How Much Will We Enjoy Team Figure Skating? Let Me Count the Ways...

Sorry for the long gap between posts; I’ve been checking page proofs and compiling an index for Skating on Air (the book that’s promoted on the left side of your screen) so we can get this out on the market already. Which means I’m making “crucial” decisions such as the one you’ll see when you go here… (remember, it’s not to late to cast a vote!)

Anyway… last week you might have heard that a figure skating team event has officially been added to the 2014 Sochi Olympic lineup. The first time this concept came up in skating conversation, I didn’t join in… preferring instead to roll my eyes, and hope that the idea was just something Ottavio Cinquanta came up with when he enjoyed hearing the sound of his own voice in his head a little too long. But obviously it was a futile hope on my part!

So… indulge me for a few minutes as I play with this idea a little bit before taking it seriously. Because when I take it seriously, I’m headed back to the negative thoughts I first had about it—that it’s being done more to benefit the USOC and the ISU than the competitors themselves, and may possibly water down the importance of an athlete’s individual performance. But I digress… back to playing with the idea!

TOP FIVE THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO WITH TEAM FIGURE SKATING COMPETITION AT THE OLYMPICS:

5) The rulebook that’s sure to follow will make an excellent and thoughtful follow-up, now that the skating community has spent the past several years committing the entire IJS handbook to memory.

4) It’ll be exciting to hear what will constitute a “foul” in the team event, and if skaters who do too many catch-foot anythings will be benched. (Or in this case, put in the penalty box?)

3) If the network that gets the Olympics (still undetermined at this time) pitches the event as “U.S. vs. the World,” it’ll feel like an Ice Wars reunion!

2) Since Take Me Out to the Ball Game is played during the 7^th-inning stretch at baseball games, maybe we look forward to an audience participation sing-along of Carmen about ¾ of the way into the team event!

And 1)… Two words: Awesome uniforms!!! (I'm thinking the U.S. team could sport something like Scott Hamilton wore at the '84 Games [see above]... sequin-free and very patriotic... who's with me??)