I don't think the SD/HD was as big a driver as we'd like to think, but the fact is was on MSNBC was. If the 20m people that tuned in to watch the Olympics on NBC saw US-Canada you may have lost a significant portion of the women (to... what? was AI up against it?), but a fair number would have stuck around. I forget that hockey games are on when they are on these backwoods channels - I'm sure there are people who would watch that didn't even know the US was playing Canada until they showed some studio highlights.

Ice hockey is one of the most expensive sports to play overhere. Additionally, we're not doing well in short track, let alone figure skating, where nobody qualified. I guess skating overhere is purely based on a tradition of long track skating, with the mythical Elfstendentocht at the base ground. The freaky part is that 'we' also seem to be pretty good with sticks in the hands on surfaces less icy (for example, our women are World and Olympic champions).

Also, "... born with skates on..." am I the only one envisioning huge wooden shoes with even bigger blades attached? :D

Did I just hear him say one of the players was wearing a pearl necklace? wtf did I miss?

Im not sure how to explain it to you.

Its part of the culture. For instance they love baseball in Japan. They are born wanting to play baseball. The better coaching comes from playing it your entire life.

The USA is not a soccer country like most places in the world? Why? They are born with baseball or American football in their blood so most of the great athletes play them sports instead. They take a back seat to other countries in Soccer. They cant even win in Mexico despite having 200 million more people.

In Norway the great ones ski while the secondary athletes play hockey. The same can be said for The Netherlands and speed skating.

5 on 3, let's get a goal here

Canada 4 minutes away from women's hockey gold.

And?

Congrats Canadian women's hockey and great effort from Rochette to win bronze while she must be going through tough times.

That about sums it up. It's just what sport people are drawn to in their country. Many on the international side will chide the U.S. for being poor at soccer, but if it was our primary sport, we'd win almost every major international competition.

If a country chooses to make skiing as big as football is here, you're best athletes will drift toward it.

Good for them. They probably worked hard for this.

Need anything else, or will that do it?

Something seems... off about this statement. I can't quite put my finger on it.

What, no ladies' figure skating discussion? That's cold.

Well, those hockey girls definitely had a good party afterwards. The IOC had a slight problem with the fact that it happened on the the ice though just a few minutes after the fans had left :D (and perhaps more seriously with the fact that the 2 time scorer Poulin wasn´t legally allowed to drink in BC)







propably a close second to skeleton rider Jon Montgomery in terms of "likeable inappropriate" celebration : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWgZkUcC9hM

might well have been the last we´ve seen of women hockey at the olympics and the "competitiveness" reasoning makes sense.

What about Scotty Lago having a girl on her knees in front of him, kissing his medal?

I didn´t see much likeable in that actually, just plain old jack-assery :)
I mean, come on. Taking over an (almost) empty ice stadium for a party or taking a 5 litre beer chug on the from the medal celebration rank way higher on the likeable/original scale than that.

I think this is getting blown way out of proportion...who cares what they did after the fans left.

These women have worked their ass off, won the gold and deserve to blow off some steam...better to have them do it in a controlled environment than out on the streets and bars of Vancouver.

+1

The IOC for one, and it's their party.


I'm not sure acting like a bunch of half-witted frat boys qualifies as simply blowing off steam, especially with the underage drinker in plain view. Pretty much demonstrated a complete lack of adult leadership on the team or by the staff.

The Olympics are just that...a giant 2 week frat party. Sure, they have some "finals" mixed in during that time but really, where else are you going to find that many teenagers and young adults who are in wicked shape who share a common interest??

I'm surprised we don't see or hear more about stuff like this. But, in this youtube and facebook age, maybe we will.

LOL!

So the girl drinking is what age?

Appears she is legal where she is from (Quebec) really sounds like the fact that she was downing a cold one is blown out of proportion. I doubt Team Canada or the Canadian Government and it's people really care.

Well at least they didn't destroy a couple hotel rooms...

The bigger question is which of those girls were DTF after partying?

I don't see how it's off. The U.S. has more pure athletic talent than any other country. This is in part to its population size and demographics. If the NFL did not exist and this country worshipped Soccer on every Sunday afternoon, we'd have a massive pool of athletic talent out there. Guys like Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, and Randy Moss with a soccer ball in front of them at age 5? I just think the U.S. would absolutely dominate.

The thing is that two of the U.S.'s primary sports are not ones that are popular on a global scale.

I guess I can see why the IOC would be upset. But at the same time, they have to get over this notion that every 20 year old athlete is going to run home after winning a gold medal, drink some oveltine, and pull out their Bible. The image they want to portray is not reality.

Would their athletic talents translate to soccer? Would they care about playing soccer?

I don´t think that´s where they are coming from. Just because not everything is allowed doesn´t mean everything is forbidden either.

One fundamental flaw in humans is to do whatever they want unless someone specifically tells them not to (and can eforce that, otherwise they´ll still do), another is thinking one self is entitled to do whatever one wants to have fun without considering consequences for others. And a third one is to overlook a thousand good things because of one or a couple bad things.

By all accounts the atmosphere among athletes and fans in Vancouver/Whistler is amazing, very loose and very much "free". The IOC and the local organisers did a hell of a job here to create a great atmosphere for the large majority of people attentind the games or participating in them. You can´t serve everyone and you also can´t let go everything.
Come on, it is their job to make sure some rules are followed and some standard is upheld.

Hey, i´m not saying that what the hockey team did was terrible (as said "likeable" ) , but that doesn´t mean the IOC are the bad guys for calling them out.

Except for the fact that it wasn't legal where she was at the time.


When it contributes to women's hockey being dropped as an Olympic sport they might rethink that. And Rogge's comments so quickly after the event certainly make that seem not only possibly but likely.

That we've heard about ... yet.

Then maybe it's time they go the way of the dodo (which I've been thinking quite a bit anyway).

Considering the ratings, why exactly?

You could draw numbers with snuff films too but that doesn't make them a particularly worthwhile idea.

lol yeah the Olympics are a snuff film. The Olympics are great. Why are you in this thread if you hate them.

I think the fact that only 2 countries on earth can reasonably field a competitive women's hockey team should signal it's demise.

How there can be women's hockey but not baseball in the olympics is ponderous.

{shrug} It helps pass the time while I'm avoiding a dreary bit of work I want to do about as much as I want an eight hour root canal. Meanwhile, the point I was making about what draws ratings (which someone else brought up moments before) & what is worthwhile appears to have sailed clean over your head.

But when you get right down to it, I've got as much right to be in this thread & comment as I see fit as anybody else. If that's a problem for you, kindly go screw yourself eh.

Excellent comparison. Snuff films and Olympic sports.

The american who celebrated with a girl kissing his medel, who cares!! Let him celebrate, doesn't hurt anyone.

Someone underage celebrating with her teammates, having a beer, in a empty arena, who cares, have fun.

I had many many drinks underage, I have illegally consumed beer in public many many many times. I'm not hurting anyone, I'm not driving drunk, neither of these girls. Police understand this in my case, the IOC need to use some common sense.

I agree, but that same argument could have been made with Men's hockey in the early 20th century, during the 1st few olympic tournaments.

It's more competitive now then it was 12 years ago, and it should be more competitive 12 years from now.

If you don't care, that's your flaw not mine.


Doesn't make those actions less criminal.

Defend it, or the idiotic blowjob for a medal (at least that guy had enough sense to leave the venue first) or some of the hockey players acting like they've had no upbringing whatsoever if you want, but it reveals your lack of character.

If something like this causes that then the Olympics are even more of a BS sham than I already was starting to think they are. The most the girls deserve is a light tap on their butts, video taped and sold on the internet of course.

I guess that's why their official spokesman promised to uphold Olympic ideals going forward, effectively acknowledging that their behavior was inappropriate.

In isolation this incident wouldn't warrant the removal of the event but given the already shaky status it certainly adds another straw to the camel.

The IOCs advertisers and sponsors are making their billions, so all is right in the world. Since that is really all it's about in the end...

Who are you to judge mine or anyone's lack of character? Why are your set of morals and value's superior to me or anyone else.

You have an opinion. I disagree with it, but you then attack my character. Fuck you

Have you ever been in a thread with John before?

never

This is what its like.

Anyway, how about those 2 hockey games coming up today.

Finland/USA... should be a dog fight. This could be a 0-0 game going into the 3rd, and whoever gets that bounce, wins it. Just like the Fin/Czech's quarter final.

Canada/ Slovakia... Don't know why so many people, here, media, friends, whatever, are so shocked at Slovakia. They are a great team, with some great players. And, they seem to work their asses off. Not a gimme for Canada. If the Canadians take them lightly, they will lose, big.

You've heard the prayer about "grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change"

FYI, Jon is one of those things. You would be approximately the 1 billionth person on this forum to scold him for being high and mighty/inflexible/judgemental. He won't change because of it, he won't even feel bad about it - he will consider all of those compliments.

He's going to continue to be that way - don't lose any sleep.