2010 US Nationals: Pairs (2)

The judging details for Pairs is fully up! I usually don't care so much about the details of GOE and downgrades and whatnot in comparison to the actual results themselves, but this time especially I was curious about what placed Rena Inoue & John Baldwin in 3rd, partly considering that it seemed like they disagreed with the results (although, to be fair, not the decision not to nominate them to the Olympic team). Anyway, the point is, the protocols are up and I (along with 90% of the figure skating world, if not more, I feel) am again so confused as to what exactly makes this new judging system so "improved":

Obviously I'm not nearly the first person to say this, but really. Take, for example, the 2T. I don't clearly remember this program so I suppose someone popped this, seeing as it wasn't judged as a 3T<, but the point is that J3 must have hit another pair's replay when he gave a +1 GOE. Since, you know, everyone else thought that it was a -2 GOE. Which results in an overall GOE of -0.60 even though 7 of the 8 judges gave it a -2. Or, for instance, the 3LzTw1... even I could see the crash. A 0 GOE? Really? What amuses me even more is the 3LoTh... are these judges actually watching the same program and paying attention to it besides? But hey, whatever, it's all anonymous, right? These are good too, although I'm glad to see that they apparently amended the rules surrounding downgrades. But, for instance, the CCoSp4--+1 to -2 GOE? Even ranges of 0 to +2 GOE are questionable (or rather J2 seems to have been determined to keep them 3rd)... come on now, ISU. Haha right.

I don't mean any of the above as a knock on anybody's scores, efforts, or abilities. I have no idea what the elements should have received under the envisioned COP, but really now. Judges do have to be trained, right? I can't just jump into the judges' panel tomorrow and start handing out numbers?

Oh well. I love figure skating anyway. At least, I think so, most of the time...