The look on Gretzky's face was priceless, and Nash looked like he was about to dissolve in laughter at the wholething.

Which of the four got screwed over and didn't get to light it?

Yeah. If you based your opinion of someone based on just that clip I would say that Nash comes off as a guy you would like to have a beer with and Gretzky comes off as the guy you would screen phone calls from so you wouldn't have to talk to him.

I dunno, I wasn't really put off by Gretzky's reaction. It seemed more like a combo of WTF? & OMG! & You gotta be shittin' me, followed by "WTH am I supposed to do" ... which is pretty close to what I would have been thinking I imagine.

He looks a lot happier lighting that torch

SI

I got the same reaction.

The coolest part is like in most Olympics they seemed to keep the cauldron details secret, so people randomly ran after Gretzky holding the torch and got to see the outdoor lighting ceremony by chance. Lots of looks of "Holy shit, I was just getting a beer and I got to see this!"

Based on the numbers that were at the torch I wouldn't say it was completely secret.

Thought the beginning of it was really good. They slowed it down too much at the end and that one guy's speech was far too long.

Sucks that they had the mechanical glitch. Nodar Kumaritashvili's ghost will haunt these games.

So where exactly is the outdoor torch?

I got the opposite impression, it didn't look like many people at all, based on how many people at all to me based on what was going on. Looked like the number of people that would be hanging in the city for the event but obviously couldn't get in, and following the crowds running after the truck exiting the big event.

You guys don't think the giant metal torch thing sitting in a park on the night of the opening ceremony rang a bell to some?

Not thinking that it was widely known, just that it seemed that some had found out.

The look of it makes it a little easier to hide a you may not immediately think olympic torch if you see it.

Okay, I am really sick of seeing that luge accident. How many times do we have to see this guy get killed?

Sorry, it was the lead in for the news about the olympics on the news after the ceremony.

I wish I had two more hands, so I could give the 'Canadian Olympic Poetry Slam' four thumbs down.

Awful stuff. I can't understand how the media is allowed to show a death like that on syndicated tv

Actually - it was covered up - no one knew what is was until minutes before he got there (of course, some people took a guess that the object covered up on the night of the opening ceremony had something to do with it..).

Man....this luge death has really cast a pall over these games so far. Who knows if the mood will lighten? What was the mood like during Munich games after the execution of the Israeli team? Anyone who was around that can answer my question would find me indebted.

Agreed. They also showed a close up of the guy getting mouth to mouth and blood everywhere. Just total hack joyrnalism IMO and a total lack or respect for that poor kid

Dola. Can someone sum up for me what happened with the tourch. I was on a plane and didn't see any of the ceremonies.

Can anyone find the video of the torch lighting, I'm looking on the NBC Olympics site and they don't seem to actually have it...

Fucking stupid NBC.

I was only 5 years old at the time, so although I remember watching the events unfold, the recollections are pretty scattered. Nearly 40 years later I'd be hard pressed to swear what I "remember" and what is a collage of memory & years of seeing the footage.

A Time article a few years ago has a pretty good description of it I think[i]

Following indignant words from the paladins of the Olympic movement, after a little mournful Beethoven, the Games of Munich went on. It's an article of faith that The Games Must Go On. For the 30 years since, the Olympics — indeed, all sports events of any great scale — have carried on, even if permanently altered by the awareness that terrorists could again strike. ... Willi Daume, president of the Munich organizing committee, at first wanted the remainder of the Games called off, but Brundage and others prevailed. "I too questioned the decision to continue," says former mayor Vogel, "but over time I came to believe that we couldn't let the Olympics come to a halt from the hand of terrorism."

So, after a memorial service on Sept. 6, the Carefree Games resumed. Many of the 80,000 people who filled the Olympic Stadium for West Germany's soccer match with Hungary carried noisemakers and waved flags, while authorities did nothing to intervene in the name of decorum. Yet when several spectators unfurled a banner reading 17 dead, already forgotten? security officers seized the sign and expelled the offenders from the grounds.

Basically, there were four pillars so the four final torchbearers could light the flame at the same time (Bob Costas noted that the concept was "quite Canadian" to spread around the glory of lighting the torch with more than just one person). Unfortunately, only three of the four pillars rose out of the ground and Wayne Gretzky was left standing there confused. Then they raised the three fully to make the big torch and they were lit by the other three torch bearers.

SI

The Huffington Post says that Catriona LeMay Doan is the one that was left standing. Who is wrong here?

Vancouver Olympics Torch Mishap: Opening Ceremony Pillar FAILS

Here's a short piece from SI about Gretzky's dash through the streets
Luke Winn at the Winter Olympics – SI.com » Posts The Great Gretzky Chase «

WHISTLER, British Columbia (AP) -International luge officials are moving the start of the men's Olympic luge competition farther down the track. It was a decision made with the "emotional component" of athletes in mind following the death of a Georgian competitor.

Men's training on Saturday morning, as well as all four runs of the men's competition that begins later, will take place from the women's start ramp.

The move means speeds will be a bit lower at the Whistler Sliding Track. It likely also means the course will be a bit easier to navigate.

That was actually one of my favorite parts.

Admittedly, I have 'Poetry Slam' issues.

LOL

The luge track adjustment seems prudent.

Earlier someone asked me about age of curling for the iPhone/iPod touch. It is very cool . You can setup tournaments. I really have no idea of the 'simulation' value, meaning a comparison of the relative strength of teams. The play is more strategic than the more arcady style games. I have to add that sweeping is less a part of this game, or it is modeled to a level that I do not currently comprehend. Bottom line. It is the one of three curling games that I'm playing.

Probably me. I was getting tired so maybe I had it wrong.

SI

He was ranked 44th in the world. Not top of the class, but also not a guy who is brand new to this. The top people also had a lot of problems with the track.

Not sure which commentator it is (prob vasgersian) but can somebody please explain there is no country called "Slovania". You would have thought he could at least get the competing nations right - there is only about 10 of them

Didn't you get the latest news? Slovakia and Slovenia are so tired of being confused and decided to compete together.

US short-track Skater disqualified for bumping a skater and knocking them over. That's why Short-Track would be great TV if they loosened those rules.. "Son, rubbin is racin"...

Questionable at best in my opinion since the guy behind the US guy bumped him first and US guy was hoping for balance more than anything. Lord knows I don't know the rules though.

Impressive first race by Apollo.

That was just impressive. No other race or racer looked anything like that so far in the prelims.

SI

Saw this while we were out for dinner. Didn't bother to stick around for the decision as there wasn't any doubt in my mind that since a US skater was involved he'd be DQ'ed.


Also used the "Daytona-without-safety-equipment" analogy while watching it. My wife said it was more roller derby'esque to her but we stuck with NASCAR.

Ooh. The Moguls. My favorite skiing event :D

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Dang- she is fast (Heil)

SI

anyone see the picture of that USA moguls skiier? I thought it was a joke pic!

She shouldn't have been third. I think the first Canadian had a better run both in speed and tricks (I love that there are both components to the mogul)



SI

BTW,filed under "What goes around, comes around"...

Slovakia, which destroyed Bulgaria in Olympic Women's Hockey qualifying, 82-0, is getting killified by Canada, 7-0 after one period.

It's 12-0 now. Oof

SI

man.. what's with all the Ohno yawning?

Maybe he's trying to get that horrible facial hair off his chin

SI