Sharp skates and sharper tongues

Here's an interesting question, brought up by deputy features editor Joanna Bean: She thinks Dick Button, one of NBC's figure skating commentators, is really, really mean. And a little wacky.

I think Button isn't nearly as harsh as Peggy Fleming used to be -- but all these ex-skaters sound hypercritical to a casual viewer. And really, he ain't nearly as tough as Simon Cowell.

So is Button an ogre? Can 17-year-old skating phenoms take the heat? Or should announcers just shut the heck up and let us watch the action?

(Actually, I was pretty impressed by the delightful sounds of silence from the announcers during the ice dancing finals. Maybe figure skating, being more about the jumps and athletics than the moves and aesthetics, lends itself to more analysis).

BONUS POINTS: Here's a neat little Dick Button drinking game to keep you busy tomorrow night -- http://www.frogsonice.com/skateweb/articles/dick-button.shtml