Too many empty seats. "I want to register a complaint," I told Guest Services at the Spokane Arena while attending the U.S. Figure Skating National Championships, last night. I witnessed several competitions. Outstanding competitions. Outstanding performances. These people work hard, all year, competing at local-level, then state-level, then state-by-state, regionally, then, finally, Nationally, before going to the Olympics to compete internationally. Nobody deserves more support than these talented and extraordinary individuals.
"I want to register a complaint," I said, "there are too many empty seats. The package-ticket sales were promoted all year at too high of a price, and as a result, there's hardly anybody here. The Arena isn't even half-full. Even in the 'select seating' areas, there are empty seats. You need to get the city to contact the local schools and get these seats full, ASAP. LEAVE NO CHILD BEHIND!"
The very courteous and attentive Arena Guest Services representative said the best place to lodge such a complaint is with the United States Figure Skating committee, as they are the ones responsible for determining ticket-prices. I realize that 'sounds reasonable,' and even city officials will claim it, but it's not true. There are fees, taxes, insurance, all types of things which determine ticket prices, and THEN, if the 'group' hosting events needs to pay their own expenses, they add a few pennies to the 'minimum amount,' which is determined by the city, legislators, legislating endless complications to get their 'cut.'
Don't blame ice skaters.
Every Spokane Public School band department should be participating. All those empty seats. Pep songs between competitors is what the Arena needs. Get some energy going. Some excitement. Get some crowd-involvement.
A sickly 'wave' last night during the Novice Pairs Final -- it was kinda fun, but the crowd was so sparse, I think the human 'wave' passed through the crowd a few times before anybody even noticed. I love those 'people waves,' of cheers and arms. Boosts moral. And these skaters are winners. All of 'em. At nationals, a competitor can come in 'dead-last' and still be a winner -- they had to win repeatedly just to get here. This is the BEST OF THE BEST, literally. Doesn't matter what score they get here.
Johnny Weir, arguably the greatest figure skater in the history of the sport, finished 3rd yesterday during the Mens Senior Finals. That was the second time I had the absolute pleasure to watch him skate. I was so delighted to have had the opportunity. And those ticket prices out-cost me -- I can't afford to see any more competitions -- and I'm highly disappointed in that.
I talked with a couple of boys sitting behind me about ice-skating. About competing. About the dedication, the commitment. The FACT it's all-inclusive. Doesn't matter who, what, how you 'are,' anybody can at least try. Of course, you have to learn as a kid to compete -- but these were boys I was talking to.
And it makes for an interesting observation: I mean, why is it that the most 'effeminate' can participate in this sport and excel, delight, inspire, excite, motivate, energize so many, while being flat-out denied opportunities in other sports due to their NATURAL selves? Ever think of it? Well, I have. Consider it this way: why is it that the most 'biggest,' the most 'macho', the most 'jock-ish,' can only do this TOGETHER? Think about it. The smaller, more agile excel at human endeavors that nobody else can possibly do, even though ridiculed and scorned mercilessly about it -- that takes a level of sportsmanship and personal maturity above-and-beyond -- meanwhile, the 'big men' only do 'groups' -- as though incapable of finding the inner drive and motivation for the self-application techniques necessary, the inner stamina, the inner spirit to individually 'go where none have gone before.' Instead, those 'big men' wannabe's or 'big jock' types, it's as though they need their figurative 'hands held' to participate in sports, all 'group activity' only. Just sayin'. Don't fake 'wounds' from words. It's just an observation.
I didn't say anything about 'sexuality' -- it's not a 'gay/straight' comparisons here at all. Don't go all 'perverted' and start sniffin' crotches like DOGS.
So what is Eric Stoikjo's (sp?) recommendation a couple/few years back regarding 'machismo'? It's about the energy, the drive, the passion, the power. That doesn't have anything to do with 'gayness' either. Doesn't matter if a man is considered to be rather 'femmy' or not -- masculinity is proved through the maturity of performance during the competitive event -- the power, the passion, the energy, the excitement, things women do too, but thus far, the strength and velocity of mens' skating has been greater than womens' -- perhaps one day they will compete together, -- but this is not that day.
Which reminds me of my 2007 US Figure Skating National Championship comments about discrimination by crotches -- what's in it. Pairs skating. I think competitions between male/female teams is wonderful. But I also think it's discriminatory, and there should not be a 'crotch identification test' for competing. It's perverse, qualifying by 'crotch.' It's discriminatory. It's not all-inclusive -- it's therefore not equal -- therefore wrong. Unless, 'open pairs' competitions are included, meaning there is no perverse ANALysis of PRIVATES determining what's in crotches as a 'prerequisite' to competing. I'm sure there are teams, Pairs, that are both female and other teams that are both male, that could delight the audience and prove to be exciting and challenging competitors, locally to internationally. Whether or not that is a 'gay' issue has nothing to do with it, except to the perverse. It's about equality, not bedroom-invasions of privates.
I had the pleasure of seeing one of the first, if not THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN to climb atop the previously all-white-male-exclusive medals podium at Nationals. That young man is so talented. Much deserving of the standing ovations he received. He skated to Super Mario Brothers, a 'techno' version during the Short Program, and The Simpsons for the Final. He placed second. The winner, just ten years old, was an incredibly mature skater for such a young age. A marvel. I expect to see both at future Nationals, climbing atop medals podiums, and future Olympics as well.
I'm not a 'big fan' of ice skating. I do love the sport and appreciate it very much, perhaps more than most. I do not take any of the commitment, the dedication, the talent, the injuries, the hard work, the force of gravity for-granted, at all. It's one of the most difficult things the human body can do. A four-minute performance during competition burns more calories and stresses muscles moreso than a hundred football games -- a dozen track meets -- the 'burn' the average person may feel climbing a set of stairs, these athletes feel a million-times over, all during the last minute of their performance -- it's that exhausting -- and yet they are so well trained, they endure and deliver.
Leave it to Spokane to leave the kids behind. All those empty seats. When Farmers and Merchants bank sponsored the event in 2007, the seats were full for nearly every round of competition. They had complimentary photographs for fans, one of which I had taken and is posted here in my blog on the front page. This year, the complimentary photographs were offered by UNIVERSAL SPORTS, but they are not posting the pics to a website to email or link to blogs, but gave me an instant print-out. I'll have it scanned and added to my 2007 pic here in my blog at some time in future. I'm thankful to Universal Sports for providing the opportunity.
After the Junior Pairs Final, the medals ceremony lasting until nearly midnight, most of the fans had gone home, the Arena nearly empty, shaming the winners and the US Figure Skating judges -- just the fact it was an empty Arena for the medals ceremony is an embarrassment -- shame on Spokane. We'll never get another Nationals here at this rate. Now merchants in the downtown area know why there were so few patrons in their stores and restaurants; and the Arena vendors sold so few espressos and hot dogs and trinkets, the 'life-blood' of their economy 'blood-sucked' out of 'em by the vampirical-acts of Legislated Tyranny.
While the champions took their victory lap, I walked to the very edge of the ice rink, wearing my red vest with the gold star on the lapel, the same one I wore at the 2007 Nationals, that gold star representative of the NINE I have earned -- and I stuck out my hand for a casual slap as they skated by, all in-line, one after another, looking each directly in the eye, smiling, as were they. I am so proud of all of 'em. And all involved in bringing this wonderful event to Spokane -- and all the 'mysterious ways' that allow such opportunities to the young as competitors -- and everyone else as fans. Thankful to AllThings, AllOfMe/AllOfYou/AllOfThem/AllOfUs/AllThings (definition of God, which is not a cartoon-image of imagination, some alien 'super-dude' floating-around in an off-planet undisclosed location, pulling all the strings of it's little 'puppets' -- these skaters prove that FACT through their GOOD WORKS, as does everyone else).
As the 8th week of Advent draws to a close, the 2nd-week in 'ordinary time,' which is 'natural time,' therefore OnTime, regardless of 'clock' or 'measure' or 'calendar,' as I have explained a thousand times on the internet in MY OWN WORDS, I'd like to remind you ('you' is figurative,' same as 'dear reader'), that we're all in life together, and must fix it together, 'mysterious ways' is through each and every one of us. A distraught woman told me, while I was putting gas in my truck, that she was $18 short for a bus ticket to go see her daughter, sick in hospital. I didn't have any cash -- but went inside 7-11, used my card, took-out twenty-bucks, and gave it to her. I don't know if she was lieing or not. Obviously she was desperate enough to ask a stranger for money -- and that says far more than the words. She has no way of knowing what a sacrifice it is for me to give $20 to anybody for any reason. It's a day I'll starve. It's also a ticket to another competition, something I love, but will miss. Mysterious Ways, indeed. Just a part of my Tithe to AllThings. May she be with her daughter, safe (or buy a pack of smokes and a bite to eat, whatever, may her misery be REDUCED).
Kind Regards,
CLAYTON LEON WINTON
POB#2123
(1183-1287 Robinson Drive)
Priest River, ID 83856-2123
208-448-2215
cwinton@priestriver.com
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