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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Feb 26, 2010 - 01:57am PT
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Gold and Silver for Demong and Spillane!
I never thought I would see this day. My life is complete!
I have an emotional stake in this as my best friend in Alaska, Bela Bodnar,
was on the '76 team with Koch and Caldwell.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Feb 26, 2010 - 01:57am PT
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The International Olympic Committee will investigate after some of Canada's women's hockey players celebrated their gold medal by drinking beer and champagne on the ice, the Associated Press is reporting.
Photos taken by Canwest News Service show some of the players sitting on the ice, wearing their gold medals after the 2-0 win over the United States at Canada Hockey Place.
Players also smoked cigars, the AP is reporting.
Gilbert Felli, the IOC's executive director of the Olympic Games, is reported to have said he didn't think drinking on the ice is a good promotion of sport values.
"If they celebrate in the changing room, that's one thing, but not in public. We will investigate what happened," Felli told the AP. http://www.vancouversun.com/
Cigars?! On the ice?!
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GLee
Social climber
MT
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Feb 26, 2010 - 02:09am PT
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Congratulations to Joannie Rochette, the Canadian Womens's Hockey team, and all atheletes Norwegian in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics!!!!
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blahblah
Gym climber
Boulder
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Feb 26, 2010 - 10:57am PT
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Hopefully the Canadian women's hockey team went out in a blaze of glory and that's the last time we'll have to see this travesty in the Olympics, at least until there are more than 2 teams that can play the game.
The incredible run up in the scores of both US and Canada against other teams was sickening and about as against the spirit of the Olympics as you can get.
The Canadian team's atrocious behavior was a nice icing on the cake of tackiness.
Anyway, here's a good site I came across that gives each countries chances of medaling in the various events:
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Olympics/Olympics-blog/2010/0226/Vancouver-Olympics-medal-count-US-chances-for-Day-15
It's got a US bias (being a US site) but talks about other countries.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Feb 26, 2010 - 11:04am PT
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^^^^^^ Word! (about no more wimmen's hockey with only 2 teams worthy)
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bmacd
Trad climber
Beautiful BC
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 26, 2010 - 11:40am PT
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Some of those woomen would fit in really well in the BOOT DEPARTMENT at MEC.
Tami you are frickin hilarious !
So is blahblahblah, but in a different way.
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hafilax
Trad climber
East Van
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Feb 26, 2010 - 11:41am PT
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The issue is probably that Coors and the maker of the cigars aren't official sponsors.
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Seamstress
Trad climber
Yacolt, WA
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Feb 26, 2010 - 12:22pm PT
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We had a fantastic time at the games. We go to BC two or three times a year, and it was the easiest border crossing ever - 2 cars ahead of us.
For the local who complained about the price of short track tickets - our tickets were $50, bought in the lottery, seated next to the press area, and saw the men's 1500 meter prelim, semi and finals. Most excellent entertainment with the greed for the gold knocking out two Koreans allowing the wiley Ohno and kid Celski to medal.
Got on to the Sea to Sky highway the next day and had the most stress free trip up. We saw about 100 cops and about 5 other cars. Arrived at Whistler at noon. Excellent skiing in crappy light for two days. The hill was empty, skied right onto the lifts, enjoyed bowls without being bowled over...
We walked to the ladies downhill and were very impressed by the venue. Who knew that it was a combination ski jump and downhill? 7 of 31 DNF's, and this is mostly a blue run for the public. Two medals for the Americans, including one of my favorites Julia. Beer, wine, and coffee all available at 8:00 AM. Could the weather be more perfect for spectators and competitors? No. Outdoor sports will always have weather issues, and you can't have a couple of weeks of events without having some bad weather. It was perfect for the outdoor events I had tickets to see.
The nordic venues were fantawstic. I can block out the sound of my husband complaining about the long walk in and appreciate the beautiful setting. Thoroughly enjoyed the international crowd, chatting with the Aussies, Scotsmen, Canadians, Americans, and Danes standing next to us. None of us had a contender in the biathlons, so we rooted for each other's countrymen.
I would give the whole experience a 9 out of 10. The blemishes were few:
Poor execution of mass transit in Vancouver. Any time you leave thousands of foreigners, many not savvy urban people, figuring out how to negotiate mass transit with lots of changeovers - very messy. It took a ridiculous 2 1/2 hours to get back to our car 6 miles away from Pacific Coliseum. They were loading two buses at a time, with dozens of buses lined up on the street with thousands of people getting wetter by the second.
Intrawest - why shut down half your food service because it won't be busy enough when the world is on your doorstep? The lines at lunch on Whistler were long while a significant part of the normal food services were closed. Out of the 100 ski days I have on this mountain, these were the worst for getting food.
Mass Transit in Whistler - should have used a dual hub system instead of a single hub. Everyone was trucked into Whistler for the buses to all venues. We managed to talk one Olympic Park driver to make a drop at Creekside, saving half the bus two or three more rides to get back to their lodging. The service was not close to what was promised (30 minutes vs. 15 minutes)on the website, and it was not acknowledged. We often walked it, wearing dark clothing, in the dark rather than wait forever only to be passed by a full bus. Pick-up points were changed without announcement, ....They did provide lots of volunteers who mostly knew how to navigate - but maps with stops noted would have helped enormously. Seems they did not get all the buses they expected and many were not mountain worthy.
Gougers - we paid a very high rate for the lodging that we rented. We noticed prices in a freefall just before the games, and significant availability. Very few gifts were bought for families and friends as most souvenirs were overpriced. $30 cotton t-shirts - forget it.
I returned home, with all my pocket warmers unopened, backpack full of fleece and down that never was used, a suntan, and 2,000 pictures of 4 events. Thanks for the hospitality.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Feb 26, 2010 - 12:49pm PT
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Canadians? Drinking Coors?
That must be why the IOC is investigating. No real Canadian would drink such swill.
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blahblah
Gym climber
Boulder
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Feb 26, 2010 - 12:54pm PT
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mh--there must be ass loads of people who seem to be Canadians but must not be "real" Canadians. In the mega-mergers in the beer industry, what is now Miller Coors was Molson Coors for a time. I believe Molson and Coors made each other's swill in their respective countries.
Edit: I see they're still doing business under Molson Coors.
http://www.molsoncoors.com/
Ha ha ha--must be enough to make a real Canadian's blood boil, seeing their iconic national brand being reduced to the lever of American McBeer.
Think I'll enjoy me one of those 24 oz. cans of "Canadian" (made by Coors) this evening when I'm watching US pick up some of those speed skating medals!!
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bmacd
Trad climber
Beautiful BC
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 26, 2010 - 01:33pm PT
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Like, we rock, eh ?
pass the mary jane, Shelley
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cleo
Social climber
Berkeley, CA
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Feb 26, 2010 - 01:45pm PT
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Ah c'mon... a few ADULT hockey players drinking beer on the ice, after winning the gold medal, after the fans had left...
IN A VENUE THAT SELLS BEER!!!!!
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Chief
climber
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Feb 26, 2010 - 01:45pm PT
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Ms. Chief and I have been enjoying the Olympics very much and celebrating the accomplishments of all the athletes, no matter what flag they represent. There are however some sobering considerations.
Whistler's Pique Magazine printed Ms. Chief's letter and with her permission, I'm posting it here.
Perry
Letter to the Editor
I watched the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, they reflected what I believe Canadians love about our country and what it is that soothes our souls. That being the wide-open spaces of prairies and oceans, vast forests of conifers and maples, wild rivers and wildlife we share this land and water with. I'm pretty sure these are also the images we have hanging on our walls, sitting on our window sills and in our photo albums.
Unfortunately these are the very same icons we exploit to fulfill our insatiable needs.
In British Columbia we have cut down the majority of these conifers, and in the process destroyed vast amounts of fish habitat resulting in collapsed runs of the Pacific Salmon which feed the Bears we hunt for trophies, and the Whales who's habitat we pollute with our capital city's raw sewage.
We cry that our debt is not our fault, demand someone else pay for our children and parents, insist we should have high paying jobs, and complain that Canadian made products cost too much.
Well, while you sit and watch your flat screen TVs, on your no money down sofas, drinking the beer you bought on credit while your children play one of their fifty games of Nintendo, ask yourself what you've done to make Canada the place you just shed a tear for, then ask yourself what you'll do different tomorrow to make it a better place, and if the answer is nothing then you should ask your self which ones of the icons on our wall you're willing to live with out.
Nadine Beckham
Squamish BC
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Feb 26, 2010 - 02:21pm PT
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Good one, Perry and Nadine!
It was disturbing that most Olympic events were held in one provincial park (Cypress), or on land taken from Garibaldi Provincial Park over the last 40 years for Whistler/Blackcomb - and that there have been few if any mentions of it in the news media. Given that the government promotes what it calls sustainable tourism, and indeed has now branded B.C. as "The Best Place on Earth" (really - they have the trademark), you'd think they would at least pay lip service to the importance of parks and wildernesses.
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blahblah
Gym climber
Boulder
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Feb 26, 2010 - 02:55pm PT
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The reason they ran up the scores is because goals matter in the end if you are tied in someway. And please donKt take anything away from these girls, the Americans especially worked very very very hard to win Gold and who gives a sh#t if the other countries sucked this bad. They should be ashamed not the winners, so f*#k u blahblah.
Maybe the people who should be ashamed are the people who included an event that is only taken seriously in 1 country (Canada) and not taken seriously in another (the US) but which is huge, rich, and puts lots of emphasis on women's sports due to federal mandates (and other reasons) and so can still field a respectable team. No one one else in the world seems to care, which is saying a lot in a world full bobsledders, curlers and other pursuers of ridiculous enterprises.
I am glad this is the last time we will see this travesty, unless the rest of the world decides it wants play the game at something approaching a competitive level.
And you are really sick for saying that those poor girls from those other countries should be ashamed, I'm sure they did the best the could against insurmountable odds.
PS: I don't care much about hockey (being a somewhat normal American) but I am really, really hoping the US beats the Finns and then somehow beats Canada just to teach some of you arrogant jerks a lesson.
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nature
climber
Tucson, AZ
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Feb 26, 2010 - 03:54pm PT
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6-0 woowooo!
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nature
climber
Tucson, AZ
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Feb 26, 2010 - 04:08pm PT
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9 of 12 power play kills.
Canada needs to get there.
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Chief
climber
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Feb 26, 2010 - 04:15pm PT
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I'm all for free speech and a "modless" forum. Lord knows I've done my share of ranting here and elsewhere. I do have to confess though, the level of conversation here is at times....well...disappointing and somehow unbecoming of all of us. Can we work on that a bit?
Back to Olympic hockey.
Don't be jinxing the Canucks with any talk of meeting the much to be feared Yanks, we've got our hands full this evening.
Peace
PB
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Feb 26, 2010 - 04:20pm PT
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Talk about an earth shaking game!
I was dozing through the U.S. versus Finland hockey game at 5:30 in the morning here and we had a 6.9 earthquake with the epicenter less than 10 miles from my house. Now there are tsunami warnings up all over East Asia. It felt like three separate rolling earthquakes where the house literally feels like its surfing on undulating ground. A lot of rumbling noise too.
Whoever plays in the finals, it won't top that as far as I'm concerned!
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Feb 26, 2010 - 04:29pm PT
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Bmacd, that photo is FABULOUS!
Yeah, your hockey team is looking good, no doubt. We, um, have some Slovakians to take care of first. We'll be along in a bit.
LOVE the "champagne bottle" of Molson Canadian beer - classic. And the cee-gars. Love it! For whatever reason in marketing, we do not have a viable home-brew light beer here in Canada. When you think light beer, you think Coors light. I actually don't mind the stuff.
Here's something else you Merricans will find amazing, I sure do: Miller Genuine Draft is marketed in Canada as a premium beer, and you pay extra for it! Little do the Hosers know it's the cheapest swill in the states you can buy. I can't stand it, way too fizzy on the wall when it's warm.
Remember that 90% of the Canadian population lives within a hundred miles [or is it 100km?] of the US border, so we have grown up watching US TV all our lives. When Merrican beer first hit Canada, they would always slowly zoom in on the label to finish up at "Alcohol 5.0% by volume" because the perception among Canadians is that Merrican beer is watery.
Hey you Hosers - if girls were going to drink light beer, what else would it be besides Coors? They have Blue Light and Bud Light in the bars, one of which is US, but you don't really see the stuff in cans or bottles much, do you?
And hey - yous guys who don't like Molson Canadian?!
Like, take OFF, eh?!
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