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The Olympic Games are a time for Americans to get together and cheer on the red, white and blue. And, in true unifying spirit, people online have united — a reaction to one sports reporter's opinion that figure skating isn't a sport.
THANK YOU! I have the utmost respect for figure skaters, only a few people in the universe can do it and they deser… https://t.co/kuBMp12ES7— Edward Egros (@Edward Egros) 1518418405.0
Egros, trying to clarify, described the sport as too "subjective," saying instead it was an "art form." Still, he added, it was "really hard."
@unclebarkycom Those sports have quantifiable metrics that determine a winner. Figure skating is too subjective to… https://t.co/vSy15s1OzO— Edward Egros (@Edward Egros) 1518476500.0
Your job is to be a sports reporter. Figure skating is not a sport to you. Stick to reporting on "real sports", do… https://t.co/RfmO6aXDY6— Vincent Zhou (@Vincent Zhou) 1518514493.0
Teammate Chris Knierim agreed.
@govincentzhou You tell him Vincent!! https://t.co/BWSm9tFCQ0— Chris Knierim (@Chris Knierim) 1518521225.0
And Gracie Gold, who competed with Team USA in the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia, posted the definition of "sport" to dispel Egros' claim. "Seems like skating is the definition of sport," she said, "try to keep up."
@EdwardEgrosFox4 Seems like skating is the definition of sport. Athletes in this sport have to compete while lookin… https://t.co/LNJpRR8y9m— Gracie Gold (@Gracie Gold) 1518504669.0
But it wasn't just U.S. Olympians. Canadian figure skater Jeffrey Buttle, who won bronze at the Olympics in Italy in 2006, questioned if this logic applied to all sports that "include any degree of subjectivity." It's an important question, as the legitimacy of figure skating is often signaled out, but not sports like diving, or as Buttle says, any sport that features decision-makers.
@EdwardEgrosFox4 Does that logic apply to all of the “sports” that include any degree of subjectivity. Any sport w… https://t.co/4KxDXs7S4J— Jeffrey Buttle (@Jeffrey Buttle) 1518543706.0
Egros doubled down and deflected.
You want some people to react vociferously on #Twitter without discussing controversial political takes? Say figure skating isn’t a sport.— Edward Egros (@Edward Egros) 1518483327.0
Rather than an apology, he added that he's said far "worst things."
That doesn’t even rank in the Top 10,000 of worst things I’ve said/done https://t.co/Zat8TRE2L4— Edward Egros (@Edward Egros) 1518496141.0
Judges?
Published in cooperation with Salon and was written by Rachel Leah.
H/T - Salon