Battle of the Brians 88

[Marco]

Does anyone have any information about this? I never got to watch it and never got to watch the 2 Brians skate competitively in the 80s (only Boitano in 1994). How did they skate? What did they land? What are their strengths and weaknesses? Who in your mind should have won?

[Dustin]

From what I understand, Orser had one very, very minor mistake. I think it came down to .1 of a point, with Boitano coming out on top. From watching parts of their programs, I like Boitano's style much more than Orser.

[Tigger]

Well, I'm a long time Orser fan and oh, how well I remember that night. I took to the bathroom during Brian O's LP. Just couldn't take it. Anyway, it all came down to a second triple axel. Yes, Brian O had a boo boo on a triple flip (What is it w/Cdn Men and that jump at Olympics!?! Anyway...) , but it was turning his second triple Axel into a double that really shut the door. Even then, Brian O to me was more verstitile than Brian B. Don't get me wrong, the other Brian is a great skater, but I find that when he tries something that isn't in a classical mood, to me it doesn't work. Brian O on the other hand can skate to just about anything and make it work. Remember, that's JMO, so don't jump on me. One of *the* greatest nights in the sport. Glad I have it on tape, even though the tape isn't in the greatest of shapes....

[KittyKins]

:( I watched the Battle of the Brians live and as a Canadian was devastated when B.Orser did not win. It was one of the closest competitions ever and in fact if the rules that are in place now were in effect then, Orser would have won over Boitano. I still do not agree with Boitano winning for the following reasons.

Both skated brillant technical performances with Orser making only two very minor mistakes. He stepped out of his triple flip jump (similar to what Sikkarulidze did at the most recent Olympics - note he won the gold in spite of it). and also doubled one of his triple axels. Orser was much stronger artistically and also had better footwork. Boitano was brillant technically and said he felt like angels were helping him. Orser had 4 first place marks from the judges and Boitano had 3. Two judges had scored it as a tie (there we go with that problem again). At the time, ties were broken by the technical mark (now the artistic mark) and as both of the judges who tied the two Brians had given a slightly stronger mark to Boitano for technical, it made both of those judges marks a first places for Boitano, changing it to a 5-4 judges split.

It's too bad they both couldn't have won the gold medal as it was so close, especially as Orser had 4 first place marks. I realize it doesn't work that way, unfortunately. Anyway, they both skated brilliantly both were deserving champions. I guess I still feel badly that Orser did not win the gold, but am very proud of him for winning the silver. I can't watch their performances without a knot in my stomach. I feel they both were deserving Olympic champions. Ironically, the rule that gave Boitano the gold was changed, and then was a factor in Elvis winning the silver in Lillehammer. :x
I have a pet peeve about judges tying skaters. I realize they have a difficult job, but it often causes problems as it did with the Brians and more recently with the Pairs competition at the Olympics.

[purplecat]

My hands were shaking like a leaf....I was rooting for Brian Boitano so much and I was thrilled when he won. Both skated very well and most of all were so gracious with great sportsmanship. This event turned me into a die-hard skating fan! I realized how exciting a sport it was! :)

[shotunz]

:cry: This was a horrible night for Brian O fans. CBC's cameras followed Brian O's mother as she took refuge. (She could never watch and always got up and left b4 he skated.) I just wanted to yell at the tv "Leave her alone!". And Brian O had spent so many years making a come back after less than stellar figure results! To top it all off it was so close & Brian O who was, understandably, pleased with his skate, was trying to figure out the result. David Santee, working for ABC I think, "broke the news" to him in a pretty callous way. That's how Brian O found out. Something like "Gee, you must be pretty disappointed you didn't win." ACKKKKK.

Both programs were wonderful though- military themed and very exciting/scary.

Recently Brian O was interviewed and he still choked up when he talked about '88 and about reading the horrible things some of the Cdn newspapers said about him. :cry:

Many Olympics have been won with a program with so few mistakes. It was just Brian B's night.

[Sing_Alto]

I wasn't a skating fan until the Battle of the Brians, but that evening of skating was probably the greatest in Olympic history and drew me into the sport. Both Brians skated well, but Boitano had that extra spark. He skated like a man with a mission, and Orser seemed tentative. As a matter of fact, in the SP, it was just the opposite-- Orser skated with fire and Boitano was tentative. I think that if Boitano had skated after Orser in the LP, the scores wouldn't have been as close. Boitano would've gotten, and deservedly so, a slew of 6.0's.

At any rate, I was ecstatic for Boitano and was jumping around and screaming like a lunatic. I soon became a die-hard fan, and the rest is history. :D

[melanieuk]

Orser's small mistake - did he fall out of the 3axel? I know he didn't fall...I still have it on tape actually, but cannot remember. :roll:
I thought Boitano had the edge over Orser, but it was a close match.

[Artistic Skaters]

He didn't fall out of the triple axel, he doubled his last planned triple axel. This was a great event, the fact that it was a split decision & could have gone either way speaks to the quality of the overall skating for both skaters.

[Sing_Alto]

Orser stepped out of a triple flip.

[skelly]

Hi SingAlto! I remember a lot of your posts from FSW--nice to hear from you again :D
The very first tape I ever made was of the 1988 Olympics, and my
favorite sections on the tape are 1) Gordeeva and Grinkov's FS and 2) Boitano's FS. Boitano did seem to have that 'extra spark' that night--it was if he finally threw his whole heart and soul into it. My favorite moment was his final spin, when he was just so joyful that mid-spin he threw his head back and threw his hand out and grinned at the ceiling... I had been rather undecided, but at that moment I was a die-hard fan (still am).

I have always enjoyed Orser--he reminds me a lot of Robin Cousins, in terms of a neat combination of clean skating and showmanship. His face that night, was so hard to watch--he was terrified, yet determined, he wanted it so badly. That expression, when he was told that he hadn't won the gold, I'll never forget it. You couldn't not feel for him.

[KittyKins]

I think Brian Orser was more of a complete skater - technical and artistic. As someone else said it was Brian Boitano's night - he managed to put everything together for that performance. Brian Orser was under TREMENDOUS pressure and most would crack under that kind of pressure. Brian O. did very well considering the pressure he was under. I mean he was amost perfect. The pressure was that he was Canada's only chance to win a gold medal and the press were unmerciful toward him and terribly cruel. :x

To quote Debbi Wilkes, "There were 2 champions that day!" I really do think both of the skaters were deserving of the gold medal. Sadly, Brian Orser should have won in 1984 as well, as he won both of the free skating portions of the event. He was behind in compulsory figures which allowed Scott Hamilton to win. Don't get me wrong, I love Scott Hamilton, but Brian Orser was clearly the better free skater during that competition. It's too bad that Brian Orser came so close and yet so far. :cry:

[bcskater]

ive watched the tape OVER and OVER! i love brian orsers program so much! the music is wicked!
but brian USA deserved to win, clearly.
im glad i was only 3 when it happened or else i would have been destrout over the result, lol.
that mens event was HEADS ABOVE albertville '92

[KittyKins]

I don't see how you can say that Brian Boitano clearly deserved to win when 4 judges gave Brian O. first place, 3 gave Brian B. first, and 2 tied. I do not think anything was clear, that was why it went down to one of the closest 5-4 splits in history. I maintain that BOTH Brian's deserved to win. A program is more than just jumps. Brian O.'s total program was much better IMHO, it's just too bad he didn't make the two minor errors. It really bugs me how people fawn all over Brian B. and think he did "so much" better than Brian O. when in reality that was not true. I repeat that a program is not just how many jumps a skater executes correctly. Not meaning to be waspish here, but Brian Orser will always be a champion in my eyes. If the present rules were in place now, Brian Orser would have won as now the tie breaking mark is the artistic mark. Just some food for thought.

[kwanette]

I was a huge Orser fan from 84 on. I was thrilled when he finally won Worlds in 87. Boitano had always bored me a bit. He was a great technician, but a bit stiff. His Bezic transformation blew me away in 88 at US Nats. To me BB was the clear winner. He skated first in his group, never let up on his energy, had amazing musical changes and cuts. Brian O. looked tired at the end. I am not sure if a second 3 axel was planned; I have read that he never knew BB had done two.I sometimes go back and listen to the commentary and was surprised that they thought it was that close. I love Brian Orser's skating and I felt bad for him, but the night belonged to Boitano. He was majestic.

[Sing_Alto]

Orser has said that he snuck a peek at Boitano's elements list in the Canadian broadcasting booth and saw that the list contained only one triple Axel. That's one of the reasons why he didn't do a second triple Axel.

[Spinner]

[quote:757da2751a="KittyKins"]I don't see how you can say that Brian Boitano clearly deserved to win when 4 judges gave Brian O. first place, 3 gave Brian B. first, and 2 tied.[/quote:757da2751a]

Ok, given those initial ordinals, and the fact that the tech. mark broke the tie that year, didn't the two judges who tied them actually place Boitano in first? They knew that despite their tied raw scores the tech. mark would decide the outcome, so they scored them that way knowing that Boitano would edge out Orser--a true 5/4 split. Just some food for thought. ;)

Spinner

[md2be]

ahh the good ole days....Battle of the Brians and Battle of the Carmens. This is what skating is all about. :)

[Jenny]

My first post here, hi everyone!

Just wanted to jump in with a suggestion for fans of these two skaters and the Battle. In the past few months I saw two specials that are mus- haves for the tape collection of any fan:

The first is just Brian O, but he speaks very frankly about how the whole thing affected his life. It was in the pilot show of Kurt's Legends of Skating series (I think that's the title).

The other is Sandra Bezic's Passion to Skate, which aired a few months ago on CBC. Both Brians are featured doing a kind of commentary on their own programs that night, with lots of back stage footage and great insights from both of them. A really well done TV special overall, probably the best skating show I've ever seen.

Hope all the Brian fans get to see both.

Jenny

[Tigger]

[quote:a2be63383d="Jenny"]
The first is just Brian O, but he speaks very frankly about how the whole thing affected his life. It was in the pilot show of Kurt's Legends of Skating series (I think that's the title).[/quote:a2be63383d]

Sorry to get way OT here, but *series*? This is a series? Really? That would be wonderful because that special was incredable period. Not just for the interview w/Brian, but also the interviews w/Don Jackson and Toller Cranston too. Kurt did a great job w/it as well. Interesting information...

[Jenny]

I think it's still in limbo -- at the time it was developed, there was definitely an intention to make it a series of several, maybe six, shows. Since then I've heard that the project is still alive, but no word on when production will continue, where it will air, etc.

Any Kurt afficionados have more details??

Jenny