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.
Showing posts with label Sochi 2014. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sochi 2014. Show all posts
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
The Kids Are All Right
So what next, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir?
You're 20 and 22 years old, respectively, and now the youngest Olympic ice dance champions ever. And you did it right on home soil at Pacific Coliseum on a memorable Monday night at the Vancouver 2010 Games.
All of which makes it easy to ask ... does it get any better than this?
To hear and watch the fetching Canadian couple afterward, it's hard to imagine. And, as Virtue told CTV's Sara Orlesky, this one's been in their thoughts for awhile.
"We've been dreaming of this moment our entire lives," said Virtue, who bounced with excitement behind the boards before dashing to the medal podium with her partner and best friend. "We've pictured it in our minds so many times. But actually living it is so much better."
They belted out O Canada with gusto and pride on the top step of the podium as the red maple leaf rose to the rafters before a wildly cheering throng. That, too, was always part of the dream.
The topper for Virtue and Moir? They did it on the heels of one of the most sublime, magical performances in Olympic history, knowing full well that nothing less than that would get it done. You know that when you train every day with Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White, who were full value for the silver medals they earned on this night.
It was an unprecedented result in an Olympic discipline traditionally dominated by Europe and Russia in particular. But there is now no doubt that the world's two best ice dance teams share the same training ice and coaches (Marina Zoueva and Igor Shpilband) in Canton, Mich.
Skate Canada, no doubt, couldn't be more thrilled to trumpet the achievements of their first Olympic gold medallists since Jamie Sale and David Pelletier in pairs at Salt Lake City 2002. But the association also has to wonder just how much longer they'll get to enjoy them.
Many an Olympic champion has chosen to take a pass on the ensuing world championships, figuring they've got nothing to gain in the wake of the ultimate triumph. But given they're the ultimate team players, it's easy to see Virtue and Moir heading off to Torino in a month's time and trying to help land Canada a third ice dance berth for the 2011 worlds. They've also never won a global title themselves, so there's the matter of checking that one last major goal off their list.
Creatively, Virtue and Moir are still only scratching the surface of their potential, and they've always struck me as the kind of people who want to keep giving to their sport and making it better. And while their ages suggest Sochi 2014 is well within reach, four years is a long time to commit to chasing a goal you've already achieved — and in the best way possible, right at home in the most pressure-packed Olympics of all.
These are interesting times, indeed, for Virtue and Moir. And despite the magnitude of what they achieved tonight, they've really just begun.
Maybe it's best we let them enjoy this one. Their glee was so wonderfully evident as they celebrated a dream come true. Perhaps somewhere inside, they've got a few more in mind yet to chase. We joined them for a remarkable ride at Vancouver 2010. We should be so lucky to have them invite us along for another one someday.
*****
Sometimes, you've just gotta love Brian Williams' honesty.
While the Canadian Olympic Committee has run up the white flag in its bid to 'Own The Podium' at Vancouver 2010 — they're now conceding catching the United States in the medal standings is pretty much impossible — matching or beating our medal total at Turin 2006 (24) is still very much within their thoughts. Even if that would require at least another 14 of them over the final six days of competition.
That certainly didn't sit well with Williams, as the CTV prime-time anchor made eminently clear during a studio interview with Own The Podium program architect Roger Jackson.
"They are absolutely dreaming in technicolour," Williams said bluntly. "To me, they're putting an incredible amount of pressure on the athletes who have yet to perform ... that's not fair."
Hard to argue with that point, I'd say.
You're 20 and 22 years old, respectively, and now the youngest Olympic ice dance champions ever. And you did it right on home soil at Pacific Coliseum on a memorable Monday night at the Vancouver 2010 Games.
All of which makes it easy to ask ... does it get any better than this?
To hear and watch the fetching Canadian couple afterward, it's hard to imagine. And, as Virtue told CTV's Sara Orlesky, this one's been in their thoughts for awhile.
"We've been dreaming of this moment our entire lives," said Virtue, who bounced with excitement behind the boards before dashing to the medal podium with her partner and best friend. "We've pictured it in our minds so many times. But actually living it is so much better."
They belted out O Canada with gusto and pride on the top step of the podium as the red maple leaf rose to the rafters before a wildly cheering throng. That, too, was always part of the dream.
The topper for Virtue and Moir? They did it on the heels of one of the most sublime, magical performances in Olympic history, knowing full well that nothing less than that would get it done. You know that when you train every day with Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White, who were full value for the silver medals they earned on this night.
It was an unprecedented result in an Olympic discipline traditionally dominated by Europe and Russia in particular. But there is now no doubt that the world's two best ice dance teams share the same training ice and coaches (Marina Zoueva and Igor Shpilband) in Canton, Mich.
Skate Canada, no doubt, couldn't be more thrilled to trumpet the achievements of their first Olympic gold medallists since Jamie Sale and David Pelletier in pairs at Salt Lake City 2002. But the association also has to wonder just how much longer they'll get to enjoy them.
Many an Olympic champion has chosen to take a pass on the ensuing world championships, figuring they've got nothing to gain in the wake of the ultimate triumph. But given they're the ultimate team players, it's easy to see Virtue and Moir heading off to Torino in a month's time and trying to help land Canada a third ice dance berth for the 2011 worlds. They've also never won a global title themselves, so there's the matter of checking that one last major goal off their list.
Creatively, Virtue and Moir are still only scratching the surface of their potential, and they've always struck me as the kind of people who want to keep giving to their sport and making it better. And while their ages suggest Sochi 2014 is well within reach, four years is a long time to commit to chasing a goal you've already achieved — and in the best way possible, right at home in the most pressure-packed Olympics of all.
These are interesting times, indeed, for Virtue and Moir. And despite the magnitude of what they achieved tonight, they've really just begun.
Maybe it's best we let them enjoy this one. Their glee was so wonderfully evident as they celebrated a dream come true. Perhaps somewhere inside, they've got a few more in mind yet to chase. We joined them for a remarkable ride at Vancouver 2010. We should be so lucky to have them invite us along for another one someday.
*****
Sometimes, you've just gotta love Brian Williams' honesty.
While the Canadian Olympic Committee has run up the white flag in its bid to 'Own The Podium' at Vancouver 2010 — they're now conceding catching the United States in the medal standings is pretty much impossible — matching or beating our medal total at Turin 2006 (24) is still very much within their thoughts. Even if that would require at least another 14 of them over the final six days of competition.
That certainly didn't sit well with Williams, as the CTV prime-time anchor made eminently clear during a studio interview with Own The Podium program architect Roger Jackson.
"They are absolutely dreaming in technicolour," Williams said bluntly. "To me, they're putting an incredible amount of pressure on the athletes who have yet to perform ... that's not fair."
Hard to argue with that point, I'd say.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Straight From The Heart
Put your heart on your sleeve and you never know who'll touch it.
You've got to love the story of Canadian skeleton racer Mellisa Hollingsworth, who couldn't hide her devastation a few nights back when an almost certain medal dissolved into a fifth-place finish with a crushing mistake near the end of her final run.
In an emotional post-race interview, a teary-eyed Hollingsworth told CTV she felt like she "let the entire country down" and all kinds of people who had supported her drive for Vancouver 2010.
Such brutal honesty is both rare and astonishing in an era in which far too many athletes want to point fingers elsewhere when something doesn't go their way instead of taking a hard look in the mirror. But this was a moment that was important to Hollingsworth and she also was very aware of how much Canadians crave success at their home Olympics (the boastful Own the Podium pre-Olympic medal proclamations notwithstanding).
There's a familiar saying that goes something like this: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Hollingsworth's from-the-heart reaction to her setback has touched a nerve with Canadians from coast to coast, and the Albertan has been overwhelmed by the positive reaction she's received from people who want her to know she did them all proud.
All of this has Hollingsworth, an Olympic bronze medallist four years ago in Turin, now contemplating a run at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games. And if it comes to pass, she'll no doubt thank the many people who lifted her up exactly when she needed it. Further proof that while talent is a wonderful thing, Canadians value those who show heart more than just about anything. Hollingsworth surely has plenty of that.
*****
Sometimes, it's fun to dig back into the archives of your past.
Like earlier tonight, when something about watching Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir take command in the ice dance event reminded me about a cover story I wrote about them in International Figure Skating Magazine back in the summer of 2008.
This was shortly after Virtue and Moir had earned a silver medal at the '08 world figure skating championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, in only their second crack at the global event. It was a clear statement that it was only a matter of time before they ruled the planet.
Their time appears ready to arrive. Virtue and Moir hold a 2.60-point lead over Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White, their training partners in Canton, Mich. In ice dance, that's a significant margin, though Virtue and Moir will tell you the battle is far from won yet.
Anyways, take a ride along with Virtue and Moir through this story.
You've got to love the story of Canadian skeleton racer Mellisa Hollingsworth, who couldn't hide her devastation a few nights back when an almost certain medal dissolved into a fifth-place finish with a crushing mistake near the end of her final run.
In an emotional post-race interview, a teary-eyed Hollingsworth told CTV she felt like she "let the entire country down" and all kinds of people who had supported her drive for Vancouver 2010.
Such brutal honesty is both rare and astonishing in an era in which far too many athletes want to point fingers elsewhere when something doesn't go their way instead of taking a hard look in the mirror. But this was a moment that was important to Hollingsworth and she also was very aware of how much Canadians crave success at their home Olympics (the boastful Own the Podium pre-Olympic medal proclamations notwithstanding).
There's a familiar saying that goes something like this: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Hollingsworth's from-the-heart reaction to her setback has touched a nerve with Canadians from coast to coast, and the Albertan has been overwhelmed by the positive reaction she's received from people who want her to know she did them all proud.
All of this has Hollingsworth, an Olympic bronze medallist four years ago in Turin, now contemplating a run at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games. And if it comes to pass, she'll no doubt thank the many people who lifted her up exactly when she needed it. Further proof that while talent is a wonderful thing, Canadians value those who show heart more than just about anything. Hollingsworth surely has plenty of that.
*****
Sometimes, it's fun to dig back into the archives of your past.
Like earlier tonight, when something about watching Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir take command in the ice dance event reminded me about a cover story I wrote about them in International Figure Skating Magazine back in the summer of 2008.
This was shortly after Virtue and Moir had earned a silver medal at the '08 world figure skating championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, in only their second crack at the global event. It was a clear statement that it was only a matter of time before they ruled the planet.
Their time appears ready to arrive. Virtue and Moir hold a 2.60-point lead over Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White, their training partners in Canton, Mich. In ice dance, that's a significant margin, though Virtue and Moir will tell you the battle is far from won yet.
Anyways, take a ride along with Virtue and Moir through this story.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Do You Still Believe?
For months and months now, we've been inundated by the message.
Canada, we've been told, wants to 'own the podium' at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. As in, top the medal table for the first time in the long and storied history of the Winter Games.
We were third behind Germany and the United States four years ago at the 2006 Turin Olympics in terms of total medals. Backed by a massive influx of cash — and an investment in the best in sports sciences — the stage was set for the red maple leaf to rise to the top.
'Do You Believe?' screamed the message at the heart of a relentless marketing campaign by Canada's Olympic broadcast media consortium that seems never ending.
Less than a week into Vancouver 2010, however, it seems the grand plan has gone off the rails. The U.S. is off to an astounding start in these Games and, heading into Friday night's competitions, held a wide 20-7 edge in the medal count over our gang. Even the Canadian Olympic Committee, which has spoke often about our second-week potential in medals, is beginning to admit the two-touchdown deficit might be too much to overcome.
"It's going to be tough," COC boss Chris Rudge conceded in a Toronto Star report today, adding the Americans are "way ahead" of projections.
Rudge seemed to be laying the groundwork for such sentiment a day earlier, when he told Sun Media that owning the podium was merely "a goal" for the Canadian team, not a declaration or prediction that it was actually going to happen.
“Nobody ever said we ARE going to be No.1,” said Rudge in doing his best word dance. “We put that out as a goal and objective. Is the sky going to fall if we don’t? I don’t think so.”
Don't tell that to the athletes, who very much want to put on a great show in front of wildly supportive Canadian fans. Check out this line from Canada's Mellisa Hollingsworth. After flaming out on her final skeleton run when a medal was in her grasp, the teary-eyed Albertan told CTV's Farhan Lalji "I feel like I let the entire country down."
Yep, this is serious business for our athletes, folks. And while Hollingsworth is probably beating herself up too much by saying that, I think most Canadians would agree they like the aggressive attitude our gang has brought to Vancouver. As un-Canadian as it might sound, there's nothing wrong with saying we're here to win, is there?
Meanwhile, the Americans' stunning showing at these Games — they've absolutely cleaned up in the alpine events at Whistler — is a testament to the legacy of Salt Lake City 2002. The U.S. decided it wanted to be a winter sports powerhouse heading into its "home games" and the athletes continue to reap the benefits of that major investment.
The question is, will Canada's finest enjoy the same windfall at Sochi 2014 and beyond? Two Games past Salt Lake, the stars and stripes are still rolling and showing no signs of slowing down. But there is great uncertainty about Canada's future beyond Vancouver.
Already, there is real apprehension — even outright fear — about what lies ahead for our winter athletes. Own The Podium shuts down after these Games and the federal government has yet to guarantee it'll make up the shortfall created by the loss of those significant funds.
All of which makes one wonder: Was Own The Podium about looking good on home soil or laying the base for winter sports dominance going forward? The Americans are showing what can be done by using a home games as a springboard. If we don't do the same, it's opportunity lost.
An opportunity, it says here, that will be gone and lost forever.
So the question remains: Do you believe?
Canada, we've been told, wants to 'own the podium' at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. As in, top the medal table for the first time in the long and storied history of the Winter Games.
We were third behind Germany and the United States four years ago at the 2006 Turin Olympics in terms of total medals. Backed by a massive influx of cash — and an investment in the best in sports sciences — the stage was set for the red maple leaf to rise to the top.
'Do You Believe?' screamed the message at the heart of a relentless marketing campaign by Canada's Olympic broadcast media consortium that seems never ending.
Less than a week into Vancouver 2010, however, it seems the grand plan has gone off the rails. The U.S. is off to an astounding start in these Games and, heading into Friday night's competitions, held a wide 20-7 edge in the medal count over our gang. Even the Canadian Olympic Committee, which has spoke often about our second-week potential in medals, is beginning to admit the two-touchdown deficit might be too much to overcome.
"It's going to be tough," COC boss Chris Rudge conceded in a Toronto Star report today, adding the Americans are "way ahead" of projections.
Rudge seemed to be laying the groundwork for such sentiment a day earlier, when he told Sun Media that owning the podium was merely "a goal" for the Canadian team, not a declaration or prediction that it was actually going to happen.
“Nobody ever said we ARE going to be No.1,” said Rudge in doing his best word dance. “We put that out as a goal and objective. Is the sky going to fall if we don’t? I don’t think so.”
Don't tell that to the athletes, who very much want to put on a great show in front of wildly supportive Canadian fans. Check out this line from Canada's Mellisa Hollingsworth. After flaming out on her final skeleton run when a medal was in her grasp, the teary-eyed Albertan told CTV's Farhan Lalji "I feel like I let the entire country down."
Yep, this is serious business for our athletes, folks. And while Hollingsworth is probably beating herself up too much by saying that, I think most Canadians would agree they like the aggressive attitude our gang has brought to Vancouver. As un-Canadian as it might sound, there's nothing wrong with saying we're here to win, is there?
Meanwhile, the Americans' stunning showing at these Games — they've absolutely cleaned up in the alpine events at Whistler — is a testament to the legacy of Salt Lake City 2002. The U.S. decided it wanted to be a winter sports powerhouse heading into its "home games" and the athletes continue to reap the benefits of that major investment.
The question is, will Canada's finest enjoy the same windfall at Sochi 2014 and beyond? Two Games past Salt Lake, the stars and stripes are still rolling and showing no signs of slowing down. But there is great uncertainty about Canada's future beyond Vancouver.
Already, there is real apprehension — even outright fear — about what lies ahead for our winter athletes. Own The Podium shuts down after these Games and the federal government has yet to guarantee it'll make up the shortfall created by the loss of those significant funds.
All of which makes one wonder: Was Own The Podium about looking good on home soil or laying the base for winter sports dominance going forward? The Americans are showing what can be done by using a home games as a springboard. If we don't do the same, it's opportunity lost.
An opportunity, it says here, that will be gone and lost forever.
So the question remains: Do you believe?
Monday, February 8, 2010
From The Outside Looking In
Canada's former Olympic network, it would appear, seems determined to find its own way to stay in the Games.
The thought comes to mind as I watch Vancouver Welcomes The World, a preview of the 2010 Winter Games on the CBC — you know, the network that will not be Canada's eyes and ears of the Olympics for the first time in 16 years.
But while we tune into CTV, TSN, Rogers Sportsnet and a host of other channels that form Canada's Olympic Media Broadcast Consortium to follow the many stories of Vancouver 2010 over the next two weeks, our public broadcaster wants you to know it might be bitter about being elbowed aside for this one — but it isn't folding up its tent completely.
The venerable Peter Mansbridge is taking The National to Vancouver for the duration of the Games. CBC.ca has a Toronto-based crew on duty to fill a dedicated Olympic website with stories and photos that chronicle what figures to be the biggest sporting spectacle ever to land in Canada.
Granted, all of this will surely pale compared to the 4,800 hours of television/web coverage the consortium will present from Vancouver (every second of every event live, we're being promised. More on that in a future post). And one might suggest the CBC's presence at these Olympics is merely acknowledgement that this is the story Canadians will care about most while the Games are on — in other words, exactly what we'd expect from our taxpayer-funded public broadcaster.
But still, it strikes me as interesting that the CBC would put in much more than a token effort. After all, there was no shortage of bitterness at the Mother Corp. when the CTV/Rogers consortium snagged the rights to Vancouver 2010 (and London 2012, don't forget) away from CBC, which had aired each of the past seven Olympic Games. And the normal response when you haven't invested a lot of money into such events is to pretty much ignore it (think anybody but NBC is going to go overboard on this south of the border?).
The message here, it would appear, is that while the CBC is gone from the Olympic picture, it hardly intends to be forgotten. Count on them pushing hard to get back in the Games (officially, that is) when the bidding for Sochi 2014 and Rio 2016 begins in the next few years. The question is, with the jewel that is Vancouver no longer part of the picture, how much will the CTV/Rogers gang want to push back?
The thought comes to mind as I watch Vancouver Welcomes The World, a preview of the 2010 Winter Games on the CBC — you know, the network that will not be Canada's eyes and ears of the Olympics for the first time in 16 years.
But while we tune into CTV, TSN, Rogers Sportsnet and a host of other channels that form Canada's Olympic Media Broadcast Consortium to follow the many stories of Vancouver 2010 over the next two weeks, our public broadcaster wants you to know it might be bitter about being elbowed aside for this one — but it isn't folding up its tent completely.
The venerable Peter Mansbridge is taking The National to Vancouver for the duration of the Games. CBC.ca has a Toronto-based crew on duty to fill a dedicated Olympic website with stories and photos that chronicle what figures to be the biggest sporting spectacle ever to land in Canada.
Granted, all of this will surely pale compared to the 4,800 hours of television/web coverage the consortium will present from Vancouver (every second of every event live, we're being promised. More on that in a future post). And one might suggest the CBC's presence at these Olympics is merely acknowledgement that this is the story Canadians will care about most while the Games are on — in other words, exactly what we'd expect from our taxpayer-funded public broadcaster.
But still, it strikes me as interesting that the CBC would put in much more than a token effort. After all, there was no shortage of bitterness at the Mother Corp. when the CTV/Rogers consortium snagged the rights to Vancouver 2010 (and London 2012, don't forget) away from CBC, which had aired each of the past seven Olympic Games. And the normal response when you haven't invested a lot of money into such events is to pretty much ignore it (think anybody but NBC is going to go overboard on this south of the border?).
The message here, it would appear, is that while the CBC is gone from the Olympic picture, it hardly intends to be forgotten. Count on them pushing hard to get back in the Games (officially, that is) when the bidding for Sochi 2014 and Rio 2016 begins in the next few years. The question is, with the jewel that is Vancouver no longer part of the picture, how much will the CTV/Rogers gang want to push back?
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