Memorable Commentator Reactions | Page 5 | Golden Skate

Memorable Commentator Reactions

iluvtodd

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 5, 2004
Country
United-States
Scott Hamilton's reactions to Kurt Browning's disasters at the Olympics... in 1992 during the LP when Verne Lundquist asks as Kurt pops one of many jumps: "Is it over?" Scott, totally gutted: "I think it is." sticks out most in my mind, though.

:cry: :cry: :cry:
 

skatingfan4ever

"Our blade takes us in the most amazing places."
Medalist
Joined
Nov 3, 2012
Country
United-States
Speaking of Rod Black, here's Patrick's 2012 Nationals SP:

Right after the music ends: "Can you say perfection?!"

As Patrick is bowing: "We're not worthy."

Waiting for the scores: "You know under the old judging system they used to have 6.0s for perfection. They don't have 6.0s anymore, but Patrick, we're gonna give you a 6.0."

Standings: "What can you say? Fill your own adjective in. Patrick Chan... [laugh of disbelief] Patrick, you still have to skate tomorrow, but I think you might not even have to skate with that lead. 101.33 - that's absolutely ridiculous!"

Wrap-Up: "101.33, or, 6.0. Patrick Chan, the Great One of men's figure skating."
 

skatingfan4ever

"Our blade takes us in the most amazing places."
Medalist
Joined
Nov 3, 2012
Country
United-States
British Eurosport after Patrick Chan's 2013 TEB SP:

Male: "Absolutely foot perfect, a beautiful seamless blend of the technical and the artistic. He was in the music, and we were there with him."

Female: "Well, I'm speechless, which isn't great when you're commentating, is it?" Then she says the program was absolutely mesmerizing and he skated it like an exhibition, and she was amazed by the transitions. She ends by saying, "I found something to say. I always do, don't I?"

Male: "I do know what you mean because when mastery is shown, there's nothing to say. It speaks for itself, doesn't it?"

Just before the score comes up, the male says, "Come on, judges. Let's beat 100. Come on."

In Michelle Kwan's 1998 Nationals LP, Peggy Fleming says, "What makes Michelle's skating so special is the way she takes the audience on her journey of emotions." Before the program started, Dick Button talked about the elegance and honesty of her skating. Then, after the 3Lz, Dick excitedly shouts, "Oh, wonderful, wonderful! What a joy!" Actually, all the commentary added to the experience of watching it. I love it all! And the SP commentary is all great too! Chills, from the programs and from the commentary!!!
 

koheikun90

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 25, 2010
“Look at that back leg, that is simply awful.” Dick Button 1996 Worlds reaction to Lu Meijia layback.
 

Osmond4gold

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 27, 2013
Well, since my friend BillNeal stole one of my all time favs., Scott Hamilton's ''Super-Human'' in describing Joannie ;), and the Brits, Tracey & Rod and Uncle Dick, have all been highlighted, but still, there is another that I think is worth mentioning. Ted Barton has such great insights that I could listen to him for hours, just for his knowledge alone. Hard to highlight just one as Ted is so generous, respectful and encouraging of all skaters regardless of nationality and quick to highlight something positive about each skater's performance, regardless of results.

A true gentleman Ted is, and an ambassador of the sport if there ever was one!
 

BillNeal

You Know I'm a FS Fan...
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 10, 2014
^ Ok O4G, here's one for you. Guess: "Well, to stick with your sales analogy, Catherine, it is about closing the deal. And she's certainly given it a good shot there." :)
 

Osmond4gold

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 27, 2013
^ Ok O4G, here's one for you. Guess: "Well, to stick with your sales analogy, Catherine, it is about closing the deal. And she's certainly given it a good shot there." :)

Okay bud, too easy as you have likely guessed, as I have viewed it at least 1000 times of the 54,000 views to date. KO's LP @ Worlds in Milan, and the newbies @ Eurosport who said, ''the best she has ever done previously at a WC, was 8th''...whada :confused: They seemed a bit unprepared to say the least. ;)
 

yude

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Nobunari Oda has been working as a commentator for a while now and I have many favorite comments from him. BUT I'd like to leave this here (maybe a little bit off topic), his reaction after seeing the medal ceremony of PC Olympics made me :cry: and :rofl2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Akn2PAgr5Dk
 

BillNeal

You Know I'm a FS Fan...
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 10, 2014
Okay bud, too easy as you have likely guessed, as I have viewed it at least 1000 times of the 54,000 views to date. KO's LP @ Worlds in Milan, and the newbies @ Eurosport who said, ''the best she has ever done previously at a WC, was 8th''...whada :confused: They seemed a bit unprepared to say the least. ;)

Ya, as much as I appreciate B.ESP commentary, they do have a few memorable flubs. Forget which competition, but I think they once announced "Patrick Chan...of China." :laugh: Also, in the battle for gold at 2013 4CC between Duhamel/Radford and Moore-Towers/Moscovitch, they incorrectly thought M-T/M had overtaken D/R after winning the free skate, even though the overall rank is shown as 2 for M-T/M at the end. I think they realized only after the full result table came out.
 

lesnar001

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 19, 2005
1993 World Pro Championships
Midori Ito - The Rose of Pain

Sandra Bezic's commentary on Midori Ito's triple axel

"That was unbelievable, I have never seen a woman jump like that in my life"

"I think that was the finest ever ever done"

This was from 25 years ago....
but I remember watching it like it was yesterday


....HERE WE GO!!!! :love: :rock: :hap10:
 

lesnar001

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 19, 2005
“Look at that back leg, that is simply awful.” Dick Button 1996 Worlds reaction to Lu Meijia layback.

Over the years, I think he said that many many times about many many layback spins :rofl:

I wish I could remember the US Nationals where his comment about a Swan Lake program was "Too much lake and not enough swan"

(It may have been about Kyoko Ina's LP when she skated singles as well as pairs but I am not sure and couldn't find it on Youtube)

edited to add:
....I located the youtube video it was 1995 Nationals

I misquoted Dick Button he actually said "I think it would help if there was a little more swan in this Swan Lake"

https://youtu.be/itr3_8E-m7w?t=361
 

russianfan

Match Penalty
Joined
Feb 4, 2017
Well, since my friend BillNeal stole one of my all time favs., Scott Hamilton's ''Super-Human'' in describing Joannie ;), and the Brits, Tracey & Rod and Uncle Dick, have all been highlighted, but still, there is another that I think is worth mentioning. Ted Barton has such great insights that I could listen to him for hours, just for his knowledge alone. Hard to highlight just one as Ted is so generous, respectful and encouraging of all skaters regardless of nationality and quick to highlight something positive about each skater's performance, regardless of results.

A true gentleman Ted is, and an ambassador of the sport if there ever was one!

Ted is a golden standard of a figure skating commentator.
 

anonymoose_au

Insert weird opinion here
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Country
Australia
Ted is a golden standard of a figure skating commentator.

I agree! Ted is the best! I feel like I learn something new whenever I listen to him and he's so respectful of all the skaters, even when they haven't had a good skate.

I'm looking forward to the Junior Season in large part because of him :D
 

TallyT

Record Breaker
Joined
Apr 23, 2018
Country
Australia
"With one single axel, one triple axel, Yuzuru Hanyu, double gold medalist, just gave a masterclass on what figure skating actually is." Belinda Noonan
 

BillNeal

You Know I'm a FS Fan...
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 10, 2014
More B.ESP love, this time for M/H:

"And the joy of skating together is clear for us all to see. Magnificent debut from Valentina and Ondrej!"

"Oh congratulations...golly, I had a tear in my eye after the short program, the same now. Wow..."

Their enthusiasm for this performance and partnership made me appreciate the occasion even more.
 

rinkside_user

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 5, 2016
I can't remember the particular event (probably a ladies GPF?) where Simon Reed of B.ESP eloquently excused himself and announced this is total rubbish and he can't accept the results. Very sophisticated way of infuriation.
 

rinkside_user

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 5, 2016
Already mentioned in another thread but it also fits here:

On Slutskaya:

Nicky Slater of B.ESP: "It's amazing. It's not just the elements. [...] Extreme precision but it's the content of the program as well. [...] The spins, the levels she's going for. [The SP] is packed with changes of edges and [...] changes of positions right through the program. When you look at how judges are marking short programs and you look at this short program, it is a lesson. If you took it to pieces, it is an absolute lesson in how to do it, according to what the judges are looking for. She's doing a parallel spin, but she's doing a change of position, then she does a change of edge. Even at the end seconds of the program she does a change of edge on the spin to once again, lift up the marks. But it's all done with that smile and that great personality."

ESPN commentators (who are they btw?): "She focuses on each element, making them more and more difficult: backward butterfly entrance into the flying camel, laying over and on the inside edge, maximizing every opportunity, including the catch position, to boost the level of difficulty. [...] Just a textbook on how to get more and more points. [...] Yet she approaches her skating with such joy. Like Alissa Czisny from Skate America said, she approaches it with a freshness. [...] It boggles the mind."
 

Ares

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 22, 2016
Country
Poland
British Eurosport guys reaction after Meryl Davis / Charlie White finished their Free Dance in 2009 World Championships. :agree: I remember getting goosebumps that night throughout Samson & Dalilah and since that day, they completely won me over and I also reckoned they are more likely than not going to be among the greatest in the future. I also did think that Davis / White & Virtue / Moir should have switched placements with Domnina / Shabalin & Belbin/ Agosto suscepting that ''wait your turn'' treatment. I recall being much more impressed by these two couples there than by Golden or Silver medallist with all due respect, but I guess my impression was the strongest in Free Dance where these also finished behind even if by a fraction of point . Curious trivia ... Davis / White placed 4th behind Virtue / Moir losing Bronze Medal by 0.04 of point despite beating them in 2 / 3 segments 4th in OD vs 6th and 3rd vs 3rd vs 4th in FD. In CD V/M were 3rd while D/W 4th. Davis / White though were quite behind in points after Compulsory Dance so this result weighed the most overall.

Here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68OsUDopjyQ&t=323s

''That was the business!'
''.. And everyone standing to applaud''
''For me this is the free dance of the night so far''
 

BillNeal

You Know I'm a FS Fan...
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 10, 2014
Tom Hammond of NBC on Yuna Kim- "And the crowd mesmerized during her skate, leaping to their feet. The coronation is complete. Long live the Queen!"
 
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