'With Glowing Hearts' is 2010 Olympics slogan

[dreamon]

Well, it was a lovely moment.

There in the middle of the BC Place Stadium floor stood the Olympic Tripod, unlit and cold and still missing its truant fourth leg, the one that refused to pop out of its hydraulic hidey-hole in the opening ceremony.

Suddenly, some sparks from the floor, a slapstick puff of chicken feathers, and a miming mechanic coming out of the floor. The little Canuck here to fix the glitch. He makes an electrical connection and tugs on an imaginary rope; the leg rises from its grave beneath the stadium floor and slowly falls into place. Catriona Le May Doan, the torchbearer orphaned that opening night by the malfunction, appears. She lights the flame. Huge cheer. Le May Doan disappears by elevator into the floor, smiling.

http://www.vancouversun.com/Ceremony+ca ... story.html

[Smitty]

I dialed in when Canada was in lead wih wih two goals. Now when the Americans pulled out Miller, from goal keeping that was when the Cdn coached panicked to be super defensive so suddely it was a tie to another 20 minutes of rest to the next 20 minutes & this is when Crosby pulled Canada out of the deep as he has done before.

So that latter bit of hockey was the form of hockey that I understand. What I liked about the Olympic hockey is this is a game with strict rules that cannot be use in Pro hockey I do not watch with its Blood & Guts game like football & not REAL hockey. Here is hockey that I was accustom to & watching like in the home Jr. teams to farm teams before the maze of American Pro games & such a different form of so called sport which is really NOT a sport anymore.

Mind you on rinks in Europe the Cdns to Americans will be up against much wider rinks so things will be different & to the advantage of the Europeans inclucing the Russian and on yes I see the next winter games is to be in Russia.

Doubt if Russia will go by the way of Campbell & the Feds for Russia is a communist country. For sure it will be different compared to all the Vancouver & fellow Cdns hanging around the town's main square guzzling beer & such. Possible some will take a like to Votca or whatever they call it.

[CielOnTap]

Even if Russia's vodka beverages are obtained, I would expect that the local authorities will follow BC's by closing liquor shops early if there is a big hockey game, in order to reduce crowd antics depending on the game outcome. The smarter tourist will find out about Russian drinking laws/Sochi municipal laws well in advance to avoid having to be in jail if that person likes to party with alcohol.

[CielOnTap]

With awareness that US viewers missed the last 30 minutes or so of the closing ceremonies, I know they missed some Canadian musicians. I finally watched most of the ceremonies (fast-forwarded the speeches and any music I did not want to hear) and really liked the last segment, performed by k-os, some breakdancers (reflective elements on their clothing allowed for glowing in the subdued light), and Scrap Art Musique. The ceiling curtain had street art lettering, Vancouver, Au Revoir, etc. projected onto it, so it conveyed the popular culture/downtown feeling as the sendoff from Van City.

~~~~~~
The popular red mittens that were hot commodities during the past two weeks were a last-minute decision to add some contrast to the torchbearers' uniform. Here's the story behind the red mittens that could and would appear everywhere:

A red-hot happy accident
American CEO of the Bay thought torch bearer outfit needed something colourful – and distinctly Canadian
Published On Tue Mar 2 2010
Dana Flavelle, Business Reporter

Okay, the Olympics are over and we're all sick of reading endless stories about the cute red mittens. The ones that have been shipped around the world, are going for triple their original $10 price on eBay and came to symbolize the Canadian spirit at the Vancouver Winter Games.

But here's a back story that hasn't been widely told.

The whole program was a fluke. The mitts were a last-minute addition to the official torch bearer's uniform and broke all the rules – from their initial design to the fact they were offered for sale to the public.http://www.thestar.com/business/article/773555--a-red-hot-happy-accident

[Smitty]

I go along with you on that one Ciel-OnTap for there was really NO contrast in the white uniform with a bit of blue & green on one sleeve & that is where I said they should have supplied a Red toque with Canada on it OR have put the colours of the left sleeve on the leg of almost all white pair of trousers.. I found one of he Olympics some yrs, possibly back in Montreal, ago in the snow when surveying. Went around to many homes around & no one noticed it to be missing or anyone that might have lost it, like a youngster.

So in the survey work I wore it, in hope someone might say they lost one of the same. Even wore when shoveling snow this winter.

When you go back in mind no one wore such Olympic mitts till part-way through he torch carrying program. So China must have made big money on the mitts to all the other stuff they sold Cdns, Americans or anyone at the events & bet you even money people are still buying it in the Americal owned Hudson Bay Company with its Olympic products made in China.

[Smitty]

Also was at a car shop & talking to the Service Manager. Both feel the advertising of he games was amazing to so much of the world, but at the costs B.C & Fed Govt will be lucky to gain five cents for every dollar spent.

We both agreed along with some mechanics to salesman that none of us would have the money like so many others & some missed a LOT of the TV coverage, bar a few times on TV yet it was simply splattered all over the different TV stations to my understanding.

I saw just a few minutes of the women playing hockey, to men getting to the finals to the last 20 minutes or less of the battle between USA & Cdn, to some speed-skating, to some of the figure skating, to some of the skiing to some of the curling for in past I have been a speed-skater myself along with a hockey player, to curling, to Giant Slalom & Downhill comp skier to a bit of Cross County skiing for it was the Biathlon that cought my attendion to a bit of the last few yrs of Olympics. So really I did not glue myself to the Olympics like some have & definately did not attend Vancouver area or buy any Chinese make Olympic products from the Hudson Bay of Canada now of the USA.

[alohasand]

Well NBC is going to have a hard time selling any DVDs of the experience-hardly the time to say "unseen footage not aired on TV" included.

I've read that many tents/houses in Vancouver were taken down on Sunday. What will there be left to greet the Paralympians and their families besides banners and mascots?

[deja vu]

According to TV news reports the Canadian athletes that won medals have received a bonus for winning.

Gold - 20,000
Silver - 15,000
Bronze - 10,000

Some have already donated their money to charity, but no word on what the players from the Mens hockey team will do with theirs. They are multi millionaires and get huge paychecks compared to the struggling athletes that won medals. Maybe they should donate it back into programs to help sports programs for young kids.

[fishandchips]

First-ever Canadian Paralympic Torch Relay signals the start of Vancouver/Whistler Games
Mar 3, 2010

Unique flame ceremonies to see ashes from all 13 celebration sites united in final flame at Opening Ceremony March 12

Ottawa, ON ― As Canada gets ready to host the world’s best Paralympic winter athletes starting on March 12, the inspirational 10-day journey of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay is officially underway with the first group of Paralympic Torchbearers – one from each province and territory – gathering in the nation’s capital to create stories that will inspire the nation. More than 600 torchbearers will proudly carry the flame as the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay, presented by Coca-Cola and RBC and supported by the Government of Canada and the Province of BC, visits 11 communities over the next 10 days, culminating in the lighting of the Paralympic Cauldron at BC Place in downtown Vancouver on March 12, 2010. Tickets for the Opening Ceremony are still available (see ticketing information below).

The Paralympic Flame, which has no ancestral home, was ignited and blessed this morning by Aboriginal firekeepers of the Pikwakanagan and Kitigan Zibi Algonquin bands on Victoria Island during a special ceremony. It was then placed in a lantern and brought to the Parliament Buildings where it was passed to three youth representatives from the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and Métis National Council.

http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-news/n/news/whistler-medals-plaza_297920xB.html

Fire is important in ceremonies to the First Nations and Inuit, so this inaugural torch run is a credit to Canada. Hope it continues with Sochi and other venues hosting the winter sports extravaganza.

[Smitty]

You are right about the big money to the medal winners. Some of the skiing competitors will not have any backing now or even prior to the competitions especially most not winning medals.

I can see the hockey players just to continue on for it seems normal with their big contracts & we have to realize they are PROFESSIONALS in a so called Amateur Sport.

For instance Korea forked out a lot of money for their female figure skater during those two years while the gal in Japan, was THAT CLOSE to winning & had no financial advantage like the Korean gal. So reall who was the best of the two????

Now a few yrs ago everyone basically said no one in Canada obtained money from the medals, but felt some other countries did, only no proof.

So in reality the Olympics are no longer a sport to ALL. Be they spectators or competitors that might come in 12th or even farther down the row of those that finished in whatever they did. Also we have to remember some will NOT finish due to an accident.