Canada House

[TroyB911]

Congrats to the Canadians Women's hockey team for the Gold medal game. Frustrating game. Goes to show you SOGs mean absolutely NADA. Canada was NEVER in jeopardy of losing that game. They never let the US get comfortable in the attacking zone and totally outplayed them. US women are visibly disappointed even though someone needs to tell them. Silver is a nice medal too.

[islandgirl]

Yeah, it's tough with hockey. Silver IS nice. But anything less than gold for our two countries in women's hockey isn't good enough.

Talk about pressure!

[islandgirl]

We never claimed to be perfect.

That means we've learned to be humble.

We say "Excuse me," and "I'm sorry," as well as- "Please," and "Thanks,"

Even when its not our fault-we-apologize.-

Sure one arm of the torch didn't rise,-but when the earthquake struck Haiti, Canadians raised their hands to say "We'll help,"-

And yah, there is a fence around the torch, but you can walk right up and shake hands with our prime minister and most famous Canadians.
-
We put Gretzky in the back of a pick up, in the rain, not surrounded by police and he was okay.-
And by the way... The Great One is Canadian and-he-wasn't complaining!-

We do have security at the games, of course, but most people don't even-have-a gun they have to leave at home.

The medals ARE under lock and key but our doors and our hearts are open to the world.-

It has been pointed out that some buses broke down last week but let's not overlook the fact that our banking system didn't.-

We didn't get the "green ice maker" right this time but we will, eventually.-

Just like we did when we-invented-the zamboni!

"Citius altius fortius"

If you don't reach higher how-do-you get faster and stronger?

Was the first quad jump perfect?
-
Should we not have given snowboarding to the world "in case" it didn't take off?-

So big deal one out of four torch arms didn't rise. -Good thing we had 3 more! -It's called contingency planning!-

But remember the Canada-arm works every time in outerspace and insulin turned out to be okay.

We couldn't change the weather but maybe we-can-help stop to global warming.

We don't have the tax base of the US or the power of the Chinese but, per capita, we ponied up for some pretty kick---- venues in the worst global recession ever.

Sure, some folks couldn't afford tickets but our health care is universal.-

We have shown the world that we can raise our voices in celebration and song but moments later stand in silence to respect a tragic event... together... spontaneously and unrehearsed.-

What's more, -we don't need permission from anyone to have a slam poet, fiddlers with piercings and a lesbian singer tell our story to the world, while our multilingual female haitian-born,( black) head of state shares a box with her first nations equals.--
-
We've shown the world that it doesn't always rain in Vancouver, that you can strive for excellence but not get hung up on perfection.-

And we've learned what it feels like to be picked on by some no name newspaper guy and we don't have to take it lying down!-

So the point is not the snow, or the hydraulics or a couple guys being 5 minutes late to a ceremony.-

We know we're lucky that these are the biggest problems we had to deal with in the last couple weeks.-

So take your cheap shots Guardian Newspaper and cynics of the world!!!-

We're bigger and better than that.-

What's more we're finally starting to believe it!-
-
Do you believe?

[TroyB911]

No matter who is at war, who gets along, or who is the best or just there to compete. The Olympics leave a bitter sweet taste in your mouth. There is tragedy, heartbreak, disappointment, and crashes you wont see in any other sport. Sometimes the obstacles are overwhelming.

But these Olympics are another example of when we all hit the pause button on current affairs and embrace the spirit of competition. Vancouver lived up to it's promise to carry on this beautiful spirit. Just in the last 24 hours they helped a daughter of Canada get through the darkest hour of her life with her brightest performance. This is one event that Bronze seemed to take 1st place. The crowd at the Gold medal Women's Hockey game showed the same class they showed all week long with men and women teams.

After a tough fight against their bitter rivals a small chant from the US fans of U-S-A was picked up by the so called enemy. The place rocked with U-S-A and it even brought me to tears. It was truly what these games are all about. Sure we all want to win the most Golds and most Medals. But at the end of the day we just all want to smile with each other and laugh together and sometimes even cry together.

[SayOw]

Canadian women in a bit of hot water after smoking and boozing it up on the ice after their win...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100226/...adian_behavior

Not sure why they felt the need to go back onto the ice, especially carrying alcohol and tobacco... just because you are women shouldn't give you a pass on the rules of conduct, as these women clearly felt they were entitled too...

[SiteWolf]

Maybe I'm wrong, but all of that might have been acceptable...if they weren't still wearing their country's uniforms......or at least closer to acceptable........

[TroyB911]

I dont think it would of been acceptable no matter what they wore. I mean the ice is kind of sacred. It saw medalist of several countries and now they are ashing their cigars on it? I mean what lady smokes let alone cigars? The beer was borderline but the champagne is the norm in celebrations. But here you cant smoke indoors anywhere. I gave the US snowboarder the benefit of cutting loose but he was in a bar with friends. This was on the ice where fans and even children were. Just poor judgment here. Hope this doesn't take away from the team for what a few used poor judgment doing.

[islandgirl]

Definitely poor judgement. They let their emotion get the better of them, but the coaching staff should have put a stop to it.

Guess because it's "the norm" in hockey outside of the Olympics is why they only got a slap on the wrist. I'm ok with the champagne celebrating, but not the smoking or beer. That's not right. And they really should have stayed in their dressing room.

[rich76]

Originally Posted by TroyB911

I dont think it would of been acceptable no matter what they wore. I mean the ice is kind of sacred. It saw medalist of several countries and now they are ashing their cigars on it? I mean what lady smokes let alone cigars? The beer was borderline but the champagne is the norm in celebrations. But here you cant smoke indoors anywhere. I gave the US snowboarder the benefit of cutting loose but he was in a bar with friends. This was on the ice where fans and even children were. Just poor judgment here. Hope this doesn't take away from the team for what a few used poor judgment doing.

wait a minute...are you saying that a woman that smokes is not a lady?

[islandgirl]

I wasn't going to touch that. I love the occassional cigar and I am quite the lady. Mmm, cigars...

[TroyB911]

On the contrary. Sometimes a cigar isn't just a cigar Rich. *winks*

I was under the assumption there were still families and children there at the arena. I've been told the arena was emptied before they were allowed back. This is another situation where a camera had no business being there. Sure it was in poor taste but hey maybe they watched Independence Day and had the Will Smith / Jeff Goldblum pact where they wouldn't smoke em until the fat lady sung.

Personally I wouldn't date a woman who smokes anything, But no I wouldn't say it was unlady like. Just figured if people could see you it isnt very good to be seen smoking a cigar and drinking a beer. They are athletes but still role models and kids do look up to them. So I guess when I used "lady" i meant young lady athlete role model.

[rich76]

That's fine Troy...your feelings about female smokers, but please...you make statements sometimes that really make me go HUH? I have a number of LADY friends that like the occasional cigar.....no double meaning in my statement either.

[TroyB911]

Originally Posted by rich76

I have a number of LADY friends that like the occasional cigar.....no double meaning in my statement either.

OMG u made my day buddy.

I know I dont always get onto the keyboard EXACTLY what I mean and for that I apologize. I am too quick and abbreviate EVERYTHING due to laziness typing. But I am a very big momma's boy, hung out with grandma more than kids these days play Xbox and have 3 daughters. So I have a lot of respect for the females. Sure my ideal woman doesn't smoke or drink. I have no problem with other's that do. Just think there is a time and place for everything.

[islandgirl]

[islandgirl]

Slow work day for me, obviously



By Dan Barnes, Canwest Olympic Team, Canwest News Service
February 26, 2010

Gold medallists Kaillie Humphries (R) and Heather Moyse of Canada celebrate during the medal
ceremony for the women's bobsleigh at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler, BC
February 25, 2010.Photograph by: Leonhard Foeger, Reuters

VANCOUVER - It's easy to see who wears the snow pants in this Olympic family.

As well as the medals.

They would be Jenn, Kaillie, Heather, Helen, Shelley-Ann, Ashleigh, Tessa, Maelle, Christine, Kristina, Clara, Marianne, Jessica, Karyna, Tania, Shannon, Meghan, Carla, Becky, Colleen, Rebecca, Cherie, Gillian, Meaghan, Caroline, Jayna, Jennifer, Catherine, Haley, Hayley, Tessa, Sarah, Gina, Marie-Philip, Charline, Kim and Joannie.

Your dominant females, Canada. Your better halves, gentlemen.

They are Canadian, hear them roar the national anthem from the steps of a podium built by men, perhaps, but ruled by women. Kind of like life in a suburban bungalow. Our wintry women have won 13 of this country's 17 medals outright - one is shared by ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir - carrying on a trend established in Turin four years ago when the score was 16-8 for the fairer sex.

Though Germany's medal count favours women here as well by a 16-9 count (with one in pairs figure skating), almost every other nation near the top of the medal standings are led by men.

What does that say about the state of women's winter sport in Canada?

"What doesn't it say?" countered bobsledder Heather Moyse.

Well, sheer numbers don't exactly tell the whole story. When the female frenzy was examined in Turin it was suggested by the Canadian Olympic Committee's director of international performance Alex Gardiner that there were three possible explanations. He thought it might only be cyclical or an anomaly brought about by the staggering impact of speedskater Cindy Klassen, who won five medals, almost half the difference between the Canadian sexes in Italy.

But the more thought he gave it, the more he sensed a commitment to gender equity in Canadian sport funding and opportunity was manifesting itself in a sudden and massive tipping of the scales.

In the five Winter Olympics preceding Turin, Canadian women led the medal parade by the narrowest of margins possible, 27-26, with four more won by mixed entries in figure skating.

"Since the 1980s we've been opening more doors for women to succeed," Gardiner said in Turin.

"The resources are equal to men. I'm a big believer in what sport in Canada has done for equal opportunity and access."

Now, that only makes sense in concert with another tenet of sport, that due to sheer numbers it is far tougher to rise to the top as a male than it is as a female. Otherwise, if funding and opportunity and all else are equals, it would surely have led to a more balanced medal count between the sexes in Canada.

Ipso facto, if Canada has actually taken the global lead in availing women of funds and opportunity, and properly funded women can rise through the ranks quicker than properly funded men, the female phenomenon as we know it now can occur.

Speedskater Clara Hughes, the most decorated Olympian in Canada, got out in front on that topic Thursday.

"I hate to say this as a female, but there is a lot more depth in men's sport," she said.

"It takes a lot more resources to be able to develop men. In my sport, speedskating and also in cycling, when you get a top-10 result as a male, it's something out of this world coming from North America."

She said she studied the amazing results of Canada's male cross-country ski team, which is clearly building momentum and will be a force in Sochi in 2014. They had a handful of top-10 results, making a serious though sadly unheralded dent in the Scandinavian stronghold.

"Those are phenomenal results and they unfortunately won't be appreciated as much because they weren't a medal," said Hughes.

"There is so much depth especially in the endurance sports. It takes more time. It takes more resources. I'm not saying it's easier to win as a female, but in terms of depth it's different.

"It doesn't run as deep. I have won and it is possible, but I do think it takes more time and more resources for the men and the guys have shown that it is possible. I'm not saying it's easy, so don't get me wrong, because it's so hard. Sport at this level is unfathomably hard. But it's different."

The alpine hill provides a platform for analysis. In the men's downhill, the top 25 finishers were separated by just 1.88 seconds. In the women's race, the differential from American winner Lindsey Vonn to Austria's Anna Fenninger in 25th place was 5.76 seconds. The massive difference speaks to a lack of depth in the field, at least at the upper reaches where the medals are won and lost.

According to cross-country head coach Dave Wood, the same can be said for his sport, where men's medals are separated by tenths of a second and women by seconds.

Though many sports are making progress, the most sorely obvious example of the work yet to be done is women's hockey, where a bronze medal is awarded as if by default to a non-North American team each quadrennial.

"When I started bobsleigh, the women weren't even allowed to race on all the tracks,'' said Helen Upperton. "We were like, `This has got to be a joke, right? It's 2005.' We're making leaps and bounds in women's sport."

The only men to have won their own medals are Alexandre Bilodeau, Mike Robertson and Jon Montgomery. They are vastly outnumbered at this moment, but could be joined in the coming days by hockey players, curlers, short-track speedskaters, snowboarders and bobsledders. But the final number will still favour our women, just as it did four years ago.

"I don't see that trend changing a heck of a lot as we go forward," said the COC's chief executive officer Chris Rudge, who was referring to the days left in these Games. "I think it speaks very, very wonderfully to the gender equity that we bring to support for high level accomplishment in sport in Canada. I don't think there is any (other) nation in the world that recognizes that in sport it is about sport. It's about supporting the best athletes."

Atta boy, Chris.

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