Listen Up..A Word of Thanks to The Skating Blogosphere

This is the toughest part of the year. At the elite level of skating, there isn't a lot of real news. Vacation is over and it's time to get back to work. Time for new programs, time to start working on honing skills in jumps, spins and footwork. Time for new boots and blades to get fitted and comfortable on the ice.

It also seems to be time for speculation, information, and to a degree, disinformation. The prognosticators and pundits are there - just under the surface - eyes glued to computers, looking to seize any shred of communication, be it post or tweet, so they can run with it .

I don't find that to be a negative, by the way. It shows a love of the sport and keeps interest high. After all, we'll be half way to Sochi this season.

So, thanks  to all who care about skating and share their feelings through blogs, tweets and posts. We may not always agree with you, but we applaud your passion and your loyalty to the sport! We can't wait to read what you have to say - once there is actually something to talk about.