Carrying a torch for Olympic drinks...Overheard on Vancouver streets

VANCOUVER - Finally got around to tasting one of the Olympic torch drinks over at the Four Seasons Hotel downtown.

How was it? Well, as former Star baseball scribe Allan Ryan would say, hoo and boy. Very, very nice and very, very cool to look at.

Bartender Justin Taylor made it up a while back. The "rule" is you can only order one if your country has won a gold medal, although I'm not sure they'd actually force you to prove it.

I'd heard about the drink a week or so ago, but they only started making it available once the Games started.

So I rounded up Star video expert and general, all-around great guy Randy Risling late Monday night and we wandered up for a look.

Talk about a crowd pleaser. They take a couple slices of fresh ginger and muddle it in an enormous martini glass, then add, and I think I have this about right, a bit of simple syrup, a couple ounces of still water, spiced rum, cane spirits and lemon.

Then they heat it up, not quite to boiling, and pour it over some dry ice that's been coated with honey (fromOntario) so you won't actually drink or touch the dry ice, which is pretty unhealthy to ingest.

And that's when the fun starts. The hot liquid being poured over the dry ice causes enormous wisps of vapour to leap up and swirl all around the glass like some sort of mad chemistry experiment.

The drink starts off quite warm but the dry ice gradually cools it, so after four or five minutes it's muchmore suitable for a martini-like drink. And the vapours last for several minutes.

Because the glass is so big, you can hold it up in the air over your head and it looks much like a torch.

The drink caused a big stir on Monday night, with folks from Vancouver and Florida gathering around the bar to see what was happening. Several orders were placed from people who saw Randy shooting his video - and a group of us tasting the results.

You're supposed to use a straw, by the way, so you don't accidentally suck up the dry ice. So, no, we're not being sissies by refusing to gulp it down like a normal drink.

On top of the great reaction - gotta say, it's probably a nice way to attract the ladies, it's a helluva good drink. Nicely spicy and a great depth of flavour with a citrus twist.

OKAY, THIS IS WEIRD

I don't know why, but I love jotting down random bits of conversation I hear on the street.

The other night, after the Opening Ceremony here at the Winter Olympics, there was a kid standing at an intersection with an NBC sign. There are lots of them all over town, actually; mostly kids who are there to point bigwigs to the right martini party - or perhaps strip club.

Anyway, all I heard from this kid on Nelson St. was this: "It's my job description to stand on this corner, so that's what I'm doing."

A minute or two later, I heard a young woman on her cell phone practically scream, "No, YOU'RE the problem."

The talented Mr. Risling said he was on the bus the other day and offered to buy the bus driver a coffee.

"You going to Tims?," the driver asked.

"No," Randy replied. "Starbucks."

The driver shook his head.

"No, thanks. I'm from the Maritimes."

Priceless.

Drinking the Olympic torch

Media feeding frenzy in Vancouver...the headlines will not be fun to watch.

VANCOUVER – This is my sixth Olympics. And I’ve never seen anything like it.

 

Vancouver Olympic organizers hold a daily press conference at 11 a.m. Pacific time to brief the media on general events. Usually they’re pretty harmless. I’ve seen some serious questioning, such as in Beijing over human rights and lip-synching, and in Athens about the general state of preparedness for the 2004 Olympics.

 

But today was the first time I’ve seen the international media go into a shark-like feeding frenzy at an Olympic Games. And it wasn’t pretty.

 

There’s still time to recover, but I don’t know if VANOC will ever get over the stigma of cancelled tickets (20,000 more just today), lousy weather, hydraulic arms that don’t lift up during an Opening Ceremony, buses that can’t get up a hill that’s been there a million years and shouldn’t take anyone by surprise and ice-cleaning machines that break down in a country that should have more experience with the damned things than anybody else. Not to mention, of course, the death of that poor Georgian luger. I can't still can't get that video image out of my mind. Horrible.

 

I’m sorry, but it has become an embarrassment. Organizers can’t help that the weather suddenly turned warm. But global warming is hardly a new sensation, and Vancouver has had a couple pretty warm spells in previous winters. Besides, who on earth ever trusts a weather forecast? You’d have better luck tossing a coin in the air for anything other than a 24-hour forecast if you ask me.

 

The latest media hype came today after VANOC announced it has had to cancel 20,000 more standing room only tickets for upcoming events at Cypress Mountain in West Vancouver, a site that officials had jokingly labeled “our special child” but is probably being silently cursed. Folks who had hoped to take in some of the only relatively cheap seats - $50 a pop – for upcoming ski cross, parallel giant slalom snowboard and snowboard halfpipe events – are now being told they’ll get a refund.

They’d already cancelled 8,000 standing room tickets for Monday and Tuesday’s snowboard cross. So that means 28,000 folks will have all or part of their Olympic dream shattered.

 

They say conditions at Cypress are dangerous, and I believe them. Surely they didn’t want to do this. But they could’ve put these events in Whistler, where the conditions are sometimes iffy but usually more reliable than Vancouver. Instead, they opted to try to create a  “legacy” of sports venues in the Vancouver region, versus erecting temporary facilities in Whistler.

 

That’s nice. And it’s good that most of the actual sporting events have gone off. In fact, it’s interesting to note the only delays so far have in Whistler for alpine events, not at Cypress. Cypress has snow for athletes, just none for visitors. But visitors are pretty key to Olympic budgets and the Olympic experience, and they've not always been treated well. Poor food and poor bus transportation have plagued Cypress at various events so far. And now there's the ticket snafu.

 

On top of all of this, of course, is the bus issue. Media buses seem to come and go at various times with no attention paid to schedules. In Beijing, they left at precisely the second they were supposed to, and the media could always rely on the 12:15 bus leaving at 12:15, not at 12:13 because the driver felt like it. Not much sympathy for the media, I realize. But the fact is you’d better treat the media well or you’ll pay. They have great press facilities here, but it all falls apart if the buses aren’t on time. Just remember Atlanta, which was the previous winner of the “Worst Games” moniker but just might have been passed on the inside lane.

 

(One thought occurs to me on the Atlanta issue. There was no Internet to speak of in those days. No twitter comments about “worst games.” No bloggers dumping on the city from afar. And no Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert. Vancouver has a far bigger media problem to deal with than Atlanta did, folks).

 

VANOC today said they’ll bring in a new ice cleaner from Calgary, a Zamboni. Apparently that one never breaks down. And apparently the one at the Richmond Oval has worked fine for more than a year. But, geez, the land of ice and snow can’t even find a proper machine to clean ice? How embarrassing is that? NOT TO MENTION that the Olympia machine that broke down is made in Canada and Zamboni's are made, uh, in the U.S. (How much fun will Colbert have with this, I wonder? We want to Own the Podium, but right now we can't even Clean the Podium).

 

As I wrote the other day, this IS the country that invented the Canadarm, right? So why do we have ice machines break down and hydraulic lifts that can’t pop up from stadium floors and buses that can’t make it up a hill when they’re carrying Olympic athletes?

 

The Star was all over the Olympic cauldron issue the other day. They had Wayne Gretzky light the damned thing last Friday night. But when folks went down to see it they found their way barred by an ugly, chain-link fence. Of course it can’t be available for weenie roasts and folks need to stand back. But a chain link fence? Come on, guys.

 

Asked if these are the worst games ever, IOC spokesman Mark Adams replied, "I find it bizarre that people ask questions like that."

 

"I am shocked because the athletes are really happy," said VANOC spokeswoman Renee Smith-Valade.

 

Yes, they appear to be. For the most part. But many spectators - and folks who dreamed of being spectators - are pretty angry.

 

There may still be time for VANOC to recover. The city looks great. The weather (not that I trust the forecasters; see above) is SUPPOSED to improve today. But it may be too late for Vancouver to recover.

 

The media is out for blood, folks, and the results will not be pretty.

Day 4 in Vancouver

Canada acting like ugly Americans, some say...Vancouver's Olympic shine

VANCOUVER - I was floored.

Canada’s Alex Bilodeau had just won the Olympic first gold medal by a Canadian on our home turf. Naturally, Canadians were a little pumped.

I saw an American-based reporter I know as I walked through the media centre – a guy who was born and raised in Canada – and said something like, “great result, eh?”

His response almost knocked me to the ground.

“It’s disgraceful,” he said. “It’s sickening.”

What on earth are you talking about, or words to that effect, I asked.

“Those Own the Podium people are a disgrace,” he said, the blood rising in his face and his speech quickening. “They’re arrogant and they’re a disgrace.”

I asked what’s wrong with trying to win, but all I got was that Canadians are supposed to be nice and all.

“But you here go acting like bloody Americans. If that’s what you want, to beat your chests and chant ‘Canada, Canada, Canada’ like Americans chant ‘USA, USA, USA,’ be my guest. But it’s a disgrace to the country I grew up in and the country I love.”

Wow. It’s only one guy, but I was taken aback – and still am 12 hours later – by the sheer, red-hot intensity of his comments.

It’s weird. He grew up in Canada and lives in the U.S. and hates Own the Podium as if it’s some sort of sacrilegious cult. I grew up in the U.S. and have lived in Canada for nearly 30 years and think it’s just fine.

What’s wrong with trying to win? Isn’t that why we play sports?It’s nice to get personal bests. And there’s no shame in falling short of your goals. Most of us do it a thousand times a day. But deep down we all want to win.

Own the Podium is giving Canadian athletes a chance to win. But that’s not to say it’s telling them to act like jerks and stomp on opponents.

Indeed, when Bilodeau won his gold did he dump all over former Canadian Dale Begg-Smith? No. Bilodeau was lovely in his calm, measured responses to questions.

When she finished second by a nose in women’s moguls, did Jenn Heil bitch and complain? No, she was gracious despite a reporters’ unwarranted hostile tones and even went out of her way to thank course preparation workers. Great kid.

Canadian Olympic Committee chief Chris Rudge wandered past my desk in the Canadian Press office at the media centre this morning and we chatted about the issue.

“What I said the other day when we had our Own the Podium press conference was that we want to win but we want to win the way we’ve always won, with grace and humility. I don’t see what’s wrong with that.”

Neither do I. But it still made me wonder what folks down south think. I’ve read a few negative comments on Own the Podium. But I was also interested today to read what NBC TV announcer Bob Costas had to say.

"Canadians are among the friendliest, most welcoming people on earth. I don’t see anything incompatible with saying, “Welcome, but now we want to kick your butt.”

I got a comment posted on this blog earlier today from a reader with the tag Uptown. Here's what they had to say:

"I dunno, I think we're acting like ugly Canadians in a dark corner or two. Frankly, I've always thought "Own the Podium" was a poorly named, poorly phrased expression of a bad attitude, too. Sorry, but it's just... gauche. And the criticisms here and there of us fighting for stupid advantages - like using tighter-than-convention clothing for snowboarders, or the training time issue on the luge track, well, it only heightens the snark factor. The only reason I'm excited about the Games is because we're hosting them, not because I want us to "own" them. This isn't the Berlin Olympics, it's an international event we should be proudly internationalizing further. Frankly, even the fact that the media posts national medal counts seems to me to be a betrayal of the whole spirit the Games were created to foster. 'Be worthy of the podium' would have been a better ideal to have striven for."

LOST IN THE SHUFFLE

With Bilodeau winning his gold, some of the real effects of Own the Podium’s money injection into Canadian sport got lost. Up in Whistler, Jean Philippe Le Guellec finished sixth in the biathlon 10 km sprint, marking the best-ever finish by a Canadian man in biathlon.

Also in Whistler, Canadian Sam Edney came seventh in men’s luge. That’s also the best finish ever by a Canadian.

Speedskating is something we’ve been good at it for a long time. Ditto men’s moguls, thanks mostly to a strong Quebec contingent that Steve Milton of the Hamilton Spectator points out carried Canada through some pretty lean years at the Winter Games.

But moving up in men’s biathlon and men’s luge is a real sign of increased depth.

“Everyone’s punching above their weight,” the COC’s Rudge told me.

CELEBRATION

It's hard to believe some folks didn’t think quiet Vancouverites would embrace the Olympics. They’ve been, in a word, rabid. There were something like 100,000 folks out on Robson Square after Bilodeau’s win. And even several hours later there were still Canadians wrapped in red-and-white maple leaf flags wandering about downtown, hooting and hollering.

I saw a couple young Asian-Canadians dressed in Canadian gear walking down Alberni St. about 10: 30 p.m.

“Why are we singing so loud,” one of them asked the other.

“Because we’re CANADIAN!!” her friend shouted.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

Here we go again; more complaints about a lack of French in the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Games.

There wasn't as much as there could've been. But let it go and don't rain on Canada's parade, folks.

French isn't spoken much out west, in case you didn't realize it. And if you've ever heard VANOC chief John Furlong mangle a simple "bonjour," you don't EVER want to have him speak French in public.

They had a well-known Quebec singer at the end of the Opening Ceremony. Apparently they tried to get Celine Dion but she couldn't make it. So maybe folks should blame her.

IOC president Jacques Rogge speak French, although he could've used more. But there was French spoken and French and English on the video screen and in the announcements on the p.a. system.

At the press conferences that VANOC holds each day, spokeswoman Renee Smith-Valade answers questions en francais whenever asked. The IOC's two languages are French and English. There's plenty of French language service available at the Games, but the natural language out here is English. So get used to it, people. And stop whining.

TRANSPORTATION

The weather they can’t control. But if there’s a specific weakness shown so far by Vancouver organizers, it’s transport.

Buses carrying Olympic athletes up to Cypress Mountain last week got stalled. Another bus carrying native Canadian chiefs and the Premier of British Columbia to the opening ceremony was delayed.

Spectators say waits have been as long as five hours to get to their destination and others have said they have missed events because of transportation problems.

“There are thousands of buses, there are hundreds of drivers. There are nine transportation hubs. It's a big beast to manage,” said Renee Smith-Valade, vice president of communications for VANOC.

“We're having some teething issues, there's no question. But we're working on them every day.”

Security concerns derail Olympic cauldron viewing...Jenn Heil - I think I love you

VANCOUVER - It's a shame when you let the protesters win.

The giant Olympic cauldron that Wayne Gretzky lit after Friday night's Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony sits down on the Vancouver waterfront. It's a scenic spot at the bottom of Thurlow St. on what's called Jack Poole Plaza, named for the late president of the Vancouver Organizing Committee.

It should be a real gathering spot for locals and tourists, being right next to the International Broadcast Centre and right on the Burrard Inlet, with great views of Coal Harbour, Stanley Park and the mountains of North Vancouver. But it's surrounded by a 3-meter high chain link fence and blue signs that say "No Trespassing."

"I guess I understand but it's too bad people can't get closer," said one local this morning. "The Olympics cost a lot of money and I'd like to enjoy it."

Folks, of course, are still down taking photos. But it's not the same when you have to look at it through a wire fence.

"It's for security," a police officer told the Star. "Besides, NBC owns it. They paid for it."

No offence, but it's also, um, rather ugly.

Vancouver organizers are having a press conference today and we'll ask them about it. They'll undoubtedly talk about security concerns and the rioters who ran amok in downtown Vancouver on Saturday, smashing windows and such.

But Canadians are spending $900 million on security for these Games. Surely there are enough cops and military types around to guard the main Olympic symbol that folks who don't have $500 for hockey tickets can go down and enjoy.

"I remember people standing at a considerable distance from the Olympic Stadium to have their picture taken with the Olympic flame at both the venues" in Turin in 2006 and again in Beijing at the 2008 Olympics, said VANOC spokeswoman Renee Smith-Valade. "I think it's remarkable people can get as close as they can to this legacy cauldron we've placed at the far end of the International Broadcast Centre.”

Smith-Valade said the decision to place the cauldron within the security perimeter was made months ago after the death of bid chairman Jack Poole and over the past few months, infrastructure was put in place including the necessary gas line.

“It was a beautiful place to put the Flame as part of that developmet. We do want the Flame to be secure and safe and it's obviously a safety issue for people getting too close to trhat location. It is within a secure zone.”

“Our venue team is looking at what may be possible to maybe replace the chainlink fence with something that may change the security so people can see it and take pictures. We'll be looking at how we can adjust that.”

Good call.

JENNIFER HEIL - THE EPITOME OF CLASS

Jennifer Heil of Spruce Grove, Alta. comes off the moguls hill at Cypress Mountain on Saturday night and has a great run. A minute later, an American nudges her off the top of the podium with a fabulous performance. No shame in a silver when you've done a great job but get beaten out by someone who has the ride of their life. But here comes a CTV reporter tossing a camera in Heil's face and interrogating her about her failure to win gold.

Ask if she's disappointed, sure. That's your job. But at least be pleasant about it and don't make the poor kid feel badly. She didn't do a face plant. She didn't fall down or swear at a judge and get disqualified.

Heil could've got mad. But she was about as nice and bubbly and pleasant as you could imagine, in case you missed her on TV. Just fabulous. And what a great smile.

Her comments about the support she got from Canada and the picture a little girl sent that showed Heil on a podium were great. But what impressed me most was the end of the interview. After asking a bunch of questions, the interrogating reporter started to end the interview. But Heil stopped her.

"I just want to," Heil started, and I thought she was going to thank God or thank her family Instead, she said, "I just want to thank the people who worked so hard to get the course ready," or words to that effect.

She just got blindsided by an overly aggressive reporter, just lost out on a gold medal, and just missed out on a chance to win Canada's first-ever gold medal on home soil. The interview is over. And she stops the reporter and insists on thanking volunteers who help get a rainy course into Olympics shape? How classically Canadian is that?

I think I love this kid.

Day 2 in Vancouver

Opening ceremonies in Vancouver - awesome...Canadian cuisine a big hit...

VANCOUVER – I've done a few of these, and I still get goosebumps - chicken skin if you like - at an Opening Ceremonies for the Olympics.

Yeah, some of it's sappy. But it's also cool. And say you weren't moved when Canadians gave the Georgian team a huge ovation when they marched in to the BC Place Stadium, just hours after one of their eight athletes was killed in a horrible accident in Whistler.

Lots of colour and drama in the introductory part of the show. I'd still love for VANOC chair John Furlong to stand up and welcome the Americans and tell them he hopes they enjoyed their four minutes of speedskating training at the Richmond Oval, but it's kinda unlikely.

Some cool moments; the snowboarder leaping thru the Oly rings was awesome. But seeing Clara Hughes carry in the Canadian flag was a huge thrill. She's as good as it gets as athletes go, and the crowd was NUTS.

Okay, there was something like the Coca Cola polar bear to wonder about. And, sorry, but those giant silver totems that slowly arose at the start looked, well, rather phallic. (And, yes, my children will HATE me for writing that. It embarrases them so).

I thought Sarah McLachlan looked kinda cute for a girl. And Bryan Adams and Nelly Furtado were rocking pretty good, although a friend thought her lip-synching was just off just a smidge.

Canoes, awesome fiddlers (Maritime Visigoths, someone next to me who shall remain nameless but is a columnist for the Globe and Mail named Christie).

Lots of cool stuff here, folks. Check Rosie DiManno's column in the Star on Saturday for lots of colour. And be sure to check out the photos from awesome shooters Steve Russell and Richard Lautens, too. Not to mention Rick Madonik, Randy Risling, Tara Walton and Rick Eglinton.

Great idea to have Rick Hansen, Wayne Gretzky, Nancy Greene Raine, Catriona LeMay Doan and Steve Nash all involved at the end. But too bad one of the hydraulic lifts appeared to falter, leaving only three folks out there to light the inside cauldron. A shame. But still a nice night, and something we'll remember for a long, long, long, long time..

CANADIAN CUISINE ROCKIN THE FREE WORLD?

I’m still full.

 

Thursday morning the folks at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada put on a terrific display of this country’s diverse food and beverage products, offering breakfast to a whole whack of media types and other hangers-on at the Pan Pacific Hotel.

 

The spread was remarkable. I had oatmeal-crusted French toast stuffed with blueberry, mint and crème cheese with a berry compote and a side of apple cider-braised pork sausage.

Chef Donna Dooher of Mildred’s Temple Kitchen in the west end of Toronto made a cumin-scented dosa with Canadian chickpea and buckwheat flours, wrapped around a sweet potato and roasted onion curry. Yum.

 

There was lots of seafood, of course, including salmon and Maritime lobster. And good old Alberta steak, too.

All in all, a nice way to start the day.

 

Of course, today is the big day. Arnold is carrying the torch for California, although we can't imagine why Vancouver organizers asked him. I can't see the relay from my hotel window but I can hear a bit of commotion and horn honking. Oh, wait, there's a big crowd gathering below my hotel on W. Georgia St., with lots of red-and-white fleece and flag waving and such. Here's a quick pic:

 

 

I'll be at the opening ceremony tonight (I know, lucky me), helping columnist Rosie DiManno and likely twittering for anyone who isn't watching on TV, and I can't imagine who that might be. I'll try to sneak in a couple photos, too.

 

HERE'S THE STORY, OF A LOVELY COUNTRY...

 

Good bit in the LA Times the other day by columnist Chris Erskine, who wrote that if the Brady Bunch had their own country, it would be Canada.

It's a great thought, although I can't quite picture who would play Marsha. Anyway, Erskine did a fine job, talking about how landing in Vancouver is "like landing on a piece of jewelry."

How's that for a nice mental picture?

 

PAINTING THE TOWN PINK

 

So, American skate Johnny Weir says he had to rush out and buy pink bathmats and candles so his room would smell nice. And he says he couldn’t POSSIBLY have roomed with a guy at the Vancouver Games but is thrilled to be sharing accommodations with Kingston-born Tanith Belbin. I know some some hate the guy, but I find him rather amusing.

 

HUDSONS  BAY SOIREE

 

Nice party Thursday night at the Hudsons Bay store in downtown Vancouver. Michael Ignatieff made an appearance, which I just missed.

But there were lots of athlete types and more than a few good-looking men and women.

Store officials said there was an hour lineup Thursday to get into the official Olympic Spirit shop at the store.

Yeah, this town’s pumped, all right.

 

 

 

Vancouver Glam...Carrying a torch for the Governator...Shania Twain Pic!!

VANCOUVER - Everywhere you look there’s a party.

Took a cab from one of the nicest guys on the planet the other night, just a wonderful chap who took me from the Main Media Centre to the Opus Hotel, where Tourism Vancouver was putting on a nice wingding.
The driver told me business has been only so-so, but that drivers were hoping for a big weekend. The driver that took me home to my hotel was more blunt.

“Business sucks,” he said. “It’s terrible out here. I think it might be a little better in Toronto.”

Nothing surprising about that, but the guy also said he, wait for it, hears good things about Toronto and wouldn’t mind moving. How about that?

As for the Opus, there was lots of Skyy vodka being poured with grapefruit and other mixes, but I thought it best to stick with the Iniskillin Okanagan Cabernet. There were tons of glamourous people. Not to mention a couple journalists.

I got to stay there for a night last fall and didn’t check out the rooms, which have different “themes” based on the type of person you are, or want to pretend to be for a night. I was told they had people dressed in various roles for the different rooms, including the artsy film producer from Toronto.
Not my cup of tea, but some folks appeared to enjoy it.

Sports TV guy Rod Black was there, along with Jamie Sale and David Pelletier. That’s a small girl. But cute. She’s done her hair a little fluffier than usual, in case you were wondering.

Speaking of wild life, it was pretty cool to hear about the lynx jumping out at the downhill skiers during training.

According to Canadian Press, the “furry visitor with the bobbed tail and sharp claws emerged out of the woods, easily cleared a fence, then casually strolled across the course near the finish line.”

Canadian skier Manuel Osborne-Paradis of Invermere, B.C., got a good look at the lynx.

“You don’t want to get close to that,” he said.

Which made me think. What if Paradis was in the middle of a great run and the lynx appeared out of the corner of his eye and he fell or missed a gate or momentarily stumbled? There’s the obvious joke about a lynx jinx, but would he have any recourse if the critter actually veered out onto the course? You’d have to think so, but it’s not something I’ve heard about in the past.

PLEASE, NO DION

A People Magazine web poll recently asked readers which of five Canadian pop stars they wanted to see perform at the opening ceremonies, pitting Celine Dion against Shania Twain, Avril Lavigne, Nelly Furtado and Alanis Morissette.

The result? A solid 62 per cent of users voted for Twain, while Lavigne was second at 28 per cent. Dion was at seven per cent, while Morissette and Furtado each got just two per cent of votes.

I know she just re-signed a deal to keep singing in Vegas until 2064 or something, but I don’t get the Celine Dion thing. She’s one of those singers that just sticks in my craw, probably because she’s so busy trying to impress me with her vocal range, like most of the kids you see on American Idol. Sure, adapt the song to your own “style,” but don’t try to cover the entire range in 30 seconds, sweetheart. Try a little restraint.

The People magazine bit was fine, but why wouldn’t they put someone like Feist in there instead of Lavigne or Morissette, who hasn’t been heard from in years?

A CHANGE IN THE WEATHER

After just a wee drizzle or two in the past few days, the skies let loose pretty good out here on Wednesday. Not Southern-Ontario-it’s-raining-so-hard-I-can’t-see-out-the-window-we’re-gonna-crash-on-the-401 hard, but reasonably steady. It was great news up on Cypress Mountain, of course, as they’ve short of snow for some time.

But the last thing anyone wants on Friday night is rain, as the fireworks promise to be rather spectacular, and Olympic organizers have promised lots of festivities for folks who can’t afford Opening Ceremony ducats.

While it was snowing on Cypress on Wednesday, the forecast is for substantial rain the next couple days. Which wouldn’t be so great, but likely not fatal to the freestyle events.

There was snow and fog in Whistler Thursday morning, forcing a delay in alpine training. It's still early, but there's a chance the Saturday downhill could get delayed if things don't improve.

CTV DISCIPLINED?

CTV, which holds the broadcast rights in Canada for the Vancouver/Whistler Winter Olympics, appears to have been punished for showing footage it wasn’t supposed to.

 

A spokeswoman for the Vancouver Organizing Committee told the Star that a local CTV affiliate in British Columbia “ran a speculative story on their local evening news…that we felt took advantage of the consortium helicopter’s access to restricted airspace.”

Spokeswoman Renee Smith-Valade said organizers “trust in the integrity of the host broadcaster to use their judgement in airing that kind of footage.”

 

She refused to say CTV was punished for the misdeed. But she said organizers yesterday were too busy to conduct any of CTV’s requested interviews. Mind you, she was able to confirm the details of the story in an interview with the Star.

 

“As more and more international media arrive, it gets busier for us and, regrettably, we were unable to meet all of the media interview requests made of us today.”

 

Isn’t that a coincidence?

AND MAYBE AN ACADEMY AWARD OR TWO, AS WELL

I missed this, so thanks to Steve Wilson of the Associated Press for pointing out that at one stage of yesterday’s International Olympic Committee meeting (a snorefest if there ever was one), Syrian member Samih Moudallal turned on his microphone and, wait for it, suggested that the IOC should campaign for … the Nobel Peace Prize.

Wilson said a member from Uruguay seemed to agree vociferously with the concept. But IOC president Jacques Rogge, who’s a pretty smart cookie, shook his head.

 “Deploying diplomatic activities or lobbying activities would definitely not be in the spirit of this body,” Rogge said. “If something happens, fine, but we are not going to seek that.”

Good call, Jacques. But it still illustrated the incredible arrogance of many IOC members. They keep passing this thing called the Olympic Truce, asking nations lay down their arms during the Olympic Games. It’s a nice thought. But that’s all. So save the rhetoric, IOC, and stick to running your sports games. And try not to have any voting scandals, while you’re at it.

SCHWARZENEGGER SERVED HIS TIME?

Given his history with steroids, there’s been a little fuss out here over Vancouver organizers having invited California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to run the Olympic torch relay on Friday. It DOES seem a little contradictory.

Here’s what IOC spokesman Mark Adams had to say about it Wednesday night:

“I don’t know his history too well, but I presume that his admissions if there were such admissions came 20 or 30 years ago and I think we accept that all people have served time and if they’ve talked about what they’ve done we would  accept some concept of rehabilitation so I don’t think that’s particularly a problem. He’s now a very respectable governor of the largest state in the United States so I imagine that we under that circumstance we would be happy to have him carrying the torch.”

TWITTERERS POSTING OPENING CEREMONY PICS

I’ve seen a couple photos on Twitter of what looks to be the rehearsal for Friday’s Opening Ceremony. They look pretty good.

But it’s hard to verify if they’re real. For now, the Star has decided not to publish any.

VANOC spokeswoman Renee Smith-Valade told me last night that folks invited to the rehearsals were asked not to take photos or post them, so as not ruin the surprise. Several photos have been posted on various social networks, but so far they’ve been taken down quickly after organizers pleaded for their removal.

THE GREAT ONE PLAYING COY

Wayne Gretzky was in town yesterday but wouldn’t speak to the media directly. Which only makes everyone all the more sure that he’ll be lighting the torch Friday night at the Opening Ceremony for the Winter Games.

CALLING ATLANTA, CALLING ATLANTA

The Canadian women’s mogul team was twice this week stalled as their bus tried to chug up Cypress Mountain for training.

They had to sit on the bus for half an hour to get replacement buses. Jeff Lee of the Vancouver Sun told me the original buses were city buses from California and that VANOC had to send away for 99 new highway-style buses, presumably less environmentally friendly but likely with a bit more horsepower.
If all else fails, the Atlanta 1996 drivers are probably still available.

HOMERS?

Wow. The Vancouver Sun/CanWest team is calling for Canada to win a whopping 39 medals at the Winter Games. Sports Illustrated said 30 (I said 35 earlier; my apologies!), which is far more realistic. 

SECRET UNDERWEAR, TOO

We’ve heard a bit about how Canada has its top-secret equipment in use to help Own the Podium and capture the most medals in the coming Winter Olympics. Now I see a quote from Wang Linuo of China, who was asked about the support the Chinese women’s hockey team gets from the government.
“If we did not have good helmets, good equipment, we can't play very good hockey. Because Team Canada has very good pants, shin pads, so light, they skate faster.”

Saskatoon sexiest town in Canada...Goofy Olympic mascots...and photos

VANCOUVER – This city might be about to stage one of the biggest sporting events in the world, but it’s apparently not the centre of love.

Amazon.ca on Tuesday published a list of what it calls the 20 most romantic cities in Canada, based on sales of romance novels, sex and relationship books, romantic comedy DVD’s and, uh, sales of Michael Buble CD’s since Jan. 1, 2010. The figures were based on a per capita basis in cities with more than 100,000 residents.

Here’s what they came up with:

1. Saskatoon
2. Calgary
3. Victoria
4. Regina
5. Guelph
6. Kingston
7. Kelowna, B.C.
8. Edmonton
9. Winnipeg
10. London
11. Peterborough
12. Ottawa
13. Thunder Bay
14. Abbotsford, B.C.
15. Sudbury
16. Halifax
17. Brantford
18. Barrie
19. St. John’s
20. Windsor

Personally, I got a problem with this. No Vancouver? No Toronto? No, ahem, Montreal or Quebec City?
Seems pretty funky. You could argue for Come by Chance or Heart's Delight, Newfoundland (yes, and Dildo, too), but they don’t have 100,000 residents.

And they only based this on sales of Michael Buble. What about Tony Bennett or Diana Krall?
Apparently Toronto and Vancouver scored well on renting romantic movies, but not so much on the other stuff.

Either way, the lack of romance is yet another thing the rest of the country gets to toss in Toronto’s face. Mind you, we can always mention Adam Giambrone, can’t we?

OLYMPIC MISCELLANY

A Vancouver Olympics person who didn’t appear to have been drinking told me that she’s sometimes seen a person follow along behind Quatchi, the 2010 Winter Mascot who looks like Sasquatch (think a smiling version of Chewbacca from Star Wars) whose job is to vacuum loose hairs of the fuzzy guys’ body.
Just in case you think you had a bad job, consider that.

I guess it comes with the territory, like running for mayor and kissing babies and all. But I still cringe when I see photos like the one at right of Vancouver Organizing Committee CEO John Furlong (in front) and IOC prez Jacques Rogge (third man in the bob) taken at an Omega event in downtown Vancouver on Tuesday. It's not quite the same but I remember covering an event in Atlanta where they taking then IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch, a former Spanish ambassador to the USSR, on a tour of the Coca-Cola museum. It was full of good old Southern boy and classic American commercialism, and he had this look on his face that said something like "If I ever step foot in this building again I'm gonna puke."

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On the hockey front, Furlong was talking Tuesday about the attention that a gold medal game for Canada’s men’s team would bring.
“If we are in the final, there will be nobody in the country not watching TV,” he said. “I don’t now who will be running the country.”
Uh, John, with Parliament in permanent abeyance because of PM Stephen Harper and the Olympics, the question is who’s running it now?

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Resident Olympic wit John Powers of the Boston Globe asked Canadian officials yesterday about the Own the Podium program. He said it’s the sort of aggressive funding program one would expect in the United States, “but we’d pay for it with a sub-prime loan.”
Best line of the Games so far, John.

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Still waiting to hear some complaints about not enough French being spoken at Canadian Olympic Committee press conferences. There was a press conference yesterday featuring VANOC, the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Own the Podium program and there were perhaps three words spoken in French outside of the introductions; “Bonjour and merci beaucoup."

****

The final elements of the City of Vancouver's transportation management plan for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games are going into effect this week, including pedestrian corridors, rolling road closures for the torch relay and temporary street and bridge closures related to the Opening Ceremony on Wednesday and Friday. To help reduce vehicle traffic by at least 30 per cent for the Olympic Winter Games period, commuters, delivery drivers and residents are strongly encouraged to leave their vehicle at home and put their personal Games-time travel plan into action, starting on Wednesday and continuing until March 1.

SCANNER IMAGES PART IX

Not sure of the legitimacy of this, but I got an email from a chap who sent me a link to a web story about an Indian film star who claimed that scans of his body were captured at Heathrow Airport and kept for people’s enjoyment, or something like that.

Like I say, I can’t verify it. But it plays into the hands of folks who called me an idiot for supporting the scanners, and I always like to give the opposition their fair due.

Here’s the link to the website on something called prisonplanet.com. 

COME TO JAMAICA AND FEEL ALL RIGHT

For the sixth straight year, Destination Jamaica recorded growth in visitor arrivals from Canada. For 2009, the destination received 22.9% more visitors than in 2008.  In total, 290,307 Canadians visited the country.
Last year also was a banner one as tourism partners added more flights from Toronto and Montreal and added the first-ever direct flight from London, officials said.