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I've decided that I can't watch figure skating anymore. I used to be a huge figure skating fan -- I even skated for a while (poorly) -- but I can't watch it now. I don't even want to watch it now.
It's the judging, you see.
The judging scandal a few years back put me off, and it wasn't even because a Canadian pair was involved. I don't particularly like them, to be honest. The scandal, though, just really punched up the fact that judged sports are always going to be a problem. Or problems. Problems in taste or preference, problems in definition, but most of all problems in politics. People can be bought off or swayed; computer-operated timers can't.
At least not yet.
Politics in competition makes me distrust what I think I know about the competition, which in turn makes me not care about the competition. Yeah, I'm sure it's just a me thing, but as soon as I start to suspect the judging I don't really want to get emotionally involved in a sport. Not that I get emotionally involved in sports much at the best of times, but it makes me care even less than I normally do.
It's been a few years for me and figure skating, so I figured I'd give the new Olympic team event a try. Neat dynamic in that, by the way. Seeing the skaters acting as a team does change things up, and I hope they keep the event in the Games. Anyway, I started watching the team event even though the commentators were driving me nuts, and was almost on the cusp of thinking about enjoying it... and then the accusations started again. Collusion between the Russian and the American judges to keep the Canadian team from medalling.
Ok, then. I'm done. I don't even care if there's any truth to the matter. If that sport hasn't bothered to clean itself up after all these years, then I don't need to bother with it.
I'm not saying I won't watch any judged sport, since I've rather been enjoying some of the freestyle events. Just that given the choice between people in costumes jumping to music and
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See? I can still blather. Bonus points for a blather on sports, since I'm so much not a sports person. Back to work now, though. See you next month.
Kidding. See you tomorrow, probably.
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