OLYMPIC SCANDAL : RANGERS PILOT GETS 1.7 ! 

In serious blow to the new Babylon 5 series pilot, the Olympic judges gave it a combined score of 1.7.

World wide, fans were stunned.  Questions rang through the air followed by allegations of fraud and incompetence.

We were able to contact a number of the judges involved.  Here are their brief comments:

China : "You kicked Even Chen off the Rangers team and it cost your musical program, however, I did give you a few points for the oriental garden in Martel's crew quarter's."

Italy : "No Garibaldi, no bagna cauda, no Centauri, what'a you guys a nuts?"

Germany : "Christopher Franke was the MVP.  He stole the musical program.  You lost technical points on the flaws in the technical program because the B5 station was rotating the wrong way, jump gates were the wrong color, ...  If anything, us Germans demand precision."

Canada : "We were robbed. First Sale and Pelletier, now this ! The show was a fantastic performance, the sectors, graphics, and behind the scenes staff were great, not the typical garbage Hollywood sends us."     

Argentina : "B5?  We can't even get Warner Brothers to look at our "Bring Babylon 5 To Latin America Petition ¹ .  Send us the show and we'll watch.  Just make it cheap.  Our country's bankrupt again."

USA : "Where were the car crashes and T & A?  I've seen more sex and violence with Tania Harding skating.  As judges, we use the same skills we use at home.  At TNT as an executive, I've learned costumes, order, and accuracy don't matter. It's presentation that makes it; so where was the gratuitous sex and violence?"

Britain : "The team suffered from inexperience.  They just can not bodge it.  In the U.K., we go with more seasoned players.  Try Dame Judi Dench  as Cantrell, Lynn Redgrave as Firell, and Vanessa Redgrave as Na'Feel, and you will be set.  Training at Pinewood studios instead of Vancouver would help.  Look what it did for James Bond." 

Hong Kong / China : "The marshal arts were not up to par.  Why not let Jackie Chan do Kitiro or Martel?" 

Russia : "No Ivanova, No Checkov, Nyet vote !"

Mr. Morden, the spokesman for the embattled judges had only a brief statement, "The Russians won without a Shadow of a doubt !"

Of course, all this follows on the heals of a controversial vote in pairs skating with Canadian skaters Jamie Sale and David Pelletier.

In this event, allegations of block voting, vote trading, and fraud arose reviving questions first brought up by a Canadian judge at the 1998 Nagano Games.

Among the disgruntled fans was former Enron CEO Ken Lay who flew up at stock holder expense on his jet in order to avoid a Congressional subpoena.  

Reporter: " Mr. Lay, as one who bribed numerous  officials and is a expert in trading markets, what do you think of the judging?"

Mr. Lay : " .... and people ask me if I'm on crack?  This is a real crime. At least the judges were in the room with the lights on."

On that note we did get one question in at the press conference for the two Canadians.

Reporter: " What did you think of the Rangers vote during your program?"

Canadian Rep. : "The judges were watching that instead of these two?  That explains a lot.  I just thought the judges were blind."  

Published on: February 12, 2002 

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