Winter Olympics 2010

[bewitched]

Dear Media:

The gold medal game is not going to be a redux of the Miracle on Ice. What we have are two evenly matched NHL teams, not some scrappy college kids playing the all-mighty Canada. Hype the rivalry, hype "avenging the women" (though I doubt anyone else looks at it like that) but for the love of all things shiny, quit trying to make this Miracle on Ice II.

The Gold medal game is Sunday. On Monday those guys will be back playing with their teams focusing on the Stanley Cup.

True, however overall, Canada has more seasoned/arguably better known players. I think read somewhere that on average, Team Canada's players make about $3 million more/year than Team USA's.

Nonetheless, what a great game.

[Stan4dSteph]

Do the Holcy dance!

[Kevy Baby]

Loved Catherine O'Hara's entrance

__________

And the always enjoyable giant inflatable beaver.

[JWBear]

Alrightythen....

On another note: When the Russian opera singer came out on the big ball with wings, Bill exclaimed "Now THAT'S an entrance!"

[Ghoulish Delight]

I wouldn't mind being the Mounter to those Mountees backing up Michael Buble.

That whole thing was......interesting.

[€uroMeinke]

WTF NBC? You have to insert another show in the middle of the closing ceremonies?

[Ghoulish Delight]

Middle? There's more afterwards?

[€uroMeinke]

Middle? There's more afterwards?

Presuming the "come back at 11:30 for the rest of the closing ceremony" wasn't another media lie to watch other programing

[Ghoulish Delight]

Oh, that. They always do that. There's a gap in the action as they clear out the stadium of the spectators, and change the stages and stuff. It's the "closing party" which is just for the athletes and it's just some crappy band playing (I believe it's Nickleback this time) and the athletes screwing around and trying to act interested in the stupid questions NBC reporters ask them.

[BarTopDancer]

True, however overall, Canada has more seasoned/arguably better known players. I think read somewhere that on average, Team Canada's players make about $3 million more/year than Team USA's.

Huh? If you read that, I want a source. That doesn't even make sense.

Team Canada had 2 players who play for a Canadian NHL team. Everyone else played for a team in the US. Which makes sense, since the entire country of Canada has 6 NHL teams, total. They were evenly matched teams and all this was when it comes down to it a USA vs. Canada NHL All-Star game. Tonight/tomorrow they go back to their teams on the quest for the Stanley Cup.

---------

Anyway, YAY Canada won!!!!!!!! How awesome for them to win on their ice.

Awesome game, nail biter until the end. Wouldn't want it any other way.

[Stan4dSteph]

I love how Nickelback and Nickleback were both trending topics on twitter because people don't seem to be able to spell the band's name correctly.

I think the closing ceremonies would have been better if I had been more drunk. I hope they ship one of those beavers to Epcot and install it in the Canada pavilion. Or maybe they could just create the "Parade of Stereotypes" and have each country build a float.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Total number of years of NHL experience on Canada's roster: 201 (8.7/player avg.)

Total number o fyears of NHL experience on USA's roster: 134 (5.8/player)


The US had 3 players with >10 years of experience, 9 for Canada.

That's a notable difference in experience.

Plus, the US had to overcome the confusion of having 6 different players named Ryan on their roster (and that's not including Bobby Ryan, just first names).

[Moonliner]

I love how Nickelback and Nickleback were both trending topics on twitter because people don't seem to be able to spell the band's name correctly.

I think the closing ceremonies would have been better if I had been more drunk. I hope they ship one of those beavers to Epcot and install it in the Canada pavilion. Or maybe they could just create the "Parade of Stereotypes" and have each country build a float.

Sure it was a bit on the cheesy side but you can't argue that towards the end the really redeemed themselves. Seriously, how cool is a giant floating moose! Love it!

I wonder if my homeowners association would notice if I floated one over the house.

[bewitched]

Huh? If you read that, I want a source. That doesn't even make sense.

Team Canada had 2 players who play for a Canadian NHL team. Everyone else played for a team in the US. Which makes sense, since the entire country of Canada has 6 NHL teams, total. They were evenly matched teams and all this was when it comes down to it a USA vs. Canada NHL All-Star game. Tonight/tomorrow they go back to their teams on the quest for the Stanley Cup.

---------

Anyway, YAY Canada won!!!!!!!! How awesome for them to win on their ice.

Awesome game, nail biter until the end. Wouldn't want it any other way.

Canada = Team Canada, not Canadians playing for Canadian hockey teams. See GD's response for further info on experience....

[Kevy Baby]

That whole thing was......interesting.Yeah, it was odd.

When the Vancouver Olympics President was giving his speech, could the IOC President have looked any more bored?

But I loved the fact that the Canadians can poke fun at themselves; I loved the fact that they made light of the fourth pillar fiasco in the opening ceremonies.

Shatner and O'Hara were funny at times and I really loved the ovation that Michael J. ("Hi, my name is Mike) Fox got - man did he look great!

[Ghoulish Delight]

Wow. I've just heard about the ice dancing "controversy".

It seems NBC refused to air the free dance routine from the Israeli pair. Why? Because it's a brother/sister pair (not out of the ordinary, there were 3 others in competition), dancing suggestively (normal, if creepy, for ice dancing), to the theme of Schindler's List (hmmmmm).

The've since posted the full video routine on their site here (http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/assetid=89cb40f0-8edc-4a90-bce6-d6035ca11db1.html#ice+dancing+fd+zaretskyzaretsky) , so we can all judge for ourselves whether it crosses the incestuous-trivialization-of-the-Holocaust line or not.

On a side note, having gone back to take another look at Lysacek's routine last week, it's kinda nice to watch figure skating on the website without the commentary.

[Strangler Lewis]

You made out during Schindler's List?

As routines go, that was fairly unromantic and asexual. I think any decision not to air the routine might more logically be grounded in the degree to which her leotard was climbing thong-like up her bottom.

[bewitched]

On a side note, having gone back to take another look at Lysacek's routine last week, it's kinda nice to watch figure skating on the website without the commentary.

NBC's figure skating coverage drives me nuts! I like Scott Hamilton fine but he and his co-commentators cannot shut the fvck up during a program. It is really distracting and annoying.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I swear that after NPR ran that story about the coverage and mentioned Scott's grunting that he dialed it back.

[SzczerbiakManiac]

Evan Lysacek reads the "Top Ten Thoughts That Went Through Evan Lysacek's Mind During His Gold Medal Ice Skating Routine (http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/video/?pid=H5qR11RUijCKLb_UtW_GWayNvIWrHseK)"

[Kevy Baby]

Evan Lysacek reads the "Top Ten Thoughts That Went Through Evan Lysacek's Mind During His Gold Medal Ice Skating Routine (http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/video/?pid=H5qR11RUijCKLb_UtW_GWayNvIWrHseK)"That was mostly funny. I loved how he had the smile plastered on his face at the beginning and looked over to the side without moving his head.

Is it just me, or is the best single item on Dave's Top Ten List always #3?