"... as if he were a critic covering the opera or ballet. He saw figure skating as a rare blend of athleticism and artistry. 'It has music, it has choreography, it has personality,' he said. 'You watch it not to see only who wins, but to see how they win.' Over time, he acquired a reputation for sometimes withering remarks about skaters, their costumes and program. 'That was an angry tango,' he said of one less-than-sublime Olympic ice dancing routine. He described another performance as 'slapped together without very much thought or intelligence.' Mr. Button had 'a candor and critical objectivity that make the gee-whiz, smiling-toothed reportage of video’s full-time sportscasters seem hopelessly out of date,' New York Times television critic Jack Gould wrote of Mr. Button at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France."
I loved watching Olympic figure skating when Dick Button was the announcer. It was never the same without him. For me, personally, he was the most important sports commentator.
You watch it not to see only who wins, but to see how they win.
That actually describes all sports. If you just wanted to know who won, you could check the morning paper.
All the announcers were better back then, before sports started catering to the non-fan, wasting our time with "human interest stories" instead of talking about the game being played.
I recall one instance in which Jim McKay was hosting some skating event on Wide World of Sports with Button. At one point, they showed a split screen of 2 skaters (Dorothy Hamill was one, maybe) with Button in the middle, on the mic.
Over which McKay said "look at those figure skating queens!" That hung there for a couple of seconds before they moved on.
I also loved Button as a commentator, my intro to figure skating as a viewer. Incredible that Yale would not let him compete as a student, so he went to Harvard College instead.
I do like Tara Lipinksi and Johnny Weir. I think they play off each other very well -- 'tho I confess I don't even know if they're still the play-by-play announcers!
He was the best! He and Peggy Fleming were great together. I always think about his comments on layback spins when I watch ice skating. Thank you for posting the video.
Not that it matters, but we did find out today that in spite of having been married at one point and having two kids, Dick was survived by his longtime partner Dennis Grimaldi. I wouldn't have guessed, but I suppose you have to go back a long way to find a wholly straight male US figure skater. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
He was a great announcer and a credit to his sport. Another great one was Gordon Maddux who did Gymnastics for ABC News. I'll never forget seeing the Russian Gymnastic do something incredible and Gordon going "Oh my, wow".
Huh. I never knew Dick Buttons was the "inventor" of the flying camel. Amazing. One of the older (60 something) coaches pulled one of these off a few weeks ago at the rink while teaching. The applause was deafening.
Bad week for the ice skating world. I'll admit, I've quit watching it over the past decade, because it just isn't as interesting to me as it was. As it was when Dick Button was explaining it to me.
I heard his announcing for years but only saw him as a talking head. The very first time I saw a video of his personal skating career...ummm, yeah...he's gay. He was graceful and even dainty. Being firmly in the closet or seeking redemption from God (i.e., to become straight) was the norm back then.
"I'll admit, I've quit watching it over the past decade, because it just isn't as interesting to me as it was. As it was when Dick Button was explaining it to me."
Yes, that's what happened to me. I was never able to remain engaged after he left. His explaining what I was seeing was crucial. The replacements didn't try to do the same thing he did.
A great moments in TV figure skating commentary years ago, as a male figure skater was speeding down the ice. The commentator, whoever it was, said out of nowhere "And Bobby Hull crosses the blue line for the second time".
The passing of Dick Button, specifically its media treatment, has reminded me that we have come as close as we probably ever will to treating gay people as regular human beings entitled to as much or as little dignity as the rest of us. The whole trans thing feels like an effort to move gay away from the stodgy old folks and give it a new edgy crazy flair. Novelty! So exciting! Little do they appreciate that they have veered toward making gayness merely an aesthetic choice.
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You watch it not to see only who wins, but to see how they win.
That actually describes all sports. If you just wanted to know who won, you could check the morning paper.
All the announcers were better back then, before sports started catering to the non-fan, wasting our time with "human interest stories" instead of talking about the game being played.
I recall one instance in which Jim McKay was hosting some skating event on Wide World of Sports with Button. At one point, they showed a split screen of 2 skaters (Dorothy Hamill was one, maybe) with Button in the middle, on the mic.
Over which McKay said "look at those figure skating queens!" That hung there for a couple of seconds before they moved on.
I also loved Button as a commentator, my intro to figure skating as a viewer. Incredible that Yale would not let him compete as a student, so he went to Harvard College instead.
Sports catering to the non-fans? I'm a non-fan, and honestly, I haven't noticed.
I recall being disappointed in NPR years ago, when they started covering sports--as if there weren't enough sports coverage in the USA.
That said, I'd rather watch figure-skating more than most of the other stuff.
I do like Tara Lipinksi and Johnny Weir. I think they play off each other very well -- 'tho I confess I don't even know if they're still the play-by-play announcers!
After the video intro the idea he might’ve been gay came to mind.
He was the best! He and Peggy Fleming were great together. I always think about his comments on layback spins when I watch ice skating. Thank you for posting the video.
It's all about conservation of angular momentum and not falling over in the meantime.
All the more reason not to cater to non-fans. It annoys the fans and the non-fans still aren't interested.
Not that it matters, but we did find out today that in spite of having been married at one point and having two kids, Dick was survived by his longtime partner Dennis Grimaldi. I wouldn't have guessed, but I suppose you have to go back a long way to find a wholly straight male US figure skater. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Agreed 100%.
"That was an angry tango" = the best.
Button was crazy in love with Peggy Fleming.
He was a great announcer and a credit to his sport. Another great one was Gordon Maddux who did Gymnastics for ABC News. I'll never forget seeing the Russian Gymnastic do something incredible and Gordon going "Oh my, wow".
ABC was so good at covering the Olympics. The liberal/leftists at NBC took it over in 1988 and ruined it.
Huh. I never knew Dick Buttons was the "inventor" of the flying camel. Amazing. One of the older (60 something) coaches pulled one of these off a few weeks ago at the rink while teaching. The applause was deafening.
Bad week for the ice skating world. I'll admit, I've quit watching it over the past decade, because it just isn't as interesting to me as it was. As it was when Dick Button was explaining it to me.
I heard his announcing for years but only saw him as a talking head. The very first time I saw a video of his personal skating career...ummm, yeah...he's gay. He was graceful and even dainty. Being firmly in the closet or seeking redemption from God (i.e., to become straight) was the norm back then.
Those were the days. RIP
Button, Jim McKay and Bud Collins will always be my favorites…
"I'll admit, I've quit watching it over the past decade, because it just isn't as interesting to me as it was. As it was when Dick Button was explaining it to me."
Yes, that's what happened to me. I was never able to remain engaged after he left. His explaining what I was seeing was crucial. The replacements didn't try to do the same thing he did.
A great moments in TV figure skating commentary years ago, as a male figure skater was speeding down the ice. The commentator, whoever it was, said out of nowhere "And Bobby Hull crosses the blue line for the second time".
The passing of Dick Button, specifically its media treatment, has reminded me that we have come as close as we probably ever will to treating gay people as regular human beings entitled to as much or as little dignity as the rest of us. The whole trans thing feels like an effort to move gay away from the stodgy old folks and give it a new edgy crazy flair. Novelty! So exciting! Little do they appreciate that they have veered toward making gayness merely an aesthetic choice.
I lost interest in figure skating after Katerina Witt stopped showing up at competitions.
It's funny. I knew Button was gay before I was old enough to know what gay was. It was nothing overt. Just something.
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