I'm really not a sports fanatic...
Oct. 16th, 2005 10:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
heavenly_pearl...I just sound like one. ^_^
No, really, I'm only interested in two sports -- figure skating and baseball. All other sports bore me to death. (Unless it happens to be an Olympic year, that is.)
And as it so happens, I got to watch both today, making a very happy Yume.
First up was the Campbell's International Figure Skating Challenge at noon. Man, you have no idea how relieved I was when I saw the commericial for it yesterday. I was beginning to think that ABC wouldn't show any skating this year -- they significantly cut back on their coverage last year, not even showing the world championships -- but in addition to today, they will be airing the ladies' and pairs' competition of Skate America over the next two weekends, so that makes me happy. I just don't know why in the world they decided to air the pairs' competition since the U.S. is very weak in pairs. I would rather see the dance competition with Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto *crosses fingers that Tanith will get her citizenship in time to compete at the Olympics,* but whatever. I'll take what I can get.
Anyway, the competition. Well, I hate to say it, but the mens' competition stunk, and I don't understand why they decided to show Evan Lycacek's and Johnny Weir's programs over Michael Weiss' and Timothy Goebel's, the two Americans who actually got on the podium. (The winner was Japan's Takeshi Honda.) Sure, the up-and-comers Lycacek and Weir had good seasons last year and are favorites for making the Olympic team, but Weiss and Goebel are right up there as well. If ABC only planned to show three of the men's programs, they should have chosen the top three. It just makes good sense. Nobody wants to see badly skated programs for the fourth and sixth place skaters, although considering that everybody was fairly bad, I guess it doesn't matter that much. I just really wanted to see Michael Weiss. *pouts*
The ladies were somewhat better, at least. Not brilliant, but at least Sasha Cohen (1st) and Kimmie Meissner (2nd) skated well, only making a few minor mistakes. Together with Michelle Kwan, who wasn't there because of a hip injury but still plans to compete at Skate America, I think the ladies' U.S. Olympic team will be really strong this year assuming that Meissner makes it on. Kwan and Cohen are virtual locks, but Meissner, who has a triple axel in her arsenal, is my favorite for the third spot.
Then at around four, Game 4 of the NLCS started.
It was a rather exciting game, especially near the end. Boy, were the Cardinals frustrated. ^_^ In the seventh inning, their manager Tony LaRussa was ejected from the game for arguing with the umpire who gave Lamb a walk, giving us bases loaded (we only got one run, though), then Edmonds was taken out of the game while he was still at bat in the eighth for cussing out that same umpire for a strike call he didn't like. The bottom of the ninth was nerve-wrecking, though. We were leading 2-1 and only had to stop them from scoring any more runs to end the game, but they almost managed to score twice. If it wasn't for that awesome double play at the end, they probably would have scored, but we managed to squeak out another victory in the end.
Only one more game and the Astros will be going on to the World Series!
*crosses fingers*
No, really, I'm only interested in two sports -- figure skating and baseball. All other sports bore me to death. (Unless it happens to be an Olympic year, that is.)
And as it so happens, I got to watch both today, making a very happy Yume.
First up was the Campbell's International Figure Skating Challenge at noon. Man, you have no idea how relieved I was when I saw the commericial for it yesterday. I was beginning to think that ABC wouldn't show any skating this year -- they significantly cut back on their coverage last year, not even showing the world championships -- but in addition to today, they will be airing the ladies' and pairs' competition of Skate America over the next two weekends, so that makes me happy. I just don't know why in the world they decided to air the pairs' competition since the U.S. is very weak in pairs. I would rather see the dance competition with Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto *crosses fingers that Tanith will get her citizenship in time to compete at the Olympics,* but whatever. I'll take what I can get.
Anyway, the competition. Well, I hate to say it, but the mens' competition stunk, and I don't understand why they decided to show Evan Lycacek's and Johnny Weir's programs over Michael Weiss' and Timothy Goebel's, the two Americans who actually got on the podium. (The winner was Japan's Takeshi Honda.) Sure, the up-and-comers Lycacek and Weir had good seasons last year and are favorites for making the Olympic team, but Weiss and Goebel are right up there as well. If ABC only planned to show three of the men's programs, they should have chosen the top three. It just makes good sense. Nobody wants to see badly skated programs for the fourth and sixth place skaters, although considering that everybody was fairly bad, I guess it doesn't matter that much. I just really wanted to see Michael Weiss. *pouts*
The ladies were somewhat better, at least. Not brilliant, but at least Sasha Cohen (1st) and Kimmie Meissner (2nd) skated well, only making a few minor mistakes. Together with Michelle Kwan, who wasn't there because of a hip injury but still plans to compete at Skate America, I think the ladies' U.S. Olympic team will be really strong this year assuming that Meissner makes it on. Kwan and Cohen are virtual locks, but Meissner, who has a triple axel in her arsenal, is my favorite for the third spot.
Then at around four, Game 4 of the NLCS started.
It was a rather exciting game, especially near the end. Boy, were the Cardinals frustrated. ^_^ In the seventh inning, their manager Tony LaRussa was ejected from the game for arguing with the umpire who gave Lamb a walk, giving us bases loaded (we only got one run, though), then Edmonds was taken out of the game while he was still at bat in the eighth for cussing out that same umpire for a strike call he didn't like. The bottom of the ninth was nerve-wrecking, though. We were leading 2-1 and only had to stop them from scoring any more runs to end the game, but they almost managed to score twice. If it wasn't for that awesome double play at the end, they probably would have scored, but we managed to squeak out another victory in the end.
Only one more game and the Astros will be going on to the World Series!
*crosses fingers*