Tara Lipinski

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Feels like they have been on forever. I'd love to hear from a fresh voice.

As another poster said, they started as the main skating analysts in the 2014-2015 season. Scott Hamilton started working as a TV analyst in 1985, so he lasted 30 years. I would say they will be around at least another decade.

Feels like a lot longer than 12 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just have never been a fan of Tara, even when she was a teen.

I feel now she focuses overly on the technique when her technique wasn't very good as a figure skater. She could land the jumps, but they weren't very high and she skated like she was still on roller skates which is where she started her career.

I feel she gives off teen vibes and she is living the childhood she didn't have because she was so busy skating....she comes across as very superficial to me.

I miss the days when Dick Button and Paul Hamilton did the commentary, they were more insightful and intelligent in their assessments.

I’m guessing you are over 60 with your reference to Dick Button (who is deceased and stopped Olympic commentary in 2010). This happens in every sport, there comes a time where the older commentators retire to make way for more recently retired athletes who have more insight into the current state of the sport and are more recognizable names to the audience. Tara and Johnny do a great job.

+1. Dick Button and *SCOTT* Hamilton obviously contributed a lot to this sport, but they are from different eras. Tara and Jonny are closer to understanding the expectations and pressures of this era, but even they weren’t part of the quad era. That said, Tara set the tone for triple-triple jump combinations being an expectation, not just a possibility, for women. And Jonny was a pioneer on the artistic/component side for the men, paving the way for Jason Brown.

How long until Tara and Jonny are replaced by younger former skaters?

Ashley Wagner and Adam Rippon are nipping at their heels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Feels like they have been on forever. I'd love to hear from a fresh voice.

As another poster said, they started as the main skating analysts in the 2014-2015 season. Scott Hamilton started working as a TV analyst in 1985, so he lasted 30 years. I would say they will be around at least another decade.

Feels like a lot longer than 12 years.

I think it's because their commentary often feels snarky and immature. It was fine a decade ago, but I would expect them to mature a bit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just have never been a fan of Tara, even when she was a teen.

I feel now she focuses overly on the technique when her technique wasn't very good as a figure skater. She could land the jumps, but they weren't very high and she skated like she was still on roller skates which is where she started her career.

I feel she gives off teen vibes and she is living the childhood she didn't have because she was so busy skating....she comes across as very superficial to me.

I miss the days when Dick Button and Paul Hamilton did the commentary, they were more insightful and intelligent in their assessments.

I’m guessing you are over 60 with your reference to Dick Button (who is deceased and stopped Olympic commentary in 2010). This happens in every sport, there comes a time where the older commentators retire to make way for more recently retired athletes who have more insight into the current state of the sport and are more recognizable names to the audience. Tara and Johnny do a great job.

+1. Dick Button and *SCOTT* Hamilton obviously contributed a lot to this sport, but they are from different eras. Tara and Jonny are closer to understanding the expectations and pressures of this era, but even they weren’t part of the quad era. That said, Tara set the tone for triple-triple jump combinations being an expectation, not just a possibility, for women. And Jonny was a pioneer on the artistic/component side for the men, paving the way for Jason Brown.

How long until Tara and Jonny are replaced by younger former skaters?

Ashley Wagner and Adam Rippon are nipping at their heels.

I would tune in for them.

I muted Tara and Jonny a lot this time around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just have never been a fan of Tara, even when she was a teen.

I feel now she focuses overly on the technique when her technique wasn't very good as a figure skater. She could land the jumps, but they weren't very high and she skated like she was still on roller skates which is where she started her career.

I feel she gives off teen vibes and she is living the childhood she didn't have because she was so busy skating....she comes across as very superficial to me.

I miss the days when Dick Button and Paul Hamilton did the commentary, they were more insightful and intelligent in their assessments.

I’m guessing you are over 60 with your reference to Dick Button (who is deceased and stopped Olympic commentary in 2010). This happens in every sport, there comes a time where the older commentators retire to make way for more recently retired athletes who have more insight into the current state of the sport and are more recognizable names to the audience. Tara and Johnny do a great job.

+1. Dick Button and *SCOTT* Hamilton obviously contributed a lot to this sport, but they are from different eras. Tara and Jonny are closer to understanding the expectations and pressures of this era, but even they weren’t part of the quad era. That said, Tara set the tone for triple-triple jump combinations being an expectation, not just a possibility, for women. And Jonny was a pioneer on the artistic/component side for the men, paving the way for Jason Brown.

How long until Tara and Jonny are replaced by younger former skaters?

Ashley Wagner and Adam Rippon are nipping at their heels.

They do come off as the bootleg version of Tara and Johnny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just have never been a fan of Tara, even when she was a teen.

I feel now she focuses overly on the technique when her technique wasn't very good as a figure skater. She could land the jumps, but they weren't very high and she skated like she was still on roller skates which is where she started her career.

I feel she gives off teen vibes and she is living the childhood she didn't have because she was so busy skating....she comes across as very superficial to me.

I miss the days when Dick Button and Paul Hamilton did the commentary, they were more insightful and intelligent in their assessments.

I’m guessing you are over 60 with your reference to Dick Button (who is deceased and stopped Olympic commentary in 2010). This happens in every sport, there comes a time where the older commentators retire to make way for more recently retired athletes who have more insight into the current state of the sport and are more recognizable names to the audience. Tara and Johnny do a great job.

+1. Dick Button and *SCOTT* Hamilton obviously contributed a lot to this sport, but they are from different eras. Tara and Jonny are closer to understanding the expectations and pressures of this era, but even they weren’t part of the quad era. That said, Tara set the tone for triple-triple jump combinations being an expectation, not just a possibility, for women. And Jonny was a pioneer on the artistic/component side for the men, paving the way for Jason Brown.

How long until Tara and Jonny are replaced by younger former skaters?

Ashley Wagner and Adam Rippon are nipping at their heels.

I would tune in for them.

I muted Tara and Jonny a lot this time around.

They have a podcast and a YouTube channel

[Anonymous]

I thought Rippon was just awful on the Netflix Glitter and Gold show.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just have never been a fan of Tara, even when she was a teen.

I feel now she focuses overly on the technique when her technique wasn't very good as a figure skater. She could land the jumps, but they weren't very high and she skated like she was still on roller skates which is where she started her career.

I feel she gives off teen vibes and she is living the childhood she didn't have because she was so busy skating....she comes across as very superficial to me.

I miss the days when Dick Button and Paul Hamilton did the commentary, they were more insightful and intelligent in their assessments.

I’m guessing you are over 60 with your reference to Dick Button (who is deceased and stopped Olympic commentary in 2010). This happens in every sport, there comes a time where the older commentators retire to make way for more recently retired athletes who have more insight into the current state of the sport and are more recognizable names to the audience. Tara and Johnny do a great job.

+1. Dick Button and *SCOTT* Hamilton obviously contributed a lot to this sport, but they are from different eras. Tara and Jonny are closer to understanding the expectations and pressures of this era, but even they weren’t part of the quad era. That said, Tara set the tone for triple-triple jump combinations being an expectation, not just a possibility, for women. And Jonny was a pioneer on the artistic/component side for the men, paving the way for Jason Brown.

How long until Tara and Jonny are replaced by younger former skaters?

Ashley Wagner and Adam Rippon are nipping at their heels.

I would tune in for them.

I muted Tara and Jonny a lot this time around.

Yeah, not really into their “show”. They make it too much about them, their outfits, etc. Don’t care.

[Anonymous]

Ashley Wagner has improved tremendously in the last year. Her commentary in ice dance in particular during the “regular season” was very good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How does someone know enough about her to know she packed 11 suitcases but not be able to figure out why? She’s an on-camera commentator for the most popular Olympic event and is known for her style.

Ridiculous post.

YOU are ridiculous. not everyone who goes as a commentator packs that many suitcases.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Materialistic and superficial

Most rich, show-biz people are.

Figure skating is also a sport that rewards the superficial. What skaters do is amazing, and it takes a ton of strength, flexibility, dedication, and practice to get to the Olympic level, especially in a country like the US where there is a lot of competition. But it's also a judged sport where people wear skimpy and dramatic costumes while competing to self-selected music and doing choreography. There's a ton of superficiality in the sport, and the skaters who play into that do better than those who ignore it (or have the bad luck of having the "wrong" appearance in a sport that wants women to be pretty, delicate princesses who can also do triple jumps while smiling and not losing a false eyelash.

It has the guts and risk of, say, Olympic snowboard halfpipe, but then you also have to have the looks and makeup skills of a Moulin Rouge showgirl.

I am not surprised that a figure skating champion would grow up to be a 40-something woman who wears a pound of makeup daily, reps Botox, has extensions and highlights, and overpacks for a job. It's what she knows. Probably a relief to know she doesn't have to do all that AND perform a triple-triple and then wait for it to be evaluated in the kiss & cry.

Sad she hasn't grown up

She's playing a part and having fun with it. She spun her Olympic skating career into a broadcasting gig with another skater, who happens to be her friend. She has a lot of technical knowledge and is a great commentator. Good for her.

Ok good for her. No one questioning her skills. Just the suitcases.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Probably because she’s on air almost every day covering ice skating with Johnny Weir and part of their whole thing is fabulous looks each day along with truly very good commentary and insight.

As far as I can tell, 95% of the Olympics coverage has been curling & biathalon. Both of which are bad TV.

She's barely shown in the coverage.

This!

Yep

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:she was 14 when she won and the reason why the Olympics raised the age. She was technically perfect but so stilted, it was hard to watch. I do love her as a commentator though.

Oh that's right she was.
They should up the age to 21.

[Anonymous]

I would take Ashley Wagner and Scott Hamilton as the main figure skating commentators in a heartbeat. I feel they work harder at their jobs than just caring about their sparkly outfits.

[Anonymous]

I also really liked having Tracy Wilson back for ice dance, I missed hearing her intelligent and spot on commentary.