Skating; going mainstream, one gossip blog at a time

Perez Hilton, the "Queen of All Media" whose infamous gossip site gets astronomical hits, just posted a version of Johnny Weir skating to Lady Gaga's "Pokerface". The program had previously been posted on both his site and this one, but it was a very low quality performance. Now, it is a much better quality video and really shows how great this program is. It's dramatic, dynamic and most of all a really fun routine. It's also great to see Johnny enjoying himself after what can only be described as a shocking and disappointing end to last season. It's not specified, but it's believed to be a performance from the current Festa on Ice show; as you'll see, the audience absolutely lap up the performance.

Weir making his way on to Perez Hilton's site with such a glowing review means good things for the sport; the more skating is publicised, the better the TV coverage will be, for example. This is what Perez posted:

It has finally been professionally filmed!!!
U.S. figure skater Johnny Weir just performed the most faboosh version of Lady GaGa's Poker Face at an ice show this past weekend.

The makeup! The outfit! The moves!

And he sold it.

Love. Love. Love!!!!!!

We know the Lady would approve.

Lysacek and the Lakers: Just a bunch of champions

Evan Lysacek will bve presenting the first ball at the LA Lakers game on Monday. It's fantastic that becoming world champion opens these doors for him.

Evan Lysacek and the Lakers practice in the same facility, the Toyota Center in El Segundo. They've won major titles as the result of their performances at Staples Center, where the Lakers won three NBA championships and Lysacek last month claimed the world figure skating championship.

So it makes sense for Lysacek, an Illinois native who has enthusiastically adopted Los Angeles as his home, to share the floor with the Lakers -- if only briefly -- before they resume their first-round playoff series against the Utah Jazz.

Lysacek will be introduced at the game Monday and will present the game ball for the opening tipoff, a well-deserved honor. It will also be a rare occasion when he's surrounded by athletes who are taller than he is: He's about 6 foot 1, extremely tall for a figure skater.