Take a bow for the Games of our lives

We are down to the last day of navigating the ferry slalom course to and from the Island or sock speedskating across the family room to the TV remote control. Actually, you won't need the latter today. Nobody from Victoria to St. John's will be changing the channel. If these off-the-charts ratings for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics are to be believed, there's only one thing the mass of Canadians will be watching today -- the gold medal men's hockey final against the Americans leading directly into the closing ceremonies as B.C.'s 15 minutes are up.

As it often does, international sport again provided the great communal experience. But it may have done more than that in the host nation, where it has delivered a defining moment.

Many are asking: Is this even the same country we knew?

Did we see Canada change before our very eyes? An over-arching thesis seems to be that the last fortnight has profoundly changed Canada, and that it has shed its timidity to become more assertive and sure of its identity. We'll see. Instant pop analysis rarely stands the test of time.

At the very least, one gets the impression we will never again accept being second-rate on the international sporting stage. Yet even that, much like the George Clooney film, is up in the air. Are we willing to pay for continued excellence in international sport through both the public and private sectors? All that glitters is not gold -- these medals will fizzle into the dank Summer Games air of London in two years and the mists of the Caucasus mountains of Sochi in four years if programs are not maintained. Olympic medals don't just happen. They are bought and paid for by governments.

But this turned out to be more than the sum of all the Canadian medals. As with the 1994 Victoria Commonwealth Games, it is the pulsating excitement on the streets of the host city that has been most revealing as the people seized the Games from Vanoc, the IOC and government and made them their own. The world saw the emergent cultural makeup of the host province, evident in the TV images of the many of South Asian and other Asian ancestry from the Lower Mainland proudly wearing the Team Canada hockey jersey. That, too, is the changing Canada, and which needs to be represented at least equally alongside the aboriginal and francophone cultures in today's closing ceremonies as B.C. hands off to Sochi, a Russian port city the same population and size as Victoria, only with the Caucasus as a backdrop instead of the Olympic range.

Islanders had plenty to be proud of in connection to the 2010 Winter Olympics. Although the Island didn't have the ample athlete representation it does at the Summer Olympics, being a home-province Winter Games it was inevitable the relationship would be tight and immense, regardless. It was. Nearly half the Vanoc vice-presidents are Islanders and John Furlong himself cut his administrative teeth in Nanaimo. More than 1,000 people from the Island worked these Games as employees or volunteers, from military and police security personnel to Nordic-event course officials and everything in-between. The hugely popular and defining HBC apparel for these Games came about because of Islanders, and the Richmond Olympic Speedskating Oval was designed by Victoria architect Bob Johnston and Victoria firm Cannon Design. The Island, particularly the ever-opportune Mount Washington, provided a training home for hundreds of Winter Olympians from around the world before their Games competitions in Vancouver and Whistler. And every Island taxpayer is involved with these 2010 Winter Olympics, whether they want to be or not.

It concludes today when the entire country grinds to a halt for the Canada-USA gold medal hockey game -- move over England and Brazil, this is our World Cup moment -- before the scene shifts to B.C. Place and what should be an emotive closing ceremony.

No Games marred by the death of a competitor, as these were, can ever be awarded gold. But B.C., and Canada, have earned at least silver in so many other respects.

Source:timescolonist.com/

Chile won't participate in Closing Ceremonies

Athletes and coaches from Chile are planning to skip the Olympic Closing Ceremonies following a magnitude-8.8 earthquake that has devastated their country.

Team spokesman Luis Alberto Santa Cruz said Saturday morning that the athletes and coaches are trying to get home from Vancouver as soon as possible because of the quake.

Chile has three Alpine skiers representing the country at the Vancouver Games. Noelle Barahona, Maui Gayme and Jorge Mandru are all finished competing, so they won't miss any remaining events.

Santa Cruz says that some of the coaches and athletes have been able to contact family and so far, they have found out that their loved ones are fine.

The quake sent potentially deadly waves across the ocean and a tsunami warning - the highest alert level - was issued for Hawaii.


Source:ctvolympics.ca/

Kim wins ladies' figure skating gold medal

VANCOUVER (AP) -- All that pressure, all those expectations. Kim Yu-na could feel the weight on her dainty shoulders.

The "Queen" took it all on and delivered royally.

A gold medal.

A world record.

A women's figure skating performance that likely will be remembered as one of the best of all time.

The South Korean soared to the Olympic gold medal Thursday night, scoring 228.56 points and shattering her previous world record by more than 18 points. It is South Korea's first medal at the Winter Olympics in a sport other than speedskating, and it's sure to set off wild celebrations from Seoul to Pyongchang.

Even Kim seemed to be dazzled by the show she put on, gasping when she saw the monstrous score. Coach Brian Orser gave a Rocky-like victory pump, shaking his clasped fists over each shoulder.

"I still can't believe it," Kim said. "I waited a long time for the Olympics, and it feels like a large weight has been lifted
The 19-year-old grinned as she hopped up to the top spot on the podium, tugging at the bottom of her dress. When the gold medal was slipped over her head, she kissed both sides and held it up. Her lip quivered when the South Korean anthem began, and then came the tears.

She made a beeline for someone holding the South Korean flag as she set off on her victory lap, and carried it triumphantly as fans serenaded her with cheers and applause.

"Truly I still can't believe that I did what I wanted to do at the Olympics," she said.

Longtime rival Mao Asada of Japan won the silver medal, but it was no contest _ even with Asada landing both her triple axels, one in combination with a double toe loop. Asada was more than 23 points behind Kim, a margin so big Kim could have done nothing but figure 8s for the last half of her program and still finished in front.

In fact, Kim's score was so off the charts, it would have put her ninth in the men's competition _ even though they skate 30 seconds longer and do an extra jump.

"It's one of those programs that, when it's done like that, when it's perfection ..." Orser said, his voice trailing off.

Joannie Rochette, skating four days after the sudden death of her mother, won the bronze, giving Canada its first women's medal since Liz Manley's silver in 1988.

"I had to be out there as Joannie the athlete and not the person," she said. "It's not easy at some points. There's always some moments when emotions take over. But I really tried to be strong to make my mother proud and my father, who was in the stands."

The Americans, meanwhile, are going home without at least one medal for only the second time since 1952. The other time was 1964, three years after a plane crash wiped out the entire U.S. team on its way to the world championships.

But there is hope on the horizon with 16-year-old Mirai Nagasu finishing fourth. U.S. champion Rachael Flatt dropped two spots from the short program and was seventh.

Kim came in bearing almost incomprehensible pressure. Not only was the reigning world champ the biggest favorite since Katarina Witt in 1988 _ she's lost just one competition during the last two seasons _ she carried the weight of an entire nation. Maybe her sport, too.

The most popular athlete in South Korea, she's been dubbed "Queen Yu-na" _ check out the sparkly crowns that twinkle in her ears _ and she needs bodyguards whenever she returns home from her training base in Toronto. Anything she does creates a frenzy, and even a simple practice draws a rinkful of photographers.

Figure skating is also counting on her to bring back the sass and star power that has traditionally made the women the must-see event of the Olympics. Think of some of the greatest Winter Olympians ever and Dorothy, Peggy and Michelle _ no last names needed for die-hard fans _ immediately come to mind. But the sport has lost some serious luster since Michelle Kwan stopped skating.

Kim seemed to shrug off any jitters earlier this week, saying after the short program that it felt like any other competition. But it was clear Thursday that it meant so much more _ for her and Orser, a two-time Olympic silver medalist who was devastated when he lost to Brian Boitano at the 1988 Calgary Games.

"It's more gratifying," Orser said. "(But) it's definitely her medal. She's a champion."

There were simply no visible flaws in Kim's performance, from her skating to her expressions to that lovely cobalt blue dress. While other skaters slow down as they approach their jumps to steady themselves, she hurtles into them at full speed yet touches down with feathery lightness. Her connecting steps are like art on ice, and her edges show not even the slightest hint of a harsh scrape. Her spins were centered so perfectly the tracings looked as if they were made with a protractor, and she must be quadruple-jointed to pull off all those positions in her combination spins.

What really makes her transcendent, though, is her performance skills. She breathed life into Gershwin's "Concerto in F," moving across the ice like notes on a score. As the music lifted the first time, she put one hand on the small of her back and gave a flirty little smile that set shutters clicking throughout the building.

When she finished, you could almost see the pressure fall away as Kim bent over and cried. So many stuffed toys and flowers littered the ice the full complement of sweepers had to be deployed _ not once, but twice.

"It's not any time to hold back. It's not a time to be conservative or cautious. Be Olympic," Orser said. "We've talked about that, coming here. You've got to be Olympic. You've got to be a competitor. Yes, you're beautiful. Yes, the programs are beautiful. Beautiful lines. Great presentation and choreography.

"But you've got to be Olympic and you've got to be fierce. And she was."

It almost wasn't fair that Asada, skating next, had to try and one-up that.

She couldn't. Not even close.

"Because there was so much noise from the crowd, I was not able to hear her score," Asada said. "But judging from the loud reaction, I knew she must have had a great performance."

Asada, who has swapped titles with Kim since their junior days, is one of the few women who even tries a points-packing triple axel, and she did two on this night. But she melted down later, stumbling on the footwork into her triple toe and forcing her to cut it to a single. She did only four clean triple jumps, two fewer than Kim, and did not do either a triple lutz or a triple toe.

Asada looked stone-faced as she waited for her marks. She didn't even crack a smile when she got her silver medal.

"The triple axel I landed I'm happy with," Asada said, "but I'm not satisfied with the rest of my performance today."

For Rochette, the medal is a culmination of "a lifelong project with my mom." Therese Rochette, 55, had a massive heart attack just hours after arriving in Vancouver to watch her daughter skate, and Rochette has been the picture of courage this week.

Supported by her father, Normand, and longtime coach Manon Perron, Rochette decided to go ahead and compete. Her performance Thursday wasn't perfect; she two-footed and stepped out of a triple flip, and had shaky landings on a couple of other jumps. But she made up for those errors with an emotional and expressive portrayal of "Samson and Delilah."

When she finished, Rochette blew a kiss skyward.

Source:nbcolympics.com/

Olympic Village makes home pampered for athletes in Vancouver

VANCOUVER — Allison Baver's fifth-floor flat at the Winter Olympics comes with two masseuses on call, a chiropractor, access to a rooftop garden with sweeping views of the city and a private lounge where big-screen televisions stream live coverage from every Olympic venue.
If the 29-year-old U.S. speedskater, whose short-track relay team won the bronze Wednesday, didn't have to compete, there'd be no reason to leave.

This is the Reading, Pa., athlete's third Winter Games, but she says life in this Olympic Village — home to the 2,760 skaters, curlers, hockey players, coaches, trainers and officials — is better than good.

"When you are away from home, at a competition like this, you want everything to be as simple as possible," Baver said. "The Canadians have really raised the bar."


U.S. MEDALS TRACKER: Recap every medal won by the Americans

For most who now occupy the $1.1 billion complex of sleek condos on the banks of False Creek, the village is just that — an exclusive retreat for exclusive residents to eat, rest and prepare for the competition ahead.

There is a giant dining hall that caters to every taste and dietary regime. Here, pro hockey players mingle with their amateur colleagues.

"I was sitting with some of our women's hockey players when they spotted (Canadian star) Sidney Crosby," U.S. village spokesman Keith Bryant said. "They were going, 'Hey, that's Sid! That's Sid!' "

There also are shops, a cafe, full-service training center, bank, post office and a billion-dollar view of the city's skyline across the water. And most of the services don't cost the athletes a single Canadian loonie. Similar accommodations exist at a separate village in Whistler for the athletes competing in the mountains.

Nejat Sarp, who oversees operations at both villages, said the communities deliver on two central themes planners identified more than four years ago.

"The first priority was to minimize stress," said Sarp, a former hotel executive. "Then we said, 'Let's create a home.' "

Few average homeowners, however, can boast of the comforts here.

For example, Sarp said, 100 mattresses were tested before a winner was chosen. Each is dressed in 250-thread-count bedding and topped with a goose-down duvet.

"In the city, we wanted to create an urban oasis; in the mountains, an alpine escape. We think we have achieved that."

Although formally designated as Olympic "venues," the villages are places few non-athletes will ever see.

Since the massacre of 11 Israeli athletes and coaches at the 1972 Summer Games in Munich, the villages have been among the most secure locations at every Olympic Games since.

It is no different here. There are layers of fencing, a network of surveillance cameras and officer patrols.

But Baver said nothing about the security apparatus has spoiled the experience.

The U.S. residences — there are about 190 people in the downtown delegation — are in the "ideal" location, Baver said.

"We're about a half-block to the gym and a half-block to the dining hall," she said. "When you are skating every day, you've got to save your legs."

For Bryant, too, there are some perks. When he twisted an ankle the other day, the doctor who tended to him was former Olympic champion Eric Heiden, part of the U.S. medical staff.

"VANOC (the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee) is going to have to kick us out of here when this is over," Bryant said.

Source:usatoday.com/

Olympic roundup: What Canada did on Day 14

Marie-Philip Poulin scored twice in the first period and Shannon Szabados made 28 saves as Team Canada beat the United States 2-0 to win the gold medal at the Vancouver Olympics on Thursday.

It's Team Canada's third consecutive gold medal.

But it had been a while since the Canadian women had beaten the Americans in a meaningful game. The past two world championships had seen Canada lose to the U.S. — and that stung.

"I was standing there on the blue-line after and I thought to myself, 'I can't believe I got a shutout,'" said Szabados, who made 28 saves. "But I would have been satisfied with a 9-8 score as long as we won."

Szabados was particularly brilliant in the second period. Poulin of Quebec City, the youngest player on Canada and its fourth-line centre, scored twice in the first period. Then the game was turned over to Szabados, who made half her stops in the middle frame.

"She was like a rock," Canadian defenceman Colleen Sostorics said.

Canadian coach Melody Davidson could have started any of her three standout goalies. Charline Labonté and Kim St-Pierre are the others. But Davidson made the right choice in the stingy Szabados.

Plays against boys
The 23-year-old Edmonton native made headlines earlier in her career when she played against the boys in the Alberta Junior Hockey League and later in a game with the Tri-City Americans in the WHL.

She also played minor hockey with current Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Dion Phaneuf while growing up in Edmonton.

She still has plans to one day play pro hockey against men. But first she yearned for an Olympic gold medal with the women.

"I looked up in the stands and saw a sign that said "Proud to be Canadian" and that's what I am today," said Szabados, who plays with men at Grant MacEwen College in Edmonton.

The exuberant crowd of 16,805 at Canada Hockey Place included Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Wayne Gretzky, Canadian snowboard cross gold medallist Maelle Ricker, actor Michael J. Fox, defenceman Scott Niedermayer and most of the Canadian men's team, as well as head coach Mike Babcock and assistant coach Lindy Ruff.

Some wondered if this would be the last hurrah for 31-year-old Hayley Wickenheiser, who with teammates Jennifer Botterill, Becky Kellar and Jayna Hefford has played in four Olympics. But Wickenheiser indicated she will likely stick around for the Games in Sochi, Russia, in 2014.

"I think I could have another Olympics in me," Wickenheiser said. "It's very demanding, hard on my family, I have a young son. We'll see. But I'm really forward to taking it year by year and see how the program evolves."

Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette won the hearts of the Pacific Coliseum crowd with a gutsy performance to earn an Olympic bronze medal four days after her mother's death.

Thérèse Rochette, 55, died of a heart attack early Sunday, shortly after arriving in Vancouver to support her daughter.

"That's what my mother would have wanted me to do," Rochette said of her decision to compete. "That's how she raised me. She was always by my side. She was my biggest fan."

Rochette, from Île Dupas, Que., came out strongly with a triple Lutz/double toe/double toe sequence while skating to Saint-Saens's Samson and Delilah, but landed awkwardly on a triple flip.

The 24-year-old regained her composure and impressed with her spiral sequence. Her remaining jumps weren't technically the best, but Rochette displayed her mettle by fighting to land them.

She scored 202.64 points to earn bronze. Kim Yu-Na of South Korea won the gold with 228.56, breaking her own world record, and Mao Asada took silver with 205.50.

Rochette is Canada's first Olympic medallist in women's figure skating since Elizabeth Manley took silver in Calgary in 1988.

Rochette wiped away tears after accepting her bronze medal.

Cynthia Phaneuf, 22, of Contrecoeur, Que., finished 12th.

Also on Thursday, Kevin Martin earned the chance to defend Canada's Olympic title in men's curling while getting his own second shot at gold after his rink dispatched Niklas Edin's Swedish foursome 6-3 in a semifinal.

Martin's team of Marc Kennedy, Ben Hebert and John Morris are now undefeated through their 10 games in the tournament and will look for their 11th straight victory to repeat Canada's gold-medal performance of 2006, won by Brad Gushue in Turin, Italy.

Saturday's final against Norway puts Martin in gold-medal position again after his 2002 Olympic final, where he had to settle for silver against Norwegian Pal Trulsen.

Gold on line
Canada's Cheryl Bernard will play for Olympic gold in women's curling after defeating two-time silver medallist Switzerland 6-5 in Thursday's semifinals.

The Calgarian wasn't at her best for much of the day, curling 74 per cent as she battled a cold, but she delivered when it mattered most.

Bernard made a difficult takeout in the ninth to extend her lead to two heading into the final end. There, she nailed another tough shot to remove one of two Switzerland shot stones, then watched Swiss skip Mirjam Ott roll her own takeout throw out of the house to settle for one with the game's final rock.

Other Canadian results from Thursday:
Alpine skiing, women's giant slalom: Marie-Michele Gagnon of Lac-Etchemin, Que., finished fifth in 1:11.48; Britt Janyk of Whistler, B.C., was eighth (1:11.66); Marie-Pier Prefontaine of Saint-Sauveur, Que., was 23rd (1:12.50); and Shona Rubens of Canmore, Alta., was 26th (1:12.87).
Cross-country skiing, women's 4x5K relay: Canada (Perianne Jones, Madeleine Williams, Chandra Crawford, Daria Gaiazova) was 16th in 1:00:05.0.
Freestyle skiing, men's aerials finals: Kyle Nissen of Calgary was fifth (126.92); Steve Omischl of North Bay, Ont., was ninth (112.39) and Warren Shouldice of Calgary was 10th (94.03).
Nordic combined skiing, men's long-hill individual: Jason Myslicki of Calgary was 44th.

Source:cbc.ca/

Watch Vancouver Olympic 2010 Men Hockey: USA Vs Canada Live stream.

The Vancouver Olympic 2010 Group -A Men’s hockey USA Vs Canada clash is one of the most hyped in recent past; match will at last answer a lot of questions for both teams; will telecast game time live on NBC at 19:40 ET on Sunday 21 February, 2010.

The Olympic Men’s hockey has a big day ahead for both USA and Canada and the winner of this game reserve an automatic berth for the quarterfinals.

The loser of today’s match will need to play an additional game in their gold medal hunt – and most specialists believe that loser will be the US, although both countries are 2-0, it would still be a major disappoint if the Canadians lost today’s game.

Today’s Olympics schedule will also decide the top seeds from Group B and C respectively, with two equally dominant rivalries renewed. Russia will try to bounce back from their loss to Slovakia against the winning Czech Republic, whereas Group C top Sweden and Finland clashes.

Source:freakygossip.com/

Vancouver Games Get High Marks for First Week

The 21st Winter Olympics in Vancouver enter their final week Sunday. Local organizers have received high marks for the way the Games have gone so far.

The first eight days of the Winter Games in Vancouver have had plenty of controversy. Before the Games began, Georgian luge slider Nodar Kumaritashvili was killed during practice.

The Whistler and Cypress Creek venues have been dealing with a lack of snow and warm temperatures. Some events have been rescheduled because of the warm weather.

Several thousand fans had their tickets to snowboarding and freestyle canceled because conditions were unsafe and Vancouver Organizers had to pay back more than $1 million to fans.

There were also complaints about a chain-link fence that surrounded the Olympic Cauldron. The fence has since been replaced with Plexiglas so fans can see and photograph the flame.

But despite the challenges, International Olympic Committee Executive Director for Olympic Games Gilbert Felli says that Vancouver organizers have done an excellent job.

"So altogether we are pleased now after eight days," said Felli. "Of course we still have got eight days to go, but there is no reason to believe that those next eight days will not operate as smoothly as we have done so far."

David Cobb is the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee deputy CEO. He says organizers plan to continue making every effort to solve problems with transportation, venues and other issues so everyone has a positive experience.

"The volunteer spirit is as high now as it was on the first day," noted Cobb. "They are smiling every day and I think enjoying what they are doing. And they are extremely proud of what they're doing. But all of us - volunteers, workforce, everybody involved - has to keep their eye on the ball, work hard right to the end. And we have to be as prepared as best as we possibly can."

Both the IOC and Games organizers know that significant challenges lay ahead. Several events are scheduled for the Whistler resort, as well as Cypress Mountain, but weather forecasters are calling for warm temperatures to continue. Once the Games end February 28, safely and effectively getting all fans, athletes, and officials out of Vancouver will be a huge task as well.


Source:voanews.com/

Shaun White Vancouver 2010 Video Snowboarding's Best Viral Hit

Shaun White's Vancouver 2010 video has been viral for days and may be the most downloaded video from the Olympic Games so far. Snowboarding fans, as well as some new ones, have been raving over this gold medal winning performance since Wednesday night. It has made the snowboarding legend one of the Games' biggest stars, and brought new attention to his board. However, the Shaun White Vancouver 2010 video isn't the only way that snowboarding has spread online - but it is the least embarrassing.

In this first full week of Olympic competition, America's biggest stars have broken out. But while Lindsey Vonn, Shani Davis and Apolo Anton Ohno have made their usual headlines, Shaun White has broken out into the Olympic pantheon. He won his second straight half-pipe gold on Wednesday, and barely broke a sweat to do it.

The best part of White's Vancouver 2010 video came at the end, well after he sealed up the gold medal. But he ended things with a bang by performing his signature Double McTwist 1260. His victory lap became one of the signature moments of the games, and one of the most downloaded.

Snowboarding has broken out in the Winter Olympics this year, thanks in part to the Shaun White Vancouver 2010 video. But the sport is experiencing the good and the bad side of Internet stardom, thanks to bronze medalist Scotty Lago. His photo controversy over his use of the bronze medal represents the bad side so far.

Lago had to leave Vancouver because of the racy pictures, putting a bad light on snowboarding - or at least giving the Olympics and the press a chance to put it in a bad light. Even White's run was not without controversy, since his coach was caught cursing by NBC cameras after the performance.

The best and worst of snowboarding has been put on display at the Winter Olympics 2010. However the worst only involves the athletes' behavior off the course, and fans and supporters are more inclined to forgive that. On the course, snowboarding has become an audience favorite, with the Shaun White Vancouver 2010 video as the best example.

Source:associatedcontent.com/

Lindsey Vonn won only bronze in the women's super G on Saturday.

Did you want more off-course/ice drama with your Olympics? You're going to get it in child-sized doses, thanks to a couple of American Olympians and a coach opening their mouths and speak in recent days.

Lindsey Vonn won only bronze in the women's super G on Saturday. That probably had more to do with a tentative run that did not attack the course as it could have, but it didn't take long for her coach/husband, Thomas, to accuse an Austrian coach of foul play. He said:

"I know for a fact that the Austrian course setter said that he was setting [the super-G course] against Lindsey, which is kind of silly, considering. I know he made a comment to some people that ‘we studied all the tapes, and we found out that the one from Val d'Isere is the one she did worst in,' which happened to be third place."
That Austrian course setter won a lottery to set the course, and as Chris Chase notes, merely took advantage of a system that begs for exploitation. (Could you imagine an NFL team being able to choose where the Super Bowl is?) If Thomas Vonn had won the lottery, wouldn't he have tailored the course to Lindsey's strengths?

This is a tempest in a teapot, but one that will help create a "rivalry" storyline for NBC. So get ready to be sick of it.

Lindsey Vonn's comments went heavier on humor that drama. Her Tiger Woods jokes, though, were like a tap dance on the third rail for someone with sponsors.

Vonn, after piecing together the Tiger whatever-that-was from Friday, had some things to say about it, according to Time's Sean Gregory:
And like millions of Americans, Vonn can't help poking fun at Woods' staged event. When a member of her Vonn-tourage tells her that Woods gave a few friends hugs after ending his statement, she cracks, "They're like, 'Yeah, you're awesome, you go have that sex.' " The room breaks into a laugh. Then she describes a skit she would want to perform if asked to host Saturday Night Live: picture Vonn at Woods' podium, blue backdrop and all. "There's something you don't know about me," Vonn says in a faux solemn, apologetic voice. "Tiger, you're like my idol, and I too have a sex problem." More laughter. "That would be freaking funny."
That's not quite Bill Hicks in his heyday, but it is a bit of color from an athlete whose image hasn't deviated much from the stoic hero mold. One problem with praising that personality: the Vonn camp is reportedly claiming those comments were off the record, and refusing to talk to Time as a result. Because, after all, why would anyone want to sponsor an athlete with opinions? Opinions are liabilities and should be eschewed in favor of more training.

Meanwhile, the United States and Canada play in men's hockey today, and tensions between the nations are running as high as they have since the South Park movie. American Ryan Kesler put it bluntly, saying "I hate them" more than once before backpedaling on that statement. The U.S. and Canada are both medal contenders, so tensions would run high based only on that fact, but there's certainly a big brother-little brother component to the rivalry as well.

For the unaffiliated fan who wants a rooting interest, I submit Brian Burke's emphatic defense of these games, the prospect of the U.S. to wearing 1960-inspired jerseys, and the Canucks' talent advantage as reason to cheer for the U.S. in a rare underdog role.

The unaffiliated fan who doesn't care who wins doesn't even need to root for a good game. That's more or less guaranteed, with the only two teams made up entirely of NHL players taking the ice.

Source:sportingnews.com/