As the goals kept pouring in, a nation erupted in celebration.
And that wasn't even the half of it on this wonderful Wednesday.
In a land in which hockey is the national passion, Canada's 7-3 flogging of the vaunted Russians was plenty good enough to make this the best of days at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games. The dream of Olympic gold is still alive, CTV can count on another ratings bonanza during Friday's semifinals ... perhaps even the the mother of all numbers for Sunday's grand finale in the sport that matters the most to the Canadian psyche.
But still, it will be interesting to see where all of this plays in the newspapers tomorrow, given everything that came to pass as the puck pounding was reaching its conclusion. First, there was a plucky group of Canadian short trackers (Kalyna Roberge, Tania Vicent, Marianne St-Gelais and Jessica Gregg) earning a medal in the 3,000-metre women's relay — a bronze later upgraded to silver by a Korean DQ.
Then it was off to the Whistler Sliding Centre and the drama of the women's bobsled, an event which had provided Olympic heatbreak at Turin 2006. Not today. It was Canada 1 (Alberta's Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse of P.E.I.) snaring the gold and Canada 2 (Helen Upperton, Shelley-Ann Brown) grabbing the silver.
Add that to a bronze earned by the indomitable Clara Hughes in women's 5,000 metres long-track speed skating and it was a four-medal haul for a Canadian team that had been plodding along well below the expectations of its much-ballyhooed Own The Podium initiative.
Maybe now there is a shot at matching the record 24 medals earned in Turin (the total sits at 15 now). Perhaps we just might lead these Games in golds (we're tied now at seven with Germany and the U.S.) by the time all is said and done (Own The Top Of The Podium, can we say?).
Of course, all we definitely be well if two more golds come in men's and women's hockey. Let's face it, while a four-medal Wednesday is indeed wonderful, hockey gold rates would be superbly sublime.
You see, we are Canadians, after 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.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
