Brennan babbling in USA Today...

[Schmeck]

Another incoherent article by Brennan in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/brennan/2005-03-02-brennan-age-limit_x.htm

Is it Brennan, or is it a really lousy editor? I can't seem to follow the tangents she goes on these days!

[AxelAnnie22]

Bondo - I agree with your assessment. I read the first few lines and though, "Who is she talking about.......Jerry Rice, Joe Montana.....these are the kinds of people I want to see. A young surprise performance/game is always fun, but that isn't what keeps the fans coming back.

Also, I had a lot of trouble trying to follow where she was going with the article. It seemed quite disjointed.

As to skating, I think the sport could benefit from some age and jump restrictions. And, competing as both a Senior and Junior at the same time is nuts....to say nothing of doubly hard on young bodies. It is like playing football in both the NFL and AFL in the same season. :frus:

[Tapper]

I think she errs when she tries to support her POV by using Tara Lipinski and Oksana Baiul as good reasons why the age should be lowered.

[Snowflake3939]

If they lower the age limit, why even bother to have a Junior World Championship?

[jpeach]

How CB gets work I don't know.

She made her first journalistic mistake assuming I was on board with her view of liking the new and young in all sports. I am not at all. I mean, even Tiger was in college for a couple years playing amatuer golf before finally going pro.

In fact, when it comes to skating, it is my view that far from reduce age barriers, I think the sport could benefit from increasing them so that skaters don't go to Senior level before 15. Too many skaters are racing through the ranks without ever learning how to win. There are just too many incomplete skaters getting to the Senior level only to spend the rest of their career mid-pack after seeming to be the next big thing when they were coming up through the ranks.

Word, Bondo, from start to finish.

[BABYSKATES]

Christine Brennan's articles often appear incoherent. This has to be at least partly because of poor editing. Christine also seems to assume that she has universal agreement with what she says, which, in my opinion, is one of her biggest mistakes. At least in figure skating, we are used to the shiny new penny who makes a big splash when they move up to senior. Michelle was one of those as was Naomi, Tara, Sasha, Sarah and now Kimmie. Kimmie didn't steal Michelle's thunder, at least as far as the skating fans I know feel. I don't think skating fans (or really fans of most sports) are starving for a young face to be put on their sport. We have seen too many little hotshots come and go.

I agree with a lot that has been posted here. A lot of little phenoms will be, for all intents and purposes, done in by becoming seniors too soon. I would agree with age limits if they started sooner and restricted kids from pushing too far, too soon. Unfortunately, right now, the problem is that there are some junior aged skaters who are superior to most senior aged skaters. Some might win or place at the Olympics but because of their age, won't get to participate this time. If there were age limits that kept them from reaching the senior level until a certain age, that would make more sense. Allowing a skater to compete at the senior level at age 12 but restricting them from higher competition when they prove that they are the best seems kind of ridiculous. What are you protecting them from at that point? Look at how we do things here in the US. The 3 girls we sent to compete at Junior Worlds were all senior level competitors here. Our Junior National champion wasn't even an alternate. You are more likely to be able to compete at Junior internationals if you are a Senior competitor who is age eligible for juniors than if you are an age eligible junior competitor. In that way, it seems that the USFS encourages kids to hurry up to senior level. It might make more sense to award the junior internationals to skaters who are junior or novice competitors. That would keep younger girls down in junior and novice until they are age eligible for senior international events so that they can get junior international experience.

So now we have some young girls who have proven themselves worthy of Olympic level competition. People argue that they can wait until 2010 but who's to say they will still be healthy or as good as they are right now when that day finally comes along? The Growth Monster can be cruel and kids who are phenomenal now may be middle of the packers or lower later. Mao Asada has proven that she may well be the best female skater in the world today. If the Olympics are supposed to be a battle of the very best in the world, then the best in the world should be the ones participating.

[Isk8NYC]

Wasn't Sonya Henye held back from an early competition because of her age?

[loveskating]

Brennan is not very deep, is she?

Me, I love to see the young skaters and then follow them because I greatly enjoy seeing people fulfill their potential, to fully realize themselves...it has nothing to do with "youngness" per se! Nor do I ever prefer anyone because they are young. Take Kimmie...landing that 3 axel showed she has moxie, and her technique is very, very solid, plus she has a lovely, although still a bit coltish, line, ergo, she has enormous potential.

IMHO, landing a 3 axel in competion certainly "stole the thunder" from a meaningless win by Kwan (the best thing Kwan's win could have done socially is make Vincent-0wens' role and name more known, and while Vincent-Owens deserves that, I think it did not...skating lovers know of her, casual or hyped fans do not care.)

Note how Brennan's pivot in the article is, as always, centered by Kwan, LOL...young "jumping bean" steals thunder from Kwan!

It is sobering to realize that if either Oksana or Tara had not been allowed to compete, then neither would have won Olympic Gold...and life without recordings of Oksana's Swan Lake SP and Exhibition especially is something I do not really want to contemplate!

However, for the sake of the sport overall, and for the sake of the kids, I think there should be age limits...anyone go for 14 instead of 15?

[prunes89]

Is this the same Brennan that called Tara Lipinski a robot like skater and said she lacked the maturity and polish of what a senior skater should have? From what I read from her in the past, she didnt think much of Tara's skating and thought she was very juniorish. She needs to make up her mind!
I don't htink Kimmie stole Kwan's thunder at all. The crowd loved Kwan. They supported Kimmie, I think. And I think Kimmie was AWESOME. But you could tell she isn't there yet.
Brennan makes no sense to me at all. At All. AT ALL!

[noavail]

If I were to advocate for an age limit, it would be at 13. I mean, once you pass the tests to be a senior, you are a senior, not a junior and presumably you have to get that done before the age of 18 as junior circuits were created specifically for athletes under the age of 18.

It's splitting hairs to put a limit at 15 or 16. I mean there is no difference to me between a 14, 15, or 16 year old champion as much as there isn't any difference between a 16, 19 and 21 year old champion. I also think the age limit inherently robs qualified younger skaters of valuable international experience as well.

[anoymous1]

Why would Christine say she is refusing to criticize the rule? I think Kimmie has a right if she wants to oppose the rule or do what she is doing and take the high road of being classy and not saying a word. Kimmie knows when it will be her time and when it is, she will kick the door down running!!!!!!!!