Its origin, I must rather sheepishly admit, escapes me at the moment. Especially because it's a phrase I've heard a thousand times.
Perhaps you've heard it, too: It's the next best thing to being there.
Yes, there's nothing spectacular about it. But it seems the best (and simplest) way to sum up the coverage that Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium brought into this country's living rooms from the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games over the past 17 days.
Grumble about the work of some of the CTV/Rogers commentators if you will. Harp on some of technical glitches that cropped up at times. But this much can't be denied: The consortium promised it would deliver the most comprehensive Olympic viewing experience ever to Canadians and on that count, it surely came through in the hugest of ways.
Whether it was on your television screen or your computer screen, Canadians literally had their choice of what to watch and when. We were handed ultimate control over the big clicker and, if you're like me, you wore it out big time over the course of these Games.
The consortium was criticized early on — and rightly so — for not exactly doing the best job of directing traffic in terms of what was on where. But the point was, chances are if you weren't enamoured with what was on CTV, something more to your liking could be found on TSN or Rogers Sportsnet. And if you had your eyes on two faves, tough decisions weren't needed. Just put one on the big screen and fire up the other on CTVOlympics.ca and you were all set. Simple as that.
And in today's day and age, it says here that viewers should expect nothing less. On that count alone, the consortium's work deserves much more than a passing grade. But it wasn't always a smooth ride.
Indeed, it might be suggested that the consortium's work mirrored that of Canada's athletes — a little slow to get out of the gate but oh, did they bring it home in a big way. And Canadians ate it all up, tuning into Vancouver 2010 television coverage in extraordinary numbers.
The CTV/Rogers group was at is best when Canada's athletes were at theirs, though the red and white pom-poms were out a little too much at times. But some might suggest that attitude was merely reflecting that of a nation, which celebrated Olympic success like never before.
As might be expected, the Games sports that matter most to Canadians — hockey, curling and figure skating — were consortium strengths in terms of coverage, with voices familiar to all of us doing their usual fine job. And it was no surprise that the booming voice of Rod Smith, for example, would stand out at the long-track speed skating venue.
The Olympics wouldn't be the Olympics without the venerable Brian Williams and it was good to see him back where he belongs, in the prime-time anchor's chair. It also shouldn't surprise anyone that James Duthie sounded like just the right guy to succeed him someday.
That is, of course, if the consortium is in this for the long haul. They signed off with a 'see you in London' message tonight (in reference to the 2012 Summer Games) but after that, it's open season. Canadian TV rights for Sochi 2014 and Rio 2016 should hit the table within the next year and there's no doubt CBC wants back in the Games. Whether CTV/Rogers wants back in without the lure of another Vancouver ... well, we'll see just how much they 'believe' in the five rings.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Golden Finish, Golden Games
Okay, Canada, are you happy now?
With a gold rush of epic proportions over the last 48 hours, your athletes pushed their victory total to an almost unthinkable 14 at the Vancouver 2010 Games — a record for any country in a single Winter Olympics. More importantly, the record-breaker came in the sport that matters most of all to Canadians, that being the breath-taking 3-2 overtime victory over the United States in the men's hockey final.
In just about every way, it was a golden finish to a golden Games. For Vancouver, a stunningly beautiful city which embraced the Olympics like no other host city before it. And for Canada, which swelled with a national pride that hasn't been seen for generations, if at all.
Canada's identity, it's been suggested, has been transformed by what has gone on over 17 glorious days in Vancouver. It began with the country-wide trek of the Olympic flame that started in the fall, igniting the Olympic spirit at every stop along the way. By the time the cauldron was lit on Feb. 12, it had reached a fever pitch.
Even when our athletes weren't bagging medals with great regularity in early days of the Games, our national pride never wavered. Spontaneous renditions of O Canada were often heard breaking out on the streets of Vancouver, in the picturesque village of Whistler and at pretty much every sporting venue at the Games. Always, with a joyous gusto.
The singing reached a crescendo as Canadian athletes made an unprecedented charge to the top of the medal podium in the Games' final few days. No, we didn't "own the podium" — the U.S. topped the medal count for the first time in Winter Games history — but nobody won more than we did. No country heard its anthem played more often at a victory ceremony at these Winter Olympics. That's no small feat.
And yes, we got the last one, the cherished hockey gold in a game that most likely produced the largest television audience in Canadian history.
Friendly folks that we are, the world surely wasn't surprised that we were wonderful hosts. But the thirst for victory ... with this was something new for us to put on display. And it was there right down to the end. Give a listen to a tearful Devon Kershaw, who produced a best-ever Canadian result (fifth) in today's 50-km cross-country skiing finale but made it clear he was anything but satisfied.
"I'm 1.5 seconds short of being Olympic champion and that stings," said the native of Sudbury, Ont. "After two hours and 50 minutes (of skiing), to come up 1.5 seconds short of a gold medal is a bitter pill to swallow."
This is the new Canadian mentality and, I say, what's wrong with it? Why not strive to be the world's best and to beat the world's best. And enjoy the heck out of this wild and crazy ride for as long as it lasts.
But alas, the fun is about to end. The closing ceremonies are underway at B.C. Place and soon, we'll bid goodbye to this grand party. It will be a sad parting, indeed, for all who felt the magic of these Games.
"Can we vote to make this last for another two weeks?" snowboarding gold medallist Jasey-Jay Anderson asked on CTV earlier today.
Don't know about the rest of you, but I'm in if you are.
With a gold rush of epic proportions over the last 48 hours, your athletes pushed their victory total to an almost unthinkable 14 at the Vancouver 2010 Games — a record for any country in a single Winter Olympics. More importantly, the record-breaker came in the sport that matters most of all to Canadians, that being the breath-taking 3-2 overtime victory over the United States in the men's hockey final.
In just about every way, it was a golden finish to a golden Games. For Vancouver, a stunningly beautiful city which embraced the Olympics like no other host city before it. And for Canada, which swelled with a national pride that hasn't been seen for generations, if at all.
Canada's identity, it's been suggested, has been transformed by what has gone on over 17 glorious days in Vancouver. It began with the country-wide trek of the Olympic flame that started in the fall, igniting the Olympic spirit at every stop along the way. By the time the cauldron was lit on Feb. 12, it had reached a fever pitch.
Even when our athletes weren't bagging medals with great regularity in early days of the Games, our national pride never wavered. Spontaneous renditions of O Canada were often heard breaking out on the streets of Vancouver, in the picturesque village of Whistler and at pretty much every sporting venue at the Games. Always, with a joyous gusto.
The singing reached a crescendo as Canadian athletes made an unprecedented charge to the top of the medal podium in the Games' final few days. No, we didn't "own the podium" — the U.S. topped the medal count for the first time in Winter Games history — but nobody won more than we did. No country heard its anthem played more often at a victory ceremony at these Winter Olympics. That's no small feat.
And yes, we got the last one, the cherished hockey gold in a game that most likely produced the largest television audience in Canadian history.
Friendly folks that we are, the world surely wasn't surprised that we were wonderful hosts. But the thirst for victory ... with this was something new for us to put on display. And it was there right down to the end. Give a listen to a tearful Devon Kershaw, who produced a best-ever Canadian result (fifth) in today's 50-km cross-country skiing finale but made it clear he was anything but satisfied.
"I'm 1.5 seconds short of being Olympic champion and that stings," said the native of Sudbury, Ont. "After two hours and 50 minutes (of skiing), to come up 1.5 seconds short of a gold medal is a bitter pill to swallow."
This is the new Canadian mentality and, I say, what's wrong with it? Why not strive to be the world's best and to beat the world's best. And enjoy the heck out of this wild and crazy ride for as long as it lasts.
But alas, the fun is about to end. The closing ceremonies are underway at B.C. Place and soon, we'll bid goodbye to this grand party. It will be a sad parting, indeed, for all who felt the magic of these Games.
"Can we vote to make this last for another two weeks?" snowboarding gold medallist Jasey-Jay Anderson asked on CTV earlier today.
Don't know about the rest of you, but I'm in if you are.
The Right Choice ... The Wrong Story
In the end, the Canadian Olympic Committee got it right.
But the way the news got out ... not so much.
The official word is that figure skater Joannie Rochette will be Canada's flagbearer for the closing ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics later tonight. Rochette skated her way to a bronze medal — and into the hearts of millions of Canadians — just days after her mother, Therese, died of a sudden, shocking heart attack at age 55.
What followed was the most inspirational story of the Vancouver Games. Through tears and a heavy heart, Rochette gave the world a remarkable display of the Olympic spirit. Messages of condolence and encouragement poured in from around the planet, all of them utterly amazed at the iron will of the petite 24-year-old from Ile-Dupas, Que., in the face of unimaginable tragedy.
It moved us to suggest, after the short program of her life, that Rochette should be given the honour of carrying our flag into the closing ceremony. It seemed to be the perfect choice in so many ways and a growing media groundswell threw its weight behind the idea in the days after she won the most remarkable Canadian medal of these Games.
Simply put, Rochette had touched a nerve among all Canadians.
That being said, had the honour gone to Alex Bilodeau — the moguls skier who won the first Canadian Olympic gold ever on Canadian soil — a lot of heads would have nodded in agreement. There were a dozen more golds, for that matter, in what has been a record-breaking Winter Games for Canada on a number of fronts.
So when reports began to emerge this morning that short-track speed skater Charles Hamelin was the choice of a COC selection committee, it certainly made some sense. Hamelin, after all, was the only double gold medallist for Canada at Vancouver 2010. According to one report, he had accepted the honour at a reception involving a number of other Canadian medallists. But not so fast, as it turned out.
The COC's news conference confirmed that it was indeed Rochette who'll carry the red maple leaf — and with a big smile, she promises — into B.C. Place tonight. But the fact that Hamelin's name was reported so widely had to leave a lot of folks, well, red-faced.
Gee, it isn't possible that everyone was just a little too preoccupied with a certain other event involving Canada today, is it?
Not that it's an excuse in any way. Embarrassing is the word, indeed.
But the way the news got out ... not so much.
The official word is that figure skater Joannie Rochette will be Canada's flagbearer for the closing ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics later tonight. Rochette skated her way to a bronze medal — and into the hearts of millions of Canadians — just days after her mother, Therese, died of a sudden, shocking heart attack at age 55.
What followed was the most inspirational story of the Vancouver Games. Through tears and a heavy heart, Rochette gave the world a remarkable display of the Olympic spirit. Messages of condolence and encouragement poured in from around the planet, all of them utterly amazed at the iron will of the petite 24-year-old from Ile-Dupas, Que., in the face of unimaginable tragedy.
It moved us to suggest, after the short program of her life, that Rochette should be given the honour of carrying our flag into the closing ceremony. It seemed to be the perfect choice in so many ways and a growing media groundswell threw its weight behind the idea in the days after she won the most remarkable Canadian medal of these Games.
Simply put, Rochette had touched a nerve among all Canadians.
That being said, had the honour gone to Alex Bilodeau — the moguls skier who won the first Canadian Olympic gold ever on Canadian soil — a lot of heads would have nodded in agreement. There were a dozen more golds, for that matter, in what has been a record-breaking Winter Games for Canada on a number of fronts.
So when reports began to emerge this morning that short-track speed skater Charles Hamelin was the choice of a COC selection committee, it certainly made some sense. Hamelin, after all, was the only double gold medallist for Canada at Vancouver 2010. According to one report, he had accepted the honour at a reception involving a number of other Canadian medallists. But not so fast, as it turned out.
The COC's news conference confirmed that it was indeed Rochette who'll carry the red maple leaf — and with a big smile, she promises — into B.C. Place tonight. But the fact that Hamelin's name was reported so widely had to leave a lot of folks, well, red-faced.
Gee, it isn't possible that everyone was just a little too preoccupied with a certain other event involving Canada today, is it?
Not that it's an excuse in any way. Embarrassing is the word, indeed.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Why We Owned The Podium
So, in the end, was it all really worth it?
Did the $117 million investment we made in our athletes really pay off at Vancouver 2010? Can we indeed say we 'owned the podium?'
In a word (or three) ... yes, yes and yes.
As Canadian athletes finish off their "home" Winter Olympics with a remarkable medal flourish — another two golds and a bronze have been banked today, with the Kevin Martin curling rink working on a fourth right now — all the snickering about the federal government's bold funding initiative seems to have all but disappeared.
Then again, given what's gone on in the last 72 hours, it's hard not to see why. Was it really only four days ago that Canada was stuck on 11 medals, woefully shy of the bold (some might say boastful) predictions that had been made by the Canadian Olympic Committee?
Don't look now, but the red maple leaf is poised to make its greatest showing in Winter Olympics history. No matter what Martin's foursome does against Norway (and its now-famed pants) tonight, they'll earn a medal. That'll be No. 25 of Vancouver 2010, surpassing the total Canadian athletes earned four years ago at Turin 2006.
Of course, there's one more not-so-insignificant medal to collect — Canada faces off against the United States in the hotly-anticipated men's hockey final on Sunday — which will give the host nation a third-place finish in the overall medal count (behind the U.S. and Germany). That's our highest finish ever in those standings.
We've even made history on two fronts. The 12 golds we've earned so far — snowboarder Jasey-Jay Anderson and the men's pursuit team in long-track speedskating added to that total today — are the most for Canada in any Olympics, winter or summer. It's also the most for a host nation in Winter Olympics history (and how many trees were killed anguised about our golden drought at home? Way too many).
Oh, and we're not done yet. If Martin's crew prevails tonight, Canada will match the Winter Games record for most golds, first set by the old Soviet Union in Innsbruck in 1976 and matched by Norway at Salt Lake City 2002. The record could be ours alone with a hockey triumph Sunday, adding further fuel to a matchup that hardly needs any.
Now, the naysayers will still stay Own The Podium targeted a No. 1 overall finish at these Games, which obviously won't happen. Unless, that is, you go by the International Olympic Committee's table, which ranks countries in terms of who wins the most golds.
While the latter point is always a subject of debate, the point is Own The Podium did do its job. Winning gold is owning the podium, and we did it more than anyone else at these Games. More importantly, we sent a team of athletes to Vancouver with a mindset that went way beyond just being happy to be there. As un-Canadian as it sounds, these athletes came to their Olympics with winning front and centre. It says here that alone is a major step forward on this huge stage.
The question now is, where do we go from here? What do we do with the incredible momentum and positive feeling that's been generated by Vancouver 2010? It is a most important query, indeed.
There is no question the extra funding provided by Own The Podium played a massive role in the gains we saw over the past two weeks. That's a tap that simply can't be shut off, if we're to continue to enjoy more success in future Olympics. Look no further than the smashing success of the U.S. at these Games — eight years after they played host to the world in Salt Lake City — for proof of what can happen if you stick to your commitment over the long haul.
Canada needs to decide once and for all if it wants to keep being a Winter Games power. And the pride alone generated by our athletes in Vancouver should make that answer a resounding yes.
Yes, it's true we didn't top the medal count at our Games. But it's much easier to believe now that it could happen someday soon.
At the very least, let's give our athletes a chance to try. That's all they really want, to be able to stay they're still right in the Games.
Did the $117 million investment we made in our athletes really pay off at Vancouver 2010? Can we indeed say we 'owned the podium?'
In a word (or three) ... yes, yes and yes.
As Canadian athletes finish off their "home" Winter Olympics with a remarkable medal flourish — another two golds and a bronze have been banked today, with the Kevin Martin curling rink working on a fourth right now — all the snickering about the federal government's bold funding initiative seems to have all but disappeared.
Then again, given what's gone on in the last 72 hours, it's hard not to see why. Was it really only four days ago that Canada was stuck on 11 medals, woefully shy of the bold (some might say boastful) predictions that had been made by the Canadian Olympic Committee?
Don't look now, but the red maple leaf is poised to make its greatest showing in Winter Olympics history. No matter what Martin's foursome does against Norway (and its now-famed pants) tonight, they'll earn a medal. That'll be No. 25 of Vancouver 2010, surpassing the total Canadian athletes earned four years ago at Turin 2006.
Of course, there's one more not-so-insignificant medal to collect — Canada faces off against the United States in the hotly-anticipated men's hockey final on Sunday — which will give the host nation a third-place finish in the overall medal count (behind the U.S. and Germany). That's our highest finish ever in those standings.
We've even made history on two fronts. The 12 golds we've earned so far — snowboarder Jasey-Jay Anderson and the men's pursuit team in long-track speedskating added to that total today — are the most for Canada in any Olympics, winter or summer. It's also the most for a host nation in Winter Olympics history (and how many trees were killed anguised about our golden drought at home? Way too many).
Oh, and we're not done yet. If Martin's crew prevails tonight, Canada will match the Winter Games record for most golds, first set by the old Soviet Union in Innsbruck in 1976 and matched by Norway at Salt Lake City 2002. The record could be ours alone with a hockey triumph Sunday, adding further fuel to a matchup that hardly needs any.
Now, the naysayers will still stay Own The Podium targeted a No. 1 overall finish at these Games, which obviously won't happen. Unless, that is, you go by the International Olympic Committee's table, which ranks countries in terms of who wins the most golds.
While the latter point is always a subject of debate, the point is Own The Podium did do its job. Winning gold is owning the podium, and we did it more than anyone else at these Games. More importantly, we sent a team of athletes to Vancouver with a mindset that went way beyond just being happy to be there. As un-Canadian as it sounds, these athletes came to their Olympics with winning front and centre. It says here that alone is a major step forward on this huge stage.
The question now is, where do we go from here? What do we do with the incredible momentum and positive feeling that's been generated by Vancouver 2010? It is a most important query, indeed.
There is no question the extra funding provided by Own The Podium played a massive role in the gains we saw over the past two weeks. That's a tap that simply can't be shut off, if we're to continue to enjoy more success in future Olympics. Look no further than the smashing success of the U.S. at these Games — eight years after they played host to the world in Salt Lake City — for proof of what can happen if you stick to your commitment over the long haul.
Canada needs to decide once and for all if it wants to keep being a Winter Games power. And the pride alone generated by our athletes in Vancouver should make that answer a resounding yes.
Yes, it's true we didn't top the medal count at our Games. But it's much easier to believe now that it could happen someday soon.
At the very least, let's give our athletes a chance to try. That's all they really want, to be able to stay they're still right in the Games.
Friday, February 26, 2010
The Canadian Gold Rush
Maybe we had this one figured wrong all along.
Own The Podium? Not gonna happen at these Vancouver 2010 Games.
Own The Top Of The Podium? Now you're talking.
Don't look now, but guess who's leading the gold-medal count at these Winter Olympics. Yup, it's the host nation, which pushed its total to an all-time record 10 with a pair of golds in short-track speed skating events tonight at Pacific Coliseum. That's one better than Germany, a long-time winter powerhouse. Norway and the U.S. each have eight.
And get this. Canada has at least three more real shots at gold before the 2010 Winter Games end on Sunday. Kevin Martin's mighty foursome takes on Norway in the men's curling final on Saturday night, while the Canadians are also favoured in the men's team pursuit at long-track speed skating. There's also the matter of a certain hockey battle for gold against the Americans on Sunday afternoon.
Win them all and Canada would finish with 13 golds, matching the all-time Winter Games record first set by the old Soviet Union in 1964 in Innsbruck and matched eight years ago in Salt Lake City by Norway.
Now who saw that coming about five days ago, when Canada was floundering with nine total medals for its home Games and the critics were out in force lambasting the audacious (or arrogant, as some have suggested) Own The Podium strategy for Vancouver 2010?
Oh, and even if all of the above gold prospects wind up being silver, Canada's medal total would still move to 24, matching its all-time best set four years ago in Turin. That, too, also seemed highly improbable just a few days ago. But a 10-medal rush over the past three days suddenly has the red maple leaf riding high on home soil.
There's more. Lyndon Rush's Canada 1 sled stands a solid second after the first two runs of men's four-man bobsled. We've also got snowboarder Jasey-Jay Anderson coming Saturday in men's parallel giant slalom. In other words, move evidence of what seems to be a Canadian trend at the Olympic Games — start slow, take a very public flogging from the critics, then finish with a flourish.
Sounds like we've in for quite the wrapup in beautiful B.C., indeed.
Own The Podium? Not gonna happen at these Vancouver 2010 Games.
Own The Top Of The Podium? Now you're talking.
Don't look now, but guess who's leading the gold-medal count at these Winter Olympics. Yup, it's the host nation, which pushed its total to an all-time record 10 with a pair of golds in short-track speed skating events tonight at Pacific Coliseum. That's one better than Germany, a long-time winter powerhouse. Norway and the U.S. each have eight.
And get this. Canada has at least three more real shots at gold before the 2010 Winter Games end on Sunday. Kevin Martin's mighty foursome takes on Norway in the men's curling final on Saturday night, while the Canadians are also favoured in the men's team pursuit at long-track speed skating. There's also the matter of a certain hockey battle for gold against the Americans on Sunday afternoon.
Win them all and Canada would finish with 13 golds, matching the all-time Winter Games record first set by the old Soviet Union in 1964 in Innsbruck and matched eight years ago in Salt Lake City by Norway.
Now who saw that coming about five days ago, when Canada was floundering with nine total medals for its home Games and the critics were out in force lambasting the audacious (or arrogant, as some have suggested) Own The Podium strategy for Vancouver 2010?
Oh, and even if all of the above gold prospects wind up being silver, Canada's medal total would still move to 24, matching its all-time best set four years ago in Turin. That, too, also seemed highly improbable just a few days ago. But a 10-medal rush over the past three days suddenly has the red maple leaf riding high on home soil.
There's more. Lyndon Rush's Canada 1 sled stands a solid second after the first two runs of men's four-man bobsled. We've also got snowboarder Jasey-Jay Anderson coming Saturday in men's parallel giant slalom. In other words, move evidence of what seems to be a Canadian trend at the Olympic Games — start slow, take a very public flogging from the critics, then finish with a flourish.
Sounds like we've in for quite the wrapup in beautiful B.C., indeed.
Raising The Flag Debate
Admittedly, it was first floated in this space a few days ago on the wings of sheer admiration ... but hardly without a sense of logic.
Now it seems there is a growing movement to have the indomitable Joannie Rochette carry the Canadian flag in Sunday's closing ceremony at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. I've seen it mentioned on Facebook, on Internet message boards and — perhaps most tellingly — even in the words of at least one former Games gold medallist.
"That was the most inspiring thing I have ever seen!" ex-Canadian women's hockey goaltender Sami Jo Small posted on Twitter shortly after Rochette earned a courageous bronze medal in women's figure skating on Thursday night. "Joannie should carry the CND Flag at the closing ceremonies. Represents the best of us!"
That's pretty much a universal sentiment after the world watched Rochette's stunning performance in the wake of the death of her mother, Therese, early Sunday morning — about 48 hours before she had to skate the short program at Pacific Coliseum. The 24-year-old from Ile-Dupas, Que., never wavered for a second in deciding to compete and reach for the dream she shared with her mom.
By the time she skated for the medals on Wednesday night, Rochette's story had reached global proportions, with one report this morning calling it "the iconic moment" of Vancouver 2010. All the more reason, it says here, to hand Rochette the red maple leaf on Sunday night.
In all likelihood, it won't happen. Freestyle skier Alex Bilodeau, who gave Canada it's first-ever Olympic medal on home soil in the men's moguls, is the logical choice in many eyes. In fact, the Canadian closing ceremony flagbearers at the past four Winter Games (Cindy Klassen, 2006; Jamie Sale and David Pelletier, 2002; Catriona Le May Doan, 1998, and Myriam Bedard, 1994) have all brought home gold.
But what a statement it would make if the panel selecting the flagbearer decided this time to pick someone who represents the true Olympic spirit. An athlete who didn't just earn a medal but showed remarkable character and courage in the face of the worst of adversity, yet refused to surrender in the face of it all. A person who authored an astounding Olympic story that will be remembered for decades after the flame is extinguished in Vancouver, in Canada and beyond.
You will find all of that, and so much more, of a little fighter from Quebec who taught us all so much with a magnificent display of heart.
Joannie Rochette did Canada so very proud this week and the world stood at her feet in awe and admiration. Amid all the Own The Podium bluster, maybe she stands for the Canada we should want them all to remember after they depart our remarkable Winter Games.
Now it seems there is a growing movement to have the indomitable Joannie Rochette carry the Canadian flag in Sunday's closing ceremony at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. I've seen it mentioned on Facebook, on Internet message boards and — perhaps most tellingly — even in the words of at least one former Games gold medallist.
"That was the most inspiring thing I have ever seen!" ex-Canadian women's hockey goaltender Sami Jo Small posted on Twitter shortly after Rochette earned a courageous bronze medal in women's figure skating on Thursday night. "Joannie should carry the CND Flag at the closing ceremonies. Represents the best of us!"
That's pretty much a universal sentiment after the world watched Rochette's stunning performance in the wake of the death of her mother, Therese, early Sunday morning — about 48 hours before she had to skate the short program at Pacific Coliseum. The 24-year-old from Ile-Dupas, Que., never wavered for a second in deciding to compete and reach for the dream she shared with her mom.
By the time she skated for the medals on Wednesday night, Rochette's story had reached global proportions, with one report this morning calling it "the iconic moment" of Vancouver 2010. All the more reason, it says here, to hand Rochette the red maple leaf on Sunday night.
In all likelihood, it won't happen. Freestyle skier Alex Bilodeau, who gave Canada it's first-ever Olympic medal on home soil in the men's moguls, is the logical choice in many eyes. In fact, the Canadian closing ceremony flagbearers at the past four Winter Games (Cindy Klassen, 2006; Jamie Sale and David Pelletier, 2002; Catriona Le May Doan, 1998, and Myriam Bedard, 1994) have all brought home gold.
But what a statement it would make if the panel selecting the flagbearer decided this time to pick someone who represents the true Olympic spirit. An athlete who didn't just earn a medal but showed remarkable character and courage in the face of the worst of adversity, yet refused to surrender in the face of it all. A person who authored an astounding Olympic story that will be remembered for decades after the flame is extinguished in Vancouver, in Canada and beyond.
You will find all of that, and so much more, of a little fighter from Quebec who taught us all so much with a magnificent display of heart.
Joannie Rochette did Canada so very proud this week and the world stood at her feet in awe and admiration. Amid all the Own The Podium bluster, maybe she stands for the Canada we should want them all to remember after they depart our remarkable Winter Games.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
How High Can They Go?
The cheers could be heard all the way from Vancouver.
And we're not just talking about the rabid hockey fans who all but blew the roof off Canada Hockey Place on Wednesday night during their hockey heroes' 7-3 demolition of Russia in a quarter-final showdown (that really wasn't much of one) at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games.
Rather, we speak of the suits that run Canada's Olympic Media Broadcast Consortium, who no doubt erupted with glee when they saw the enormous (but hardly surprising) audience figures for the game.
BBM Canada figures released today indicate Canada-Russia was watched by an average audience of 10.5 million, making it the second-most watched sports program in Canadian television history. Only Sunday's Canada-U.S. matchup (10.6 million) rated higher.
There's more. The game had a total reach of 21.6 million (two-thirds of the Canadian population) and was watched by 9.3 million on CTV alone.
The best might be yet to come. Consider that the Canada-Russia game was a) never really competitive, b) played on a Wednesday night and c) was only a quarter-final game. Canada-Slovakia in semifinals has the potential to be record-breaking, given that a berth in the gold-medal game is on the line and it's being played on a Friday night.
(yes, the 9:30 p.m. start time seems odd, but that means everyone in the Mountain and Pacific time zones will be home from their jobs in plenty of time to watch it. As for those out east ... hey, it's a Friday night. Break out those six-packs and just give 'er).
It boggles the mind to think what kind of number a gold-medal game involving Canada on a Sunday afternoon might produce. Some 10.3 million tuned in eight years ago at Salt Lake City 2002. I'd say 15 or even 20 million isn't out of the question this time (factoring in that the new personal people meter measuring system has inflated all TV ratings).
So yes, it's pretty easy to presume some of those cheers coming from the Left Coast on Wednesday night emanated from the offices of CTV's bigwigs in Vancouver. And they might well just be warming up, indeed.
*****
The weather outside is a bit frightful, which has had the predictable effect on my satellite TV system. Meaning I'm giving extra thanks for all the live Olympic coverage available at CTVOlympics.ca.
Not a bad way to go, if you ask me. Nope, not so bad at all.
And we're not just talking about the rabid hockey fans who all but blew the roof off Canada Hockey Place on Wednesday night during their hockey heroes' 7-3 demolition of Russia in a quarter-final showdown (that really wasn't much of one) at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games.
Rather, we speak of the suits that run Canada's Olympic Media Broadcast Consortium, who no doubt erupted with glee when they saw the enormous (but hardly surprising) audience figures for the game.
BBM Canada figures released today indicate Canada-Russia was watched by an average audience of 10.5 million, making it the second-most watched sports program in Canadian television history. Only Sunday's Canada-U.S. matchup (10.6 million) rated higher.
There's more. The game had a total reach of 21.6 million (two-thirds of the Canadian population) and was watched by 9.3 million on CTV alone.
The best might be yet to come. Consider that the Canada-Russia game was a) never really competitive, b) played on a Wednesday night and c) was only a quarter-final game. Canada-Slovakia in semifinals has the potential to be record-breaking, given that a berth in the gold-medal game is on the line and it's being played on a Friday night.
(yes, the 9:30 p.m. start time seems odd, but that means everyone in the Mountain and Pacific time zones will be home from their jobs in plenty of time to watch it. As for those out east ... hey, it's a Friday night. Break out those six-packs and just give 'er).
It boggles the mind to think what kind of number a gold-medal game involving Canada on a Sunday afternoon might produce. Some 10.3 million tuned in eight years ago at Salt Lake City 2002. I'd say 15 or even 20 million isn't out of the question this time (factoring in that the new personal people meter measuring system has inflated all TV ratings).
So yes, it's pretty easy to presume some of those cheers coming from the Left Coast on Wednesday night emanated from the offices of CTV's bigwigs in Vancouver. And they might well just be warming up, indeed.
*****
The weather outside is a bit frightful, which has had the predictable effect on my satellite TV system. Meaning I'm giving extra thanks for all the live Olympic coverage available at CTVOlympics.ca.
Not a bad way to go, if you ask me. Nope, not so bad at all.
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