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 Vancouver 2010. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vancouver 2010. Show all posts
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.
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.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The Spirit Of The Olympics
Nearly 24 hours later and I'm still struggling to find the words.
And wiping away the occasional tear.
Then again, there may truly be no way to do proper justice to what unfolded late on a Tuesday night of the second week of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Courage, bravery, guts, heart ... all of them have been used to describe Joannie Rochette's emotional short program skate, just days after the shocking death of her beloved mother, Therese.
Every one intended to express the utmost in admiration, to be sure. But still, none seems quite enough to describe an Olympic moment that was so dripping with emotion and gripped by sadness and heartbreak.
Through it all, one question defied explanation: How did Rochette do it? How could she summon the strength to deliver the best short program of her 24-year-old life, with her heart so heavy and the entire world watching and hoping so badly for her ... and perhaps fearing the worst?
To know Joannie Rochette, though, is to know a fierce competitor with the heart of a lion and a steely focus to match. She needed each and every one of them to get through the most difficult night of her life, and get through it she did. Well enough that Rochette is extremely well-positioned to bring Canada its first medal in Olympic women's figure skating since Liz Manley's silver in 1988.
Now while some will suggest — and perhaps rightly so — that Rochette scored her biggest victory by merely stepping on the ice Tuesday night, she knows her work isn't close to done. There is a free program to skate on Thursday evening and perhaps a medal to accept afterward — she is third by a comfortable margin and close enough to Japan's Mao Asada to perhaps match the silver she earned at last year's world championships in Los Angeles. All of that is a mere 4-1/2 minutes away.
But it was in her utter brilliance that Rochette paid her biggest tribute to her mother's memory on Tuesday night. It is in the performance that she can do it one more time on Thursday night.
Regardless of how it all turns out, anyone who witnessed that remarkable scene on Tuesday — and an astounding 7.5 million Canadians were watching on TV, when it was 11:30 p.m. in Rochette's hometown of Ile-Dupas, Que., and even later out East — won't soon forget the moment. It is an Olympic memory to last a lifetime.
And, it says here, there should be one more before the flame is extinguished in Vancouver. Hand Rochette the red maple leaf and let her proudly carry it high as she leads our athletes into B.C. Place for the Games' closing ceremony on Sunday. It would be a most fitting and ultimate tribute to the ultimate display of the Olympic spirit.
Canadians everywhere were inspired by Rochette's courage in the face of tragedy. For many, it will be their most enduring memory of the Vancouver Games. Let it be their final one, too.
And wiping away the occasional tear.
Then again, there may truly be no way to do proper justice to what unfolded late on a Tuesday night of the second week of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Courage, bravery, guts, heart ... all of them have been used to describe Joannie Rochette's emotional short program skate, just days after the shocking death of her beloved mother, Therese.
Every one intended to express the utmost in admiration, to be sure. But still, none seems quite enough to describe an Olympic moment that was so dripping with emotion and gripped by sadness and heartbreak.
Through it all, one question defied explanation: How did Rochette do it? How could she summon the strength to deliver the best short program of her 24-year-old life, with her heart so heavy and the entire world watching and hoping so badly for her ... and perhaps fearing the worst?
To know Joannie Rochette, though, is to know a fierce competitor with the heart of a lion and a steely focus to match. She needed each and every one of them to get through the most difficult night of her life, and get through it she did. Well enough that Rochette is extremely well-positioned to bring Canada its first medal in Olympic women's figure skating since Liz Manley's silver in 1988.
Now while some will suggest — and perhaps rightly so — that Rochette scored her biggest victory by merely stepping on the ice Tuesday night, she knows her work isn't close to done. There is a free program to skate on Thursday evening and perhaps a medal to accept afterward — she is third by a comfortable margin and close enough to Japan's Mao Asada to perhaps match the silver she earned at last year's world championships in Los Angeles. All of that is a mere 4-1/2 minutes away.
But it was in her utter brilliance that Rochette paid her biggest tribute to her mother's memory on Tuesday night. It is in the performance that she can do it one more time on Thursday night.
Regardless of how it all turns out, anyone who witnessed that remarkable scene on Tuesday — and an astounding 7.5 million Canadians were watching on TV, when it was 11:30 p.m. in Rochette's hometown of Ile-Dupas, Que., and even later out East — won't soon forget the moment. It is an Olympic memory to last a lifetime.
And, it says here, there should be one more before the flame is extinguished in Vancouver. Hand Rochette the red maple leaf and let her proudly carry it high as she leads our athletes into B.C. Place for the Games' closing ceremony on Sunday. It would be a most fitting and ultimate tribute to the ultimate display of the Olympic spirit.
Canadians everywhere were inspired by Rochette's courage in the face of tragedy. For many, it will be their most enduring memory of the Vancouver Games. Let it be their final one, too.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
The People's Choice Wears Sequins
Yeah, I know it's another night for Canada's hockey heroes.
Sudden death time has arrived in the men's tournament and a nation will hold its collective breath for however long the Canadian ride lasts at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.
Even though Canada-Germany isn't a matchup with much in the way of cachet, expect the audience numbers for CTV to soar through the roof one more time. Maybe it won't quite match the all-time Canadian sports television record of 10.6 million who watched Canada and the U.S. on Sunday, but rest assured it'll blow away the competition tonight.
Now all that being said, the best story of the Olympics tonight won't involve pucks and sticks (blasphemous as that may sound). Rather, all eyes should be pointed toward Pacific Coliseum and the women's short program in figure skating, where perhaps the most emotionally heart-rending story of these Games will continue to unfold.
We speak of the drama surrounding six-time Canadian champion Joannie Rochette, who is dealing with the unimaginable — the shocking death of her mother, Therese, of a heart attack at age 55 early Sunday — as she prepares for the biggest competition of her 24-year-old life. It is impossible to fathom what she is feeling right now.
By all accounts, Rochette has shown a steely focus in practices in the days since her father, Normand, delivered the terrible news early Sunday morning. Clearly, skating is her sanctuary right now, the place where life still seems normal — or as normal as anything can be in the pressure cooker that is the Winter Olympics.
There is no doubt that, when she glides to centre ice tonight around 11:30 for her short program, Rochette will have the support of a nation behind her — and not just because she is a medal contender. Not anymore. Through her coach, Manon Perron, Rochette expressed gratitude yesterday for the thoughts and prayers that have been pouring in since Sunday. They have been a needed source of strength.
The Rochette story is sure to touch a nerve south of the border, with NBC no doubt poised to champion the courage that she'll show tonight just by stepping on the ice (especially with no American woman expected to be a serious contender in what is considered perhaps the marquee event of the Winter Olympics in the U.S.).
For those of us who know her so well, it is a virtual certainly that we'll have lumps in our throats as we watch this sweet young woman deal with personal tragedy in her own way. No matter what happens, we will cheer her every move and want to give her a warm hug afterward.
Joannie Rochette, you see, has that effect on people. She is a caring, giving person who always asks how you're doing and is sincere in wanting to know. Rochette was deeply moved by a World Vision trip to Peru last year and can't do enough to help the less fortunate.
Now, in her time of greatest need, it is time for all of us to give something to Rochette. Give her the strength to be brave tonight on the biggest stage of them all, when her heart is so heavy with grief.
On a night when hockey is front and centre once more, let's not forget about a petite young fighter from small-town Quebec who needs a country's support more than ever. She's one of our heroes on skates, too.
Sudden death time has arrived in the men's tournament and a nation will hold its collective breath for however long the Canadian ride lasts at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.
Even though Canada-Germany isn't a matchup with much in the way of cachet, expect the audience numbers for CTV to soar through the roof one more time. Maybe it won't quite match the all-time Canadian sports television record of 10.6 million who watched Canada and the U.S. on Sunday, but rest assured it'll blow away the competition tonight.
Now all that being said, the best story of the Olympics tonight won't involve pucks and sticks (blasphemous as that may sound). Rather, all eyes should be pointed toward Pacific Coliseum and the women's short program in figure skating, where perhaps the most emotionally heart-rending story of these Games will continue to unfold.
We speak of the drama surrounding six-time Canadian champion Joannie Rochette, who is dealing with the unimaginable — the shocking death of her mother, Therese, of a heart attack at age 55 early Sunday — as she prepares for the biggest competition of her 24-year-old life. It is impossible to fathom what she is feeling right now.
By all accounts, Rochette has shown a steely focus in practices in the days since her father, Normand, delivered the terrible news early Sunday morning. Clearly, skating is her sanctuary right now, the place where life still seems normal — or as normal as anything can be in the pressure cooker that is the Winter Olympics.
There is no doubt that, when she glides to centre ice tonight around 11:30 for her short program, Rochette will have the support of a nation behind her — and not just because she is a medal contender. Not anymore. Through her coach, Manon Perron, Rochette expressed gratitude yesterday for the thoughts and prayers that have been pouring in since Sunday. They have been a needed source of strength.
The Rochette story is sure to touch a nerve south of the border, with NBC no doubt poised to champion the courage that she'll show tonight just by stepping on the ice (especially with no American woman expected to be a serious contender in what is considered perhaps the marquee event of the Winter Olympics in the U.S.).
For those of us who know her so well, it is a virtual certainly that we'll have lumps in our throats as we watch this sweet young woman deal with personal tragedy in her own way. No matter what happens, we will cheer her every move and want to give her a warm hug afterward.
Joannie Rochette, you see, has that effect on people. She is a caring, giving person who always asks how you're doing and is sincere in wanting to know. Rochette was deeply moved by a World Vision trip to Peru last year and can't do enough to help the less fortunate.
Now, in her time of greatest need, it is time for all of us to give something to Rochette. Give her the strength to be brave tonight on the biggest stage of them all, when her heart is so heavy with grief.
On a night when hockey is front and centre once more, let's not forget about a petite young fighter from small-town Quebec who needs a country's support more than ever. She's one of our heroes on skates, too.
Just Call It Magic Mountain
Maybe the folks behind Canada's 'Own The Podium' master plan for the Vancouver Games missed the real secret to big success.
Hold the entire 2010 Winter Olympics up at Cypress Mountain.
Hey, don't laugh. As of this writing, Canada has 11 medals at Vancouver 2010. Nearly half of them (five) have been earned in freestyle skiing events held at Cypress, including today's gold-medal triumph by Ashleigh McIvor in women's ski cross. That follows previous golds collected by Maelle Ricker (women's snowboardcross) and Alex Bilodeau (men's moguls) and silvers from Jenn Heil (women's moguls) and Mike Robertson (men's snowboardcross) at the mountain venue.
Just call it Magic Mountain, indeed.
Maybe Rogers Sportsnet's Jamie Campbell has been the lucky charm for our athletes. He's been the voice of Cypress for Canada's Olympic Media Broadcast Consortium and his call of Bilodeau's victory is now featured as part of a McDonald's commercial airing during the Games.
(and no, I don't want to hear any silly lucky loonie stories. It was cute — sort of — once. Now it's getting more than a little tired. But I digress).
Whatever it is, Cypress has been the place to be for Canadian fans during Vancouver 2010. Now if only Own The Podium saw all of this coming beforehand. Is it too late to move men's hockey there?
*****
Speaking of magic ...
The gold-medal triumph of Canadian ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir was exactly that for Rogers Sportsnet on Monday night. An average audience of 2.03 million tuned in, the first such number to crack two million in the network's 12-year history.
Some 7.05 million Canadians were watching on CTV and Sportsnet at 11:38 p.m., when Virtue and Moir received the scores that made them Canada's first Olympic champions in ice dance. More than 15 million saw at least some part of the event, with an average of 3.5 million.
Hold the entire 2010 Winter Olympics up at Cypress Mountain.
Hey, don't laugh. As of this writing, Canada has 11 medals at Vancouver 2010. Nearly half of them (five) have been earned in freestyle skiing events held at Cypress, including today's gold-medal triumph by Ashleigh McIvor in women's ski cross. That follows previous golds collected by Maelle Ricker (women's snowboardcross) and Alex Bilodeau (men's moguls) and silvers from Jenn Heil (women's moguls) and Mike Robertson (men's snowboardcross) at the mountain venue.
Just call it Magic Mountain, indeed.
Maybe Rogers Sportsnet's Jamie Campbell has been the lucky charm for our athletes. He's been the voice of Cypress for Canada's Olympic Media Broadcast Consortium and his call of Bilodeau's victory is now featured as part of a McDonald's commercial airing during the Games.
(and no, I don't want to hear any silly lucky loonie stories. It was cute — sort of — once. Now it's getting more than a little tired. But I digress).
Whatever it is, Cypress has been the place to be for Canadian fans during Vancouver 2010. Now if only Own The Podium saw all of this coming beforehand. Is it too late to move men's hockey there?
*****
Speaking of magic ...
The gold-medal triumph of Canadian ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir was exactly that for Rogers Sportsnet on Monday night. An average audience of 2.03 million tuned in, the first such number to crack two million in the network's 12-year history.
Some 7.05 million Canadians were watching on CTV and Sportsnet at 11:38 p.m., when Virtue and Moir received the scores that made them Canada's first Olympic champions in ice dance. More than 15 million saw at least some part of the event, with an average of 3.5 million.
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
Super Sunday Sets Bar High
To a lot of Canadians, Super Sunday quickly became Sucky Sunday as the fortunes of their hockey heroes began to wane against the U.S.
But not everyone associated with the red maple leaf was down in the dumps about the final numbers produced by the dramatic game.
Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium reported today that an average audience of 10.6 million tuned in to the final preliminary-round contest at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. That made it the most-watched sports program on record in Canadian television history, surpassing the 10.3 million who witnessed the same two countries play for hockey gold at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games.
More impressive numbers: The audience peaked at 13 million of the Canada-U.S. game, which was watched in part by nearly two-thirds of the country's population (21.5 million). Some 9.48 million took in the game on CTV alone, surpassing the audience for the opening ceremony.
Needless to say, the broadcast consortium wants this story to keep building, even if the 5-3 loss to the U.S. made the road to hockey gold longer and much tougher. While many predicted a Canada-Russia matchup for the gold, that showdown is set to happen in Wednesday's quarter-finals now (assuming a win over Germany tomorrow).
In other words, another record-breaker may be just around the corner.
*****
NBC continues to report strong audiences for its Vancouver Games coverage, which has the network steadfast in its belief in tape-delaying and packaging a number of events in the evening. "Protect the prime-time show" is priority No. 1 for NBC Olympics boss Dick Ebersol.
""It's no secret: the prime-time show is the flagship" David Neal, the executive vice president of NBC Olympics, told Sports Illustrated's Richard Deitsch. "That show has to be protected. That show has to be compelling every night. That is the mother ship, and we have to maintain it as an attractive vehicle no matter what."
And that, as they say, is the bottom line.
*****
American networks have traditionally been accused of being wildly pro-U.S. during their Olympic coverage. But Deitsch had this interesting thought about CTV's work in Vancouver.
"Canada's CTV, which most Olympic journalists are watching in Vancouver, presents events live (TSN and Rogers Sportsnet are also art of the Canadian Olympic broadcasting group)," he wrote. "Broadcasting its first Olympics in 22 years, CTV has done good work, though it is far more jingoistic than NBC, occasionally to the point of silliness."
Feel free to discuss among yourselves.
But not everyone associated with the red maple leaf was down in the dumps about the final numbers produced by the dramatic game.
Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium reported today that an average audience of 10.6 million tuned in to the final preliminary-round contest at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. That made it the most-watched sports program on record in Canadian television history, surpassing the 10.3 million who witnessed the same two countries play for hockey gold at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games.
More impressive numbers: The audience peaked at 13 million of the Canada-U.S. game, which was watched in part by nearly two-thirds of the country's population (21.5 million). Some 9.48 million took in the game on CTV alone, surpassing the audience for the opening ceremony.
Needless to say, the broadcast consortium wants this story to keep building, even if the 5-3 loss to the U.S. made the road to hockey gold longer and much tougher. While many predicted a Canada-Russia matchup for the gold, that showdown is set to happen in Wednesday's quarter-finals now (assuming a win over Germany tomorrow).
In other words, another record-breaker may be just around the corner.
*****
NBC continues to report strong audiences for its Vancouver Games coverage, which has the network steadfast in its belief in tape-delaying and packaging a number of events in the evening. "Protect the prime-time show" is priority No. 1 for NBC Olympics boss Dick Ebersol.
""It's no secret: the prime-time show is the flagship" David Neal, the executive vice president of NBC Olympics, told Sports Illustrated's Richard Deitsch. "That show has to be protected. That show has to be compelling every night. That is the mother ship, and we have to maintain it as an attractive vehicle no matter what."
Which means, of course, that all the griping by American viewers is conveniently ignored — they're still watching, right? (you'll hear most of that beefing coming from the Pacific time zone, where NBC holds its Olympic coverage until 8 p.m. local time, meaning events shown live in the East are long over before they're aired on the west coast).
But in Deitch's column, Neal insists "we believe in what we are doing here. The amount of time and effort that we put into preparing for the Olympic Games surpasses anything that I've been around. We have the strength in our convictions. We believe in what we are doing. We believe in the way that we present the Olympic Games. And I think the ratings back us up."And that, as they say, is the bottom line.
*****
American networks have traditionally been accused of being wildly pro-U.S. during their Olympic coverage. But Deitsch had this interesting thought about CTV's work in Vancouver.
"Canada's CTV, which most Olympic journalists are watching in Vancouver, presents events live (TSN and Rogers Sportsnet are also art of the Canadian Olympic broadcasting group)," he wrote. "Broadcasting its first Olympics in 22 years, CTV has done good work, though it is far more jingoistic than NBC, occasionally to the point of silliness."
Feel free to discuss among yourselves.
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.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
The Greatest Loss Of All
Another Canadian medal prospect blows up within sight of the podium but somehow, it just doesn't seem quite so important today.
The game that matters most of all to us is about to take centre stage tonight but on this evening, the excitement just escapes me.
For someone for whom the Olympics have been a life-long passion, none of this sounds normal. But normal takes a back seat when someone you know so well is going through unimaginable heartbreak.
Joannie Rochette, you no doubt have heard, suffered the most tragic of losses today. Her mother, Therese, died of an apparent heart attack just hours after she had arrived in Vancouver to watch her daughter skate in the biggest event of her life. Instead, Rochette's father, Normand — who first put her on skates in tiny Ile-Dupas, Que. — had to deliver the most terrible of news to their only child early this morning.
The story has rocked the Canadian Olympic team and Rochette's many friends, who have been filling her Facebook page all day with an endless stream of condolences. She has no doubt felt the embrace of the fellow skaters who are in Vancouver with her and are shaken by her sadness.
It was with a heavy heart that the 24-year-old Rochette took to the ice for a scheduled practice at Pacific Coliseum today. She has vowed to compete in her mother's honour starting Tuesday, when the women's short program is held at Vancouver 2010. To anyone who knows her, Rochette's response to this horrible tragedy is anything but a surprise.
I still remember the amazing courage she showed four years ago at the 2006 world figure skating championships in Calgary. A training partner and friend had died in a car accident a few weeks before the event, which upset her greatly, but Rochette not only showed up to compete at the Saddledome, she did so with her usual steely focus.
As difficult as that was, Rochette is dealing with something much greater right now. This is her mother, one of the most important people in her life. Someone she was always thrilled to have in the stands watching her skate. And now she isn't there anymore.
We have crossed paths at many events over the past decade or so and it was a question — are your parents here? — that I asked frequently, because I always knew how much it meant to her to have them there. And Rochette positively beamed whenever the answer was yes.
It will never be the easiest question to ask anymore.
She will lean more than ever on coach Manon Perron, the coach who Rochette has said "is like a second mother to me." Perron has been a guiding light who has watched her protege grow so wonderfully from a shy young girl who barely spoke English to the confident reigning world silver medallist (and six-time Canadian champion) that she is today.
But to see the pained look on Perron's face as she watched her star pupil practise today is to know that Rochette is hurting badly right now, more than we can ever know. Come Tuesday night, though, she will glide to centre ice at Pacific Coliseum, take the deepest of breaths, and live the dream that a loving and caring mother always wanted for her.
For every second she is on the ice, Therese Rochette will be with Joannie in spirit, looking over her the way she always has. And no doubt bursting with pride about the child she raised so well.
Rest in peace, Therese Rochette.
Your little girl has done so very well. And she'll keep making you proud.
The game that matters most of all to us is about to take centre stage tonight but on this evening, the excitement just escapes me.
For someone for whom the Olympics have been a life-long passion, none of this sounds normal. But normal takes a back seat when someone you know so well is going through unimaginable heartbreak.
Joannie Rochette, you no doubt have heard, suffered the most tragic of losses today. Her mother, Therese, died of an apparent heart attack just hours after she had arrived in Vancouver to watch her daughter skate in the biggest event of her life. Instead, Rochette's father, Normand — who first put her on skates in tiny Ile-Dupas, Que. — had to deliver the most terrible of news to their only child early this morning.
The story has rocked the Canadian Olympic team and Rochette's many friends, who have been filling her Facebook page all day with an endless stream of condolences. She has no doubt felt the embrace of the fellow skaters who are in Vancouver with her and are shaken by her sadness.
It was with a heavy heart that the 24-year-old Rochette took to the ice for a scheduled practice at Pacific Coliseum today. She has vowed to compete in her mother's honour starting Tuesday, when the women's short program is held at Vancouver 2010. To anyone who knows her, Rochette's response to this horrible tragedy is anything but a surprise.
I still remember the amazing courage she showed four years ago at the 2006 world figure skating championships in Calgary. A training partner and friend had died in a car accident a few weeks before the event, which upset her greatly, but Rochette not only showed up to compete at the Saddledome, she did so with her usual steely focus.
As difficult as that was, Rochette is dealing with something much greater right now. This is her mother, one of the most important people in her life. Someone she was always thrilled to have in the stands watching her skate. And now she isn't there anymore.
We have crossed paths at many events over the past decade or so and it was a question — are your parents here? — that I asked frequently, because I always knew how much it meant to her to have them there. And Rochette positively beamed whenever the answer was yes.
It will never be the easiest question to ask anymore.
She will lean more than ever on coach Manon Perron, the coach who Rochette has said "is like a second mother to me." Perron has been a guiding light who has watched her protege grow so wonderfully from a shy young girl who barely spoke English to the confident reigning world silver medallist (and six-time Canadian champion) that she is today.
But to see the pained look on Perron's face as she watched her star pupil practise today is to know that Rochette is hurting badly right now, more than we can ever know. Come Tuesday night, though, she will glide to centre ice at Pacific Coliseum, take the deepest of breaths, and live the dream that a loving and caring mother always wanted for her.
For every second she is on the ice, Therese Rochette will be with Joannie in spirit, looking over her the way she always has. And no doubt bursting with pride about the child she raised so well.
Rest in peace, Therese Rochette.
Your little girl has done so very well. And she'll keep making you proud.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Medal Rush A Bonanza For NBC
Everyone loves a winner.
And nowhere is that more true than south of the border, where Americans celebrate victories with a special kind of gusto. No wonder, then, that our neighbours are tuning into NBC's coverage of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in increasingly huge numbers.
Yes, folks, the stars and stripes are on a serious march on Canadian soil, charging into the lead in the medals table with 21 pieces of gold, silver and bronze earned as of this writing. That's eight better than Germany — the medals champion at the 2006 Turin Games — and 11 ahead of Norway, the all-time powerhouse of the Winter Olympics.
But ever since the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, the U.S. has become a much more formidable force in winter sports. American alpine skiers have racked up seven medals at Whistler, their greatest Olympic haul ever. There are even hopes for trips to the podium in sports such as Nordic combined, not exactly a traditional source of U.S. strength.
Clearly, all of this is hitting home with Americans watching back home. NBC reports some 157 viewers — half the U.S. population — have tuned into coverage on its family of networks through the first eight days of Vancouver 2010. That's five million more than four years ago in Turin.
More impressive is the nightly average of 26.2 million viewers. Not only is that up 27 per cent over Turin, it's the most-watched Winter Games in the U.S. since Lillehammer 1994 (38.3 million), which was fuelled by the Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan figure skating soap opera.
Two nights ago, the Winter Olympics beat Fox's American Idol in the ratings, which is apparently a victory of epic proportions (I'd rather look at it as a whole bunch of people finally coming to their senses).
Perhaps it shouldn't be surprising that the top U.S. metered markets happen to be Denver, Milwaukee (a speed skating mecca) and Salt Lake City, where all of this got started. But too many people are watching for it be limited to these winter sports havens.
Nope, Americans have definitely caught Winter Olympics fever. And, like the feats of their athletes, it doesn't show any signs of slowing down.
And nowhere is that more true than south of the border, where Americans celebrate victories with a special kind of gusto. No wonder, then, that our neighbours are tuning into NBC's coverage of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in increasingly huge numbers.
Yes, folks, the stars and stripes are on a serious march on Canadian soil, charging into the lead in the medals table with 21 pieces of gold, silver and bronze earned as of this writing. That's eight better than Germany — the medals champion at the 2006 Turin Games — and 11 ahead of Norway, the all-time powerhouse of the Winter Olympics.
But ever since the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, the U.S. has become a much more formidable force in winter sports. American alpine skiers have racked up seven medals at Whistler, their greatest Olympic haul ever. There are even hopes for trips to the podium in sports such as Nordic combined, not exactly a traditional source of U.S. strength.
Clearly, all of this is hitting home with Americans watching back home. NBC reports some 157 viewers — half the U.S. population — have tuned into coverage on its family of networks through the first eight days of Vancouver 2010. That's five million more than four years ago in Turin.
More impressive is the nightly average of 26.2 million viewers. Not only is that up 27 per cent over Turin, it's the most-watched Winter Games in the U.S. since Lillehammer 1994 (38.3 million), which was fuelled by the Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan figure skating soap opera.
Two nights ago, the Winter Olympics beat Fox's American Idol in the ratings, which is apparently a victory of epic proportions (I'd rather look at it as a whole bunch of people finally coming to their senses).
Perhaps it shouldn't be surprising that the top U.S. metered markets happen to be Denver, Milwaukee (a speed skating mecca) and Salt Lake City, where all of this got started. But too many people are watching for it be limited to these winter sports havens.
Nope, Americans have definitely caught Winter Olympics fever. And, like the feats of their athletes, it doesn't show any signs of slowing down.
Cheers to You, Golden Boy!
Sometimes, as the old saying goes, you just have to be there.
If you missed that impromptu celebration in Whistler that surrounded Canadian Jon Montgomery's gold-medal triumph in men's skeleton Friday night — and being that it happened around 2 a.m. in the East, it's entirely possible that you did — head over to CTVOlympics.ca and fire up the video right now (you'll find it in the archives section).
Trust me, you'll be more than happy that you did.
What you'll see is one of those unique moments that remind you why you love sports — and the Winter Olympics in particular. CTV's cameras followed Montgomery through a cheering throng as he made his way to the network's outdoor Whistler set, where Jennifer Hedger was waiting to do a interview, along with his parents and girlfriend. When one of the fans handed Montgomery a pitcher of beer, he didn't skip a beat — the new Canadian hero took a hearty swig and gave a thumbs up.
Montgomery was barely seated in the interview chair when a loud and raucous chorus of O Canada broke out, a spontaneous happening that is becoming an almost regular display of patriotic pride on the streets of Vancouver as these 2010 Olympics roll along.
As the interview progressed, it became fairly obvious that Montgomery was indeed someone who Canadians could truly embrace. An ordinary guy from small-town Manitoba who had just done the extraordinary.
Now if that's not cause for celebration, I don't know what is.
If you missed that impromptu celebration in Whistler that surrounded Canadian Jon Montgomery's gold-medal triumph in men's skeleton Friday night — and being that it happened around 2 a.m. in the East, it's entirely possible that you did — head over to CTVOlympics.ca and fire up the video right now (you'll find it in the archives section).
Trust me, you'll be more than happy that you did.
What you'll see is one of those unique moments that remind you why you love sports — and the Winter Olympics in particular. CTV's cameras followed Montgomery through a cheering throng as he made his way to the network's outdoor Whistler set, where Jennifer Hedger was waiting to do a interview, along with his parents and girlfriend. When one of the fans handed Montgomery a pitcher of beer, he didn't skip a beat — the new Canadian hero took a hearty swig and gave a thumbs up.
Montgomery was barely seated in the interview chair when a loud and raucous chorus of O Canada broke out, a spontaneous happening that is becoming an almost regular display of patriotic pride on the streets of Vancouver as these 2010 Olympics roll along.
As the interview progressed, it became fairly obvious that Montgomery was indeed someone who Canadians could truly embrace. An ordinary guy from small-town Manitoba who had just done the extraordinary.
Now if that's not cause for celebration, I don't know what is.
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?
The King Is Not Amused
Well, you had to see this one coming.
Elvis Stojko sat through the men's free skate final on Thursday night, watched Evan Lysacek of the U.S. pull off a stunning triumph over Russian favourite Evgeni Plushenko and left the arena in utter disgust.
Then the former three-time former world champion from Richmond Hill, Ont., put his frustration against "the system" to words. In a scathing column for Yahoo! Sports titled "The Night They Killed Figure Skating," Stojko ripped into the "ridiculous" scoring by the judges that awarded the quad-less Lysacek the Olympic title by a razor-thin margin.
"Because of it, the sport took a step backward," wrote Stojko. "Brian Boitano did the same thing, technically, in 1988. There are junior skaters who can skate that same program.
"With that type of scoring, you don’t have to risk it. You can play it safe and win gold. In what other sports do you have to hold back in order to win? The International Skating Union has taken the risk out of figure skating and it makes me sick."
Stojko is a two-time Olympic silver medallist who probably deserved a much better fate on at least one of those occasions — at Lillehammer 1994, many thought he outskated Alexei Urmanov of Russia, who won the gold. Clearly, he still thinks skating favours style over substance.
"Figure skating gets no respect because of outcomes like this," he said. "More feathers, head-flinging and so-called step sequences done at walking speed — that’s what the system wants ... The sport is going backward. And it hurts me to say it because I love this sport. But the judges made a mockery of it by giving Lysacek the gold."
Stojko saved the most stinging thought for last.
"I am going to watch hockey, where athletes are allowed to push the envelope," he said. "A real sport."
*****
The fallout is already beginning from Elvis' bombshell.
Read this piece by Sun Media's Steve Buffery.
*****
The Olympic broadcast media consortium reports an audience of 12.1 million was tuned in to the finish of Canada's 3-2 shootout triumph over Switzerland in men's hockey. The average for the game was 6.8 million.
And think about it. That was only a preliminary round game.
Who knows how big this gets before it's done?
Elvis Stojko sat through the men's free skate final on Thursday night, watched Evan Lysacek of the U.S. pull off a stunning triumph over Russian favourite Evgeni Plushenko and left the arena in utter disgust.
Then the former three-time former world champion from Richmond Hill, Ont., put his frustration against "the system" to words. In a scathing column for Yahoo! Sports titled "The Night They Killed Figure Skating," Stojko ripped into the "ridiculous" scoring by the judges that awarded the quad-less Lysacek the Olympic title by a razor-thin margin.
"Because of it, the sport took a step backward," wrote Stojko. "Brian Boitano did the same thing, technically, in 1988. There are junior skaters who can skate that same program.
"With that type of scoring, you don’t have to risk it. You can play it safe and win gold. In what other sports do you have to hold back in order to win? The International Skating Union has taken the risk out of figure skating and it makes me sick."
Stojko is a two-time Olympic silver medallist who probably deserved a much better fate on at least one of those occasions — at Lillehammer 1994, many thought he outskated Alexei Urmanov of Russia, who won the gold. Clearly, he still thinks skating favours style over substance.
"Figure skating gets no respect because of outcomes like this," he said. "More feathers, head-flinging and so-called step sequences done at walking speed — that’s what the system wants ... The sport is going backward. And it hurts me to say it because I love this sport. But the judges made a mockery of it by giving Lysacek the gold."
Stojko saved the most stinging thought for last.
"I am going to watch hockey, where athletes are allowed to push the envelope," he said. "A real sport."
*****
The fallout is already beginning from Elvis' bombshell.
Read this piece by Sun Media's Steve Buffery.
*****
The Olympic broadcast media consortium reports an audience of 12.1 million was tuned in to the finish of Canada's 3-2 shootout triumph over Switzerland in men's hockey. The average for the game was 6.8 million.
And think about it. That was only a preliminary round game.
Who knows how big this gets before it's done?
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Stories From the Sidelines
A lot of folks — especially the ones on the other end of the conversation — might brand them as the necessary evil of televised sports.
We speak of the genre known as the sideline reporter, that intrepid person you'll often hear cut into a game broadcast with some breathless tidbit of information. Sometimes, it's entirely useful stuff but way too often, it's wasted airtime (you no doubt know of what I speak).
But that being said, a few of these folks who stand so close to the action deserve a hearty thumbs up for their work at Vancouver 2010. Indeed, they've helped provide some of the most compelling interview moments so far during these Winter Olympics.
Allow me to elaborate. Canadian speed skater Christine Nesbitt is a rather shy sort who was left all but speechless by her gold-medal triumph in the women's 1,000 metres earlier today. But TSN's James Cybulski got Nesbitt to reveal some true emotion when he asked her about sharing the moment with her longtime coach, Marcel Lacroix.
"He's the only one who always believed in me," Nesbitt said, her eyes welling up with tears as she spoke.
Now I have to admit I posted a smart-assed remark on Twitter about that — Cybulski and I are both from Ottawa and we've known each other for awhile — but I also felt a lump in my throat watching it.
All because someone asked just the right question.
It was more of the same the night Alex Bilodeau won Canada's first gold medal of these Games in men's moguls. TSN's Katherine Dolan, who's done some fine work of her own at Cypress Mountain, asked Bilodeau what it meant to do it in front of his older brother, Frederic, who suffers from cerebral palsy (Alex calls him his biggest inspiration). The response was raw and emotional. But very, very real.
Great television? You bet. But that's the Olympics are all about. And why millions of us can't get enough of it every four years.
We speak of the genre known as the sideline reporter, that intrepid person you'll often hear cut into a game broadcast with some breathless tidbit of information. Sometimes, it's entirely useful stuff but way too often, it's wasted airtime (you no doubt know of what I speak).
But that being said, a few of these folks who stand so close to the action deserve a hearty thumbs up for their work at Vancouver 2010. Indeed, they've helped provide some of the most compelling interview moments so far during these Winter Olympics.
Allow me to elaborate. Canadian speed skater Christine Nesbitt is a rather shy sort who was left all but speechless by her gold-medal triumph in the women's 1,000 metres earlier today. But TSN's James Cybulski got Nesbitt to reveal some true emotion when he asked her about sharing the moment with her longtime coach, Marcel Lacroix.
"He's the only one who always believed in me," Nesbitt said, her eyes welling up with tears as she spoke.
Now I have to admit I posted a smart-assed remark on Twitter about that — Cybulski and I are both from Ottawa and we've known each other for awhile — but I also felt a lump in my throat watching it.
All because someone asked just the right question.
It was more of the same the night Alex Bilodeau won Canada's first gold medal of these Games in men's moguls. TSN's Katherine Dolan, who's done some fine work of her own at Cypress Mountain, asked Bilodeau what it meant to do it in front of his older brother, Frederic, who suffers from cerebral palsy (Alex calls him his biggest inspiration). The response was raw and emotional. But very, very real.
Great television? You bet. But that's the Olympics are all about. And why millions of us can't get enough of it every four years.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
The Day The Music (Almost) Died
Eight years ago tonight, the eyes and ears of the world were glued to one of the most bizarre scenes in Winter Olympics history.
Four figure skaters — two of them Canadian, two of them Russian — standing on the top step of a podium, every one of them wearing gold medals. It was the final chapter in one of the most sordid tales the sport had ever seen. And one that almost struck it with a death blow.
We speak, of course, of the judging scandal that enveloped Canadian pairs skaters Jamie Sale and David Pelletier at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. Within hours of the final verdict in the event — which saw Russians Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze declared the winners despite the fact Sale and Pelletier clearly outskated them with one of great performances in Olympic history —it was revealed back- room dealing between Russian and French officials rigged the result.
The scandal almost immediately ignited a global media firestorm that wasn't quelled until International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge announced, in an unprecented move, that Sale and Pelletier would be awarded duplicate gold medals.
Cue the awkward double medal presentation. While we heard the words "special ceremony" used to describe it earlier today on CTV, I got an entirely different viewpoint from Sale and Pelletier when revisiting "Skategate" in an Ottawa Sun feature four years ago before the 2006 Turin Games.
Pelletier called it "a great TV moment, not a great athlete moment" and that about summed it up. Clearly. neither he nor Sale wanted any part of the ceremony (we'll assume the Russians felt the same way) and just did it to appease NBC in particular.
What can't be denied, however, is that the aftershocks of that dark moment in figure skating history are still being felt to this day. The sport is still struggling to regain the popularity it enjoyed before Salt Lake, even in Canada, where its support has always been the greatest.
Perhaps the scandal's biggest legacy: the code of points scoring method that replaced the old (and easily manipulated) 6.0 system of days gone by. While it is still a mystery to far too many people, it says here that figure skating is much better off with what it has today. But much work still needs to be done to satisfy a public that, seven years later, finds the whole thing entirely too confusing.
Figure skating, it must be said, does a horrible job of explaining the system to its paying audience. They see all kinds of numbers and a huge segment of them haven't a clue what they mean. That's something that absolutely must be addressed, and sooner rather than later.
And much as the system is an improvement over the old way, it still must be tweaked regularly to help the sport evolve. There has been a great outcry this week about the lack of quadruple jumps in the men's event, and it's valid criticism. But until the point value for the jump is increased to make it worth the risk, nothing will change and the sport stands still. It's also been proven, by Canadian Jeffrey Buttle in 2008, that you can win a world title without one if the rest of your repertoire is top notch and your execution is of the highest level.
But here's what I like the most about COP. Canada's Patrick Chan is about nine points out of the medals heading into Thursday night's Olympic free skate final — a veritable mountain to climb, indeed, but not beyond the realm of possibility.
Under the old 6.0 system, Chan's hopes would be dead and buried. But COP makes the impossible seem possible and the fans feel that, too. And when it comes to figure skating, anything that makes the fans believe is a very good thing, because they're the lifeblood of any sport.
But COP is far from perfect yet. A few tweaks here and there and maybe figure skating can find its way back to its glory days again.
Four figure skaters — two of them Canadian, two of them Russian — standing on the top step of a podium, every one of them wearing gold medals. It was the final chapter in one of the most sordid tales the sport had ever seen. And one that almost struck it with a death blow.
We speak, of course, of the judging scandal that enveloped Canadian pairs skaters Jamie Sale and David Pelletier at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. Within hours of the final verdict in the event — which saw Russians Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze declared the winners despite the fact Sale and Pelletier clearly outskated them with one of great performances in Olympic history —it was revealed back- room dealing between Russian and French officials rigged the result.
The scandal almost immediately ignited a global media firestorm that wasn't quelled until International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge announced, in an unprecented move, that Sale and Pelletier would be awarded duplicate gold medals.
Cue the awkward double medal presentation. While we heard the words "special ceremony" used to describe it earlier today on CTV, I got an entirely different viewpoint from Sale and Pelletier when revisiting "Skategate" in an Ottawa Sun feature four years ago before the 2006 Turin Games.
Pelletier called it "a great TV moment, not a great athlete moment" and that about summed it up. Clearly. neither he nor Sale wanted any part of the ceremony (we'll assume the Russians felt the same way) and just did it to appease NBC in particular.
What can't be denied, however, is that the aftershocks of that dark moment in figure skating history are still being felt to this day. The sport is still struggling to regain the popularity it enjoyed before Salt Lake, even in Canada, where its support has always been the greatest.
Perhaps the scandal's biggest legacy: the code of points scoring method that replaced the old (and easily manipulated) 6.0 system of days gone by. While it is still a mystery to far too many people, it says here that figure skating is much better off with what it has today. But much work still needs to be done to satisfy a public that, seven years later, finds the whole thing entirely too confusing.
Figure skating, it must be said, does a horrible job of explaining the system to its paying audience. They see all kinds of numbers and a huge segment of them haven't a clue what they mean. That's something that absolutely must be addressed, and sooner rather than later.
And much as the system is an improvement over the old way, it still must be tweaked regularly to help the sport evolve. There has been a great outcry this week about the lack of quadruple jumps in the men's event, and it's valid criticism. But until the point value for the jump is increased to make it worth the risk, nothing will change and the sport stands still. It's also been proven, by Canadian Jeffrey Buttle in 2008, that you can win a world title without one if the rest of your repertoire is top notch and your execution is of the highest level.
But here's what I like the most about COP. Canada's Patrick Chan is about nine points out of the medals heading into Thursday night's Olympic free skate final — a veritable mountain to climb, indeed, but not beyond the realm of possibility.
Under the old 6.0 system, Chan's hopes would be dead and buried. But COP makes the impossible seem possible and the fans feel that, too. And when it comes to figure skating, anything that makes the fans believe is a very good thing, because they're the lifeblood of any sport.
But COP is far from perfect yet. A few tweaks here and there and maybe figure skating can find its way back to its glory days again.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Is Anybody Happy Out There?
You know they're out there somewhere.
For some of them, it's almost a way of life.
No matter what the sports event, be it big or small, it's almost a given that somebody's gonna complain about the television coverage. Be it the people announcing the event, the network's style of presentation ... pretty much anything is game for certain people. They're just never happy. Unless they're bitching about something or someone.
With that thought in mind, it might be wise to take what you're about to read with a rather healthy grain of salt. But there's a part of me that also wonders if maybe there's something to what I'm about to describe.
Troll around some of the commentary about the Vancouver 2010 Olympics coverage and there seems to be a growing level of dissatisfaction — and outright outrage — at what's being presented on both sides of the border. Or, more precisely, what is not.
The whining about NBC's slick, thoroughly package coverage is rather predictable. It's a refrain we've heard many times over the years, even if some are taking it to a new level.
What's a little more startling is the level of vitriol being directed in some corners at the CTV/Rogers consortium that's carrying the "home games" in Canada (check out the comments section in this blog post and this one to see what I mean).
What's got these folks up in arms? Among the complaints:
— Too much style, little substance on Olympic Morning.
— Difficulty in knowing what's on what network and when.
— Too many technical glitches.
— Over the top cheerleading for Canadians athletes.
— Not nearly enough coverage of non-Canadians.
In short, the overriding sentiment is the consortium isn't CBC, the public broadcaster which set such a high standard in bringing the last seven Olympics to Canadians. And yes, there are plenty of 'bring back the CBC' cries already (even though bitching about the Mother Corp. is almost a hobby for many folks in this country).
While there is a certain level of validity to the above (ahem) concerns, painting the entire operation with the same brush is probably more than a little unfair. For the most part, the pictures presented during Vancouver 2010 have been outstanding. Several of the packaged features are extemely well done (we're fans, in particular, of Rick Hansen's Difference Makers segments and the fascinating science of sport features, titled Super Bodies).
The work of Rod Smith and Catriona Le May Doan at the long-track speed skating venue is worthy of acclaim. Figure skating is in good hands with Rod Black and the pairs analysis of Jamie Sale and David Pelletier was widely judged to be first rate. John Kucera and Kelly Vanderbeek have been nice additions on alpine skiing. And the always quick witted James Duthie and Mr. Olympics, Brian Williams, have delivered as usual from the studio.
No, this hasn't been the complete disaster that some are painting it. But the message is clear: Canadian Olympic viewers have high standards and if you don't meet them, you'll hear about it.
Over to you, CTV/Rogers consortium ...
*****
No matter what you may or may not think of the coverage, one thing is indisuputable — Canadians are invested in the Vancouver Games like no other television event before it.
Huge ratings numbers continue to roll in each day and show no signs of stopping. Some 7.1 million viewers tuned in to see Alex Bilodeau receive his men's moguls gold medal. Rogers Sportsnet has broken network audience records for two straight nights. Online views at CTVOlympics.ca and RDSOlympiques.ca are through the roof.
And this was before the men's hockey tournament began. Much as Canada-Norway turned into an ugly 8-0 blowout tonight, we're betting plenty stay glued to their TVs right to the end.
It's been that kind of story at Vancouver 2010.
And we've only just begun.
*****
No matter what you may or may not think of the coverage, one thing is indisuputable — Canadians are invested in the Vancouver Games like no other television event before it.
Huge ratings numbers continue to roll in each day and show no signs of stopping. Some 7.1 million viewers tuned in to see Alex Bilodeau receive his men's moguls gold medal. Rogers Sportsnet has broken network audience records for two straight nights. Online views at CTVOlympics.ca and RDSOlympiques.ca are through the roof.
And this was before the men's hockey tournament began. Much as Canada-Norway turned into an ugly 8-0 blowout tonight, we're betting plenty stay glued to their TVs right to the end.
It's been that kind of story at Vancouver 2010.
And we've only just begun.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
