Did anyone else find it rude...?

[Joe Impressive]

I found it very rude of Terry and Peggy to be talking to Kimmie about her skating when Miki Ando was skating her Worlds short. Kimmie wasn't even competing at this Worlds. It was very unprofessional IMHO and it does not make Kimmie appeal to me, which is what I think the USFSA is trying to do, create an 'heir' to Michelle Kwan. I do not think it was Kimmie's intention, but someone should have told her that was impolite, IMHO. :oops:

[kisscid]

I'm not sure if I found it rude, just distracting. Kimmie did try at one point to comment on Miki Ando's skating, I think it was more was Terry and Peggy who kept asking her questions. I'm sure she didn't want to be rude an not answer them. It was bad timing and unprofessional of Terry and Peggy, I think Kimmie was just caught in the middle. It really made it hard to watch the skating because I couldn't hear the music.
Cid

[roza]

For what it's worth, British Eurosport was conducting post-skate interviews with the British skaters over the top of other skaters' programs. They chatted away with Jenna McCorkell and her coach whilst practically ignoring at least 2 (if not 3) skaters' programs. Whilst I can appreciate that it may have seemed rude to some, the bottom line is you still got to see those skaters' programs. However, the British Eurosport situation is vastly different from that with ESPN; Eurosport was showing live, extensive coverage and the interviewees were competitors.

Whilst talking to Kimmie over Ando's SP can definitely be interpreted as rude, is this solution not preferable to Ando being chacked entirely for a chat with Kimmie? Having paid for Kimmie and her dad to go to Moscow, you can bet your bottom dollar that they would pick Kimmie fluff over Ando's SP. Is it right? Probabaly not, but TV land profit will always win out over principle.

[Meredith]

While I found it exceptionally rude of the commentators and pitched shoes at my television as the interview was conducted, I would not blame Kimmie. They PUT her in the control booth. Both Peggie and Terry should have known better.

As to USFS paying for Kimmie and her dad's travel to Moscow, ESPN will air a segment next weekend with Kimmie and Paul Wylie as hosts in a behind the scenes segment. If I remember correctly, it is two hours long -- certainly enough time to interview Kimmie.

It may be interesting, but I would much rather have seen more skaters perform. But that's just me.

[snoopysnake]

I don't blame Kimmie, Peggy, or Terry. I blame ABC sports. Yes, it was very rude and made it very difficult to watch the performance.

At first I thought maybe the interview was done earlier, meant to be shown as a segment, and the sound was spliced over Ando's skating to save broadcast time. But Peggy did interject a comment about an element, so apparently they were talking during the skating.

Let's hope this is not a trend!

[Tapper]

I don't think anyone can put the blame on Kimmie; she is not the one responsible for the interview, or for the stupid questions they asked. What is the girl supposed to do, refuse to answer the "adults" questioning her? That "they" (whoever they are) decided to do this during Ando's skate seemed to suggest, at the very least, that they lack respect for Miki Ando (as in unwilling to give her due respect). Considering that the entire program was edited... none of it live... so that we had to sit through the same freakin bore-me-to-death advertisements between each skater, one would think that they could have found time to interview Kimmie when the skating was NOT going on. That and oh, wait, we have to run a little late because of the wrestling match going overtime.

On the other hand it is also possible that it was a good idea that just bombed... because it wasn't thought through properly ahead of time.

Personally, I think that Peggy Fleming has too much class to be rude to anyone. I would not look to her for the blame.