Phil Hersh on the end of Ice Network (which shuts down for good on Saturday the 30th)

[Yazmeen]

http://www.globetrottingbyphiliphersh.com/home/2018/6/27/figure-skating-web-site-icenwetwork

 

[Moto Guzzi]

I never could get my account to update. Every time I tried, I received an error message.

 

[Vagabond]

http://www.globetrottingbyphiliphersh.com/home/2018/6/27/figure-skating-web-site-icenwetwork

There was no other website in English that covered figure skating this way and in such depth - with real reporting, not the rumor-mongering, cheerleading and trolling on fan forums.

 

[Carolla5501]

Apparantly Vagabond is unhappy Phil pointed out the truth about boards like this.

That said, the content he laments loosing does not compensate for the horrid technical aspects

 

[VGThuy]

That's funny, I thought "rumor-mongering, cheerleading, and trolling" was Phil's style of choice.

 

[Vagabond]

That's funny, I thought "rumor-mongering, cheerleading, and trolling" was Phil's style of choice.

And why he relies on FSU for so much of his information.

 

[aftershocks]

I never could get my account to update. Every time I tried, I received an error message.

IN eventually fixed the problem and subscribers were able to update within a certain window which is long past. I'm not sure what to expect with NBC coverage. I will applaud sharp non-jerky streaming coverage of events at the least. But the question is where to go for in-depth writing on figure skating? I don't necessarily think NBC will be providing that to any thoughtful or focused degree. We'll soon find out. NBC Gold figure skating pass is supposed to launch on July 1. I'm concerned whether NBC will provide adequate customer service.

I think it's a shame that the IN articles will not be archived. That doesn't make sense. They had a wealth of interesting features on all aspects of the skating world over the years. I particularly enjoyed their special features on creating programs, focusing on specific skaters. Surely US figure skating or the US figure skating museum and Hall of Fame would like to have access to at least the best of all the past IN articles!

When will Skating Magazine's 2018 Readers' Choice Award nominations take place?

 

[MacMadame]

I think it's interesting how people interpret things. I saw people frustrated with Icenetwork because they couldn't get their accounts updated to switch to the new service and complaining about their customer service. I saw people worried that the content they provided would not be kept around after the switch. I didn't see anyone saying "Good riddance".

 

[overedge]

There was no other website in English that covered figure skating this way and in such depth - with real reporting, not the rumor-mongering, cheerleading and trolling on fan forums.

We know that Phil has an FSU account, so - hey Phil, f*** you. Real reporters don't say that skaters suck so badly that they should stay home. Real reporters don't write off criticism of their work as "cheerleaders" wanting to protect the oh-so-fragile skaters. Real reporters learn how the scoring system works so they can provide insight to their readers; they don't boast about not understanding it and they don't spread misinformation about its results. Real reporters know enough about the online world to know that there are valid reasons - e.g. personal safety - for online commentators to use pseuds, not because they're "trolls".

 

[dinakt]

I am shocked Icenetwork will not be archived. It will all disappear??? All articles, all video footage? How is it even possible in modern times, when everything on internet lives forever? Is there a way to volunteer to preserve smth? I am astounded.

 

[el henry]

I liked IceNetwork’s Coverage, Jackie and Nick and all the other writers...

Except Phil Hersh.

No Cheerleading??? From the man who credits Nathan Chen for a sunny day and can’t understand why we don’t all bow down at the Altar of Chen?

Trolling? From the man who I am now convinced wrote that horrible sexist blurb on Gracie Gold?

Pseuds? Phil, I use my real last name, and if you engage me here on this forum, under your real name, I’ll give you my real first one. So will you post under your real name, whaddabout it Phil?

Cut me a very large break

 

[leigh466]

Great column! I too am sad the only real figure skating news outlet is shutting down. Ice Network has been a real gem. Even with periodic (for me) technical issues, having that reliable stream for nearly every major competition has been great, I would have been happy to pay Ice Network more money to get all the senior Bs as well. I've so enjoyed the excellent journalism, the fun skaters blogs from competitions, the fashion pick columns, ....just everthing. It's such a loss to the skating community.

 

[Bellanca]

Great column! I too am sad the only real figure skating news outlet is shutting down. Ice Network has been a real gem. Even with periodic (for me) technical issues, having that reliable stream for nearly every major competition has been great, I would have been happy to pay Ice Network more money to get all the senior Bs as well. I've so enjoyed the excellent journalism, the fun skaters blogs from competitions, the fashion pick columns, ....just everthing. It's such a loss to the skating community.

I agree. It is too bad...

Great comment, @leigh466.

Thank you, @Yazmeen for providing the link.

 

[just wondering]

[QUOTE="aftershocks, post: 5378635, member: 40441"]IN eventually fixed the problem and subscribers were able to update within a certain window which is long past. * * * [/QUOTE]

Well, yes, we could update, but that didn't mean the new information was actually used in every situation. I updated my account with a new, valid credit card during the appropriate window, yet received a notice today that the old CC was declined due to expiration date. GRRR. Super annoying!

 

[aftershocks]

^^ Wow! I suppose I was lucky to not have any changes. I was misled by a phone rep that as a current IN subscriber I didn't have to update if there were no changes. However, since the IN email said everyone had to update I ignored the misinformed IN rep and updated when we were alerted that the tech issue was fixed. As I said, I'm not hopeful that NBC will be providing any better customer service than IN.

 

[Josh78]

I think it's a shame that the IN articles will not be archived. That doesn't make sense. They had a wealth of interesting features on all aspects of the skating world over the years.

So many interesting interviews, features, info on new programs and training methods or skaters -- and yes the gossipy articles --- but the REAL JEWEL of IN (that I don't think the operators EVER TRULY APPRECIATED) was that WEALTH of video footage going back years and years -- I'm guessing there was no way to keep all of it on the site because of bandwidth/design/sheer amount of data issues -- but their SHOULD have been!!!

The biggest draw for me for the first 5-6 years was being able to go back in time and see skaters who we know and love now in their early days, and watch them compete programs in the lower levels, and be able to track their artistic/technical development and maturation as they got older and more experienced in the sport -- it broke my heart after the 2010-14 cycle ended and they got rid of the archives from before then -- and then truncated it again a few years later -- I guess you could probably just go on Youtube and find a good % of that material -- but to have one central location where it was all located and just get lost tracking Adam, Mirai, Gracie, Jason, Josh, and SO many others (so many others that are STILL gracing us with their presence and others that unfortunately had all too few opportunities or too short careers -- and not just those at the top level but those in regionals and sectionals -- and not just US skaters, but int'l ones too!) was REALLY the unrealized MAGIC behind it all -- really goes to show that MLB Media NEVER KNEW OR APPRECIATED what they had (and why would they, a media company first and foremost involved with BASEBALL was NEVER going to put skating as a priority -- I still wonder WHO was the brainiac behind THAT deal and I really wonder if NBC Sports Gold will be even close...)

 

[overedge]

@Josh78 IIRC the appeal of MLB Media as a partner for USFS was the online broadcasting/streaming capabilities that MLB Media had developed. I think MLB Media may have also been trying to interest other sports in using what it had developed to share info on games and events. I don't think USFS was expecting MLB to care about skating - more that USFS wanted to adapt the software/website capabilities that MLB had developed for its own sport.

 

[Carolla5501]

We know that Phil has an FSU account, so - hey Phil, f*** you. Real reporters don't say that skaters suck so badly that they should stay home. Real reporters don't write off criticism of their work as "cheerleaders" wanting to protect the oh-so-fragile skaters. Real reporters learn how the scoring system works so they can provide insight to their readers; they don't boast about not understanding it and they don't spread misinformation about its results. Real reporters know enough about the online world to know that there are valid reasons - e.g. personal safety - for online commentators to use pseuds, not because they're "trolls".

Such an adult response. Real adults don't have to use nasty words or act like 5 year olds in response. All you managed to do was prove his point LOL!

 

[aftershocks]

the REAL JEWEL of IN (that I don't think the operators EVER TRULY APPRECIATED) was that WEALTH of video footage going back years and years -- I'm guessing there was no way to keep all of it on the site because of bandwidth/design/sheer amount of data issues -- but their SHOULD have been!!!

The biggest draw for me for the first 5-6 years was being able to go back in time and see skaters who we know and love now in their early days, and watch them compete programs in the lower levels, and be able to track their artistic/technical development and maturation as they got older and more experienced in the sport -- it broke my heart after the 2010-14 cycle ended and they got rid of the archives from before then

Yes, yes, yes @Josh78! I didn't always have the time to go back and look but the original availability of older footage was great. Before footage was deleted after 2014, I had gone back to view 2011 Junior pairs which I hadn't seen in real time. The reason I went back to take a look is because one of my current favorite U.S. pairs teams were in the medals that year in Juniors, but with separate partners.

Little did I realize I would also be treated to seeing some other very familiar pairs skaters with different partners. And it was also cool seeing young Jessica Calalang with Zack Sidhu and witnessing how much they've grown. There was also Haven and Brandon skating with different partners at this comp! While they were competent with those partners, it was so obvious that they needed to be together again. Lo and behold, soon after this competition, they did get back together and the rest is history. But once again my original reason for checking out this year in Junior pairs is two skaters who placed in the top three with separate partners. Of course, there's also a third current U.S. pairs skater who ended up in the top three that year with a former partner.

All that's still available is the results lists for sp and fp. Take a look:
http://www.usfigureskating.org/leaderboard/results/2011/68096/CAT008SEG015.html
http://www.usfigureskating.org/leaderboard/results/2011/68096/CAT008SEG016.html

In the final standings, the teams who placed first through eighth, and eleventh all have a fascinating U.S. pairs competition history. This is a comp discipline worth keeping, but I don't know if it's available anywhere now, not even a few clips on Youtube, because it was U.S. Juniors.
I did find this 2009 clip on Youtube of Timothy LeDuc skating in men's singles at Skate Detroit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKmdmDz3dTg

 

[allezfred]

Real adults don't have to use nasty words

Sometimes a "f*ck you" or "c*nt" is warranted though.

 

[aftershocks]

the appeal of MLB Media as a partner for USFS was the online broadcasting/streaming capabilities that MLB Media had developed.

Uh sure, but MLB never really provided the kind of broadcasting/streaming capabilities for U.S. figure skating that they provided for major league baseball. Much less did MLB ever give nary a thought (or even one fcuk) to adequately addressing the concerns of figure skating fans in relation to providing coverage.

I still wonder WHO was the brainiac behind THAT deal...

In fact, I used to be a huge baseball fan back-in-the-day, and I was the poster who suggested on FSU that US figure skating should seek help from MLB, when there was first talk of a proposed ice network event video site. Little did I realize my suggestion would come to fruition in such a crappy fashion.

 

[Sylvia]

When will Skating Magazine's 2018 Readers' Choice Award nominations take place?

Voting is underway now: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...michelle-kwan-trophy-through-july-2nd.104085/

 

[Carolla5501]

Sometimes a "f*ck you" or "c*nt" is warranted though.

People hiding behind screen names acting nasty only validates his point.

Using dirty words only makes the user look immature as if they think the fact that they know how to curse makes them "important". If you can't make your point without resorting to adolescent behavior then maybe you should reconsider your point?

 

[VGThuy]

One can resort to adolescent behavior without using swear words. Some think Hersh has exhibited juvenile behavior for about twenty years or so now. He obviously read some things on FSU that hit a nerve with him so I find that interesting and entertaining.

 

[Sylvia]

I am shocked Icenetwork will not be archived. It will all disappear??? All articles, all video footage? How is it even possible in modern times, when everything on internet lives forever? Is there a way to volunteer to preserve smth? I am astounded.

@dinakt, it seems some stuff will be archived but currently unclear how much and how far back: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...ement-through-2026.103878/page-6#post-5375942

 

[Icetigger]

People hiding behind screen names acting nasty only validates his point.

Using dirty words only makes the user look immature as if they think the fact that they know how to curse makes them "important". If you can't make your point without resorting to adolescent behavior then maybe you should reconsider your point?

"Dirty words" ???

Haven't you got better things to do like trying to stop your daughter Carrie from going to prom?

 

[Carolla5501]

"Dirty words" ???

Haven't you got better things to do like trying to stop your daughter Carrie from going to prom?

Whose Carrie?

(I guess this was an insult? About as effective as the Chinese protest of the ISU IMHO, but.... it made you feel good )

What I have always found entertaining about the Hersh "hate" on here is that the posters who hate him could NOT stop reading his articles. They never seemed to get that by trash talking and publicly talking about him all they did was drive readership. IceNetwork paid him because he had readers... if you want someone on the internet to die, you don't publicize them you ignore them.

 

[allezfred]

Using dirty words only makes the user look immature as if they think the fact that they know how to curse makes them "important".

If f*ck and c*nt are good enough for James Joyce, then they are good enough for the rest of us.

PS: Never come to Ireland if “naughty words” and “swearing” offend you.

 

[caseyedwards]

Too bad no archive! That’s the worst! Shows bad side of internet.

 

[Carolla5501]

If f*ck and c*nt are good enough for James Joyce, then they are good enough for the rest of us.

PS: Never come to Ireland if “naughty words” and “swearing” offend you.

James Joyce was an artist. You are just showing that you know the words...

I'm not offended. I find it funny that posters think the way to prove Phil wrong was to act like adolescents without realizing all they are doing is confirming his view of them.