[joeybee12]

15. Guess not...but you can always sign a petition!

[HuckleB]

18. There's a petition?

Sweet,

[joeybee12]

24. I'll try to find the link, or you can go to Carnival next year

and beg!

[HuckleB]

27. Now that I can do!

[joeybee12]

29. And remember they speak Portugese, not Spanish...Bart Simpson

learned that the hard way!

[HuckleB]

30. Oh, I know.

I've spent time in Portugal. If you can't find the word in Portuguese, try English. No matter what you do, do not speak Spanish!

[joeybee12]

31. I think the language of love might work, too! n/t

Incredibly beautiful people living down there!

[HuckleB]

32. Indeed.

I am married (happily) with children (well, one), however.

[Goblinmonger]

3. What I know about ice dancing

would fill a thimble. Half way. But I watched it to see if we would win a medal. I certainly thought the US routine was more enjoyable. I didn't want to gouge my eyes out like I did when I watched the Russians.

[joeybee12]

6. Technically, the Russians were flawless, but if they hand't been, the

excuse to give it to them would have been their "artistic interpretation." It was a given they would win--only a major fall would have given it to the Americans.

What made me want to gouge my eyes out were the Ukranians' costumes!

[Goblinmonger]

7. LOL

My 10-year-old son thought the tassles on the breasts was a little much.

[joeybee12]

9. Maybe it's a cultural thing, but most of the costumes, I thought,

were really way out there. In fact, the Russians and the Americans were the only ones that seemed appropriate. The Italians were okay except for the big diamond stuck in her forehead!

[1gobluedem]

4. They were really close

I thought the US team skated with more joy and enthusiasm but the Russians were very technically accomplished. I'm thrilled for Belbin and Agosto, though, especially since they train just ten miles from me.

I was waiting to see how the Italians would do; after Sunday night I was amazed they would even get on the same ice with each other again. But I guess they made up.

[joeybee12]

5. NBC made a big deal of their "feud" and "the stare"...

...they wouldn't even look at each other prior to their skate, but afterwards apparently made up.

[fishwax]

8. no and yes

I thought there scores might have been a little higher, and maybe their scores for last night should have been as high as the russians, but not with enough differential to overtake the lead ... i thought the russians were very good (and I wasn't expecting to like them when I saw the tired uniforms), and they were far enough ahead that they didn't have to be outstanding.

I'm with you on the Ukranians, though ...

[joeybee12]

10. Yeah, the US was closer to the Ukranians than to the Russians...

...the battle for silver was closer than it should have been. I just think what the Americans did was technically much more difficult...well, I guess they've only been together for a short time--they got lots to look forward to. They really almost brought ice dancing up to a real sport!

[Berry Cool]

20. The Americans have been together since 1998.

Hardly counts for a "short time."

Of course, it doesn't mean they don't have more to look forward to. They're young yet.

[joeybee12]

22. Yeah, but they were in the juniors until 2002...so the leap

to the top of the charts has been short. Compare it to the winning Russian woman, who was in her fourth Olympics!

[Ravenseye]

11. Anything where the costumes count towards the score...

...is not a sport.

[underpants]

12. Well then baseball and college basketball are out

[Ravenseye]

13. LOL

[Berry Cool]

21. The costumes don't count toward the score.

Seriously, they don't. You can only get deducted for them if the judges think they're inappropriate (which, to my mind, doesn't happen nearly often enough. Pasties with fringe?!?)

[lanlady]

16. yup, I agree

I was surprised at the low score; I think their program was more difficult and a bit better executed than the Russians. And I would have subtracted 10 points from the Ukrainians just for the tasteless costume with the pastie things.

[joeybee12]

23. As someone else noted above, perhaps the bigger surprise

was how close the Americans and Ukranians were...it was close for the silver, and it should not have been close at all.

[DaveinMD]

17. isn't that sport fixed

I think that was revealed last olympics.

[petronius]

19. But the twizzle, man, the twizzle! How can you get gold

when you pu a foot down in the twizzle!?!? (Ok, I really like saying "twizzle".) I thought the Americans were more compelling that the Russians, and there were a few others that I enjoyed even more, like the French peasants and the couple who did Carmen (I think it was), but I on't know nearly enough to say it was fixed or even poorly scored.

As for question 2, I cared last night, but I'm going to not think about ice dancing now for another four years...

[joeybee12]

25. Yeah, the twizzle really blew me away!

Actually, I had no clue she did that until they pointed it out afterwards. Still, their scores were far too low.

[theHandpuppet]

26. Don't know.... but the Ukranian couple who took the Bronze?????!!!

Damn, their performance was so slow and unimaginative it nearly put me to sleep! There were at least two other pairs who were much more deserving of the Bronze, IMHO.

I'm stating to think just being from any of the former Russian states automatically awards some skaters points they don't deserve!

[joeybee12]

28. It's because the Russian Mafia has a strngelhold on the sport...

...the judges and the whole organization is in on the fix. By getting the bronze the Ukranians are set to make a lot of money in exhibitions--and the judges and the mafia will get their cut.