The Nationals – that exciting time when, for once, we know which anthem they’ll be playing during the medal ceremony. Let’s get to the lineup.

Pairs
Inoue & Baldwin stay in their love nest. Mary Beth Marley & Rockne Brubaker take a little trip together. Caydee Denney & Jeremy Barrett make up and step out. Amanda Evora & Mark Ladwig engage the competition. Caitlin Yankowskas & John Coughlin win it.

Ice Dance
Meryl Davis & Charlie White take a cue from Evan. Maia Shibutani & Alex Shibutani gross Tori out. The Matchup of the Madisons! Madison Chock & Greg Zuerlein give Tori the creeps and Madison Hubbell & Keiffer Hubbell get their Weir on.

Ladies
Caroline Zhang finds the pearl. Ashley Wagner comes up short in the short. Christina Gao gets up close and personal with NBC. Bob the Mailman picks Agnes Zawadzki. Mirai Nagasu pushes Frank Carroll’s buttons. Rachael Flatt flails. Alissa Czisny does a bear of an interview.

Men
Keegan Messing makes us very angry. Brandon Mroz, he was there, right? Armin Mahbanoozadeh is all right. Adam Rippon doesn’t get the coverage we need. Jeremy Abbott forgets to be a champion. Ross Miner will always have Paris. Richard Dornbush skates an elementary program. Ryan Bradley, our boyfriend. Evan Lysacek loves his applesauce!

Plus, Sarah Meier, Carolina Kostner, Kiira Korpi, Florent Amodio, Nathalie Péchalat & Fabian Bourzat, and Aliona Savchenko & Robin Szolkowy show us the economy isn’t the only thing that’s weak in Europe.

The good bit is at 6:37.

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Remember when we said, “See you in October”? Well, here it is October 91st, and WE’RE BACK!

Liz and Tori kick off The Ice Queens’ 4th season with thoughtful, reasoned looks at:

Meryl Davis & Charlie White, Vanessa Crone & Paul Poirier, Nathalie Péchalat & Fabian Bourzat, Kanako Murakami, Rachael Flatt, Carolina Kostner, Alissa Czisny, Caroline Zhang, Mirai Nagasu, Miki Ando, Mao Asada, Yuna Kim, Fumie Suguri, Adam Rippon, Daisuke Takahashi, Takahiko Kozuka, Tomas Verner, Patrick Chan, Nobunari Oda, Kevin van der Perren, Florent Amodio, Jeremy Abbott, Brian Joubert, Evgeni Plushenko, Pang Qing & Tong Jian, Aliona Savchenko & Robin Szolkowy, Sui Wenjing & Han Cong, Rockne Brubaker, Keauna McLaughlin, and, of course, Rena Inoue and John Baldwin.

X-ray goggles really work!

The Pink Panther

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Recently, I had to go up in the attic to install a solar-powered rooftop garden and tire recycling center. In the corner of this long forgotten hell pit of heat, dust, and insulation, I literally stumbled upon a trunk. When I came to after the ensuing concussion, I pried it open, thinking it might contain Google stock certificates or, at least, my youth. Instead what it held was…

THE LOST EPISODE!

Not the actual trunk.

Have you been wondering why The Ice Queens didn’t cover the 2010 Worlds? Well, so have we! We thought we recorded a show, but none of us could remember what happened to the Master Tapes. And, as any fan of Give My Regards to Broad Street (i.e. everyone) can tell you, Master Tapes are insanely valuable. Valuable enough to be capitalized at all times.

I immediately knew what I had to do — post that episode! And, after a few weeks, I got around to doing it. So, stop calling, everyone on Earth. Here it is.

The 2010 Worlds

Johnny Weir hangs out in the NBCU loft. Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto can’t wait to talk about their competition.

Pang & Tong emote. Savchenko & Szolkowy clown around, but without any heart. Kavaguti & Smirnov move to Splat City.

Daisuke Takahashi invests. Patrick Chan gets inflated. Brian Joubert is gooood lookin’. Jeremy Abbott debuts new guestures. Adam Rippon generates a tiny bit of excitement. Ryan Bradley misses The Ice Queens magic.

Virtue & Moir – Canadian for Magical & Dreamy. Davis & White duke it out. Faiella & Scali hit the snooze bar. Samuelson & Bates are Number 9!

Mirai Nagasu roughs it up. Rachael Flatt pops. Laura Lepistö skates small, scores big. Mao Asada pleases Toyota. Kim Yu-Na proves that South Korea is too heavy to carry on her shoulders.

And we give you a shout-out. See you in October!

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The US skating assignments for the Grand Prix events are now posted. Davis & White are going to be at Skate America, along with Denny & Barrett. Also, Rachel plans on boring the audience, and I’ll be able to get an up close and personal view of Caroline standing still on the ice. Looks like there will be some decent international entrants: Takahashi, Ten, Savchenko & Szolkowy.

Check out the ISU website for a complete listing of all the events.

I noticed that Johnny Weir is listed for Skate Canada and Trophee Eric Bompard. Huh?!?! He’s still skating? And, I’m not sure but this has to be a freakin’ joke or a typo because Inoue & Baldwin are listed for NHK. NO, NO, NO. Just go away already! Don’t you have a wedding to plan?!

Other disturbing participants: Brian Joubert – Leave while you’re still half way decent. Sara “Swiss Miss” Meier – Just retire and enjoy your coco. Carolina Kostner – You suck and need to hang it up. Fumie Suguri – OH HELL NO!!! Seriously?!?! NO!

The skating season is shaping up to be an interesting one or maybe that’s an infuriating one.

Keepin’ it real.
Tori

Put on your big shoes, sit by the fireplace, and score a personal best; it’s the Olympics!

In the podcast below, we discuss Ice Dancing:

Domnina and Shabalin, Davis and White, Belbin and Agosto, Virtue and Moir, Delobel and Schoenfelder, and Samuelson and Bates.

And the ladies:

Joannie Rochette, Mirai Nagasu, Miki Ando, Rachael Flatt, Kim Yu-Na, Mao Asada, and Carolina Kostner.

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Light the fake fireplace; it’s the Olympics!

A lot of skating has happened already, and it’s about time we take a serious and reasoned look at these humble athletes and their tasteful clothing.

In the podcast below, we discuss the pairs:

KAVAGUTI and SMIRNOV, ZHANG and ZHANG, DENNEY and BARRETT, EVORA and LADWIG, SHEN and ZHAO, PANG and TONG, SAVCHENKO and SZOLKOWY, MUKHORTOVA and TRANKOV, KAVAGUTI and SMIRNOV, ZHANG and ZHANG, DENNEY and BARRETT, EVORA and LADWIG, SHEN and ZHAO, PANG and TONG, SAVCHENKO and SZOLKOWY, and MUKHORTOVA and TRANKOV.

Shen and Zhao not skating.

Then, the men:

Evgeni Plushenko, Evan Lysacek, Daisuke Takahashi, Johnny Weir, Patrick Chan, Stephane Lambiel, Nobunari Oda, Jeremy Abbott, Tomáš Verner, Kevin Van Der Perren, Brian Joubert, Florent Amodio, and Denis Ten.

Enjoy!

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It’s Super Sunday! Are you ready for some figure skating?

The Ice Queens’ Olympics Preview show! If you’re new to figure skating, we’ve compiled this handy chart to help you place your bets enjoy the Games.

Here’s who’s going to medal in Pairs:

Tori says:

• Shen & Zhao – Gold
• Pang & Tong – Silver
• Savchenko & Szolkowy – Bronze

Liz says:

• Shen & Zhao – Gold
• Pang & Tong – Silver
• Kavaguti & Smirnov – Bronze (or is it Booze?)

The rest are: Zhang & Zhang, Mukhortova & Trankov, Volosozhar & Morozov (the Ukranian Robots,) Dube & Davidson, and Denney & Barrett.

Here’s who’s going to medal in the Men:

Tori says:

• Evgeni Plushenko – Gold
• Jeremy Abbott – Silver
• Evan Lysachek – Bronze

Liz says:

• Evgeni Plushenko – Gold
• Jeremy Abbott – Silver
• Stephane Lambiel – Bronze

And the rest: Johnnie Weir, Brian Joubert, Daisake Takahashi, Oda Nobanari, and Patrick Chan.

Here’s who’s going to medal in Ice Dancing:

Tori and Liz say:

• Virtue & Moir – Gold
• Davis & White – Silver
• Belbin & Agosto – Bronze

The rest are: Domnin & Shabalin, Delobel & Schoenfelder, and Khokhlova & Novitski.

Here’s who’s going to medal in the Ladies:

Tori says:

• Kim Yu-Na – Gold
• Mao Asada – Silver
• Miki Ando – Bronze

Liz says:

• Kim Yu-Na – Gold
• Mirai Nagasu – Silver
• Miki Ando – Bronze

And the rest: Joannie Rochette, Akiko Suzuki, Rachel Flatt, Carolina Kostner, Laura Lepisto, and Alena Leonova.

For all the snarky analysis behind the picks, listen to the podcast!

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Freakatron!!!  The scary thing is that his outfit isn’t any worse than what we see in actual competition.

Almost makes you wish he’d win a medal at the Olympics so the ISU and Olympic committee can crap their pants when he does the exhibition.

- Tori

Plus, J sent us this photo:

Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates, Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto, Meryl Davis and Charlie White, Laney Diggs, Caroline Zhang, Alissa Czisny, Emily Hughes, Alexe Gilles, Beatrisa Liang, Amanda Dobbs, Christina Gao, some newcomer named Sasha Cohen, Ashley Wagner, Mirai Nagasu, and Rachael Flatt.

And don’t forget about NBC’s figure skating broadcast team! Tom Hammond, Scott Hamilton, Sandra Bezic, Tracy Wilson, Andrea Joyce, Bob Costas, Dick Button, and THIS WOMAN:

Bob, Dick, and the woman who tore them apart.

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