Nearing the end of an era

Stat I came across this morning:

95 - U.S. Newspapers credentialed for the Turin Games, according to the Sports Business Daily.

68 - U.S. Newspapers credentialed for the Vancouver Games.

My guess is that this number to drop below 45 for Sochi, Russia in 2014. Local Newspaper coverage of non-local events is going the way of the dodo.

If you enjoyed the disfunction of Vancouver 2010 . . .

THEN YOU'LL LOVE THE DANGER OF SOCHI 2014! The location of the next winter games in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi, Russia will be the host to the first-ever Olympics in a war zone region. Good call IOC!

What would you change about the Olympics?

Our writer posed this question to me last night. Any thoughts? Click "comments" below this post (see the pencil icon?) and share your thoughts.

Hyvä Suomi (Go Finland!) and other hockey thoughts

-Switzerland's Jonas Hiller is one of the top five players in the tournament.
-I'm not sure which is more shocking: Slovakia upsetting Sweden or the mismatch between Canada and Russia. Canada winning was not a shock. Canada having the game wrapped up before the first intermission was the shock.
-The Canadian fans lustfully booed Team USA, any time a US fan was shown on the Jumbotron and cheered Switzerland.
-There were empty seats in the stands for the USA vs. Switzerland game.
-Not impressed by the yappiness of the Canadian players toward the Russians when the game was out of hand in the third period.
-The Finland vs. Czech Republic game was played at the University of British Columbia (where the women played hockey in the preliminary round) 35 minutes away from Canada Hockey Place where the other three quarterfinals were played.
-Smiley caught a puck in during the Canada vs. Russia game and gave it away to a fan.
-The price for a slice of pizza at Canada Hockey Place is $6 Canadian
-The Skytrain stops at Canada Hockey Place. There is one exit/entry that takes you right to the media entrance. Yesterday for the first time, that exit/entry was closed, forcing people to walk around the block, up steps and down Escalators to enter and exit the station. Yet another head-scratcher during this logistically challenged Olympics.
-Time required to take official Olympic transportation from my hotel to Canada Hockey Place: at least 45 minutes
-Time required to walk five blocks from my hotel and take Skytrain to Canada Hockey Place: 20 minutes
-Number of security checks required if taking official Olympic transportation from my hotel to Canada Hockey Place: 2
-Number of security checks required if I take the walk/Skytrain route: 1
-Teams I'm rooting for in the Semifinals: Finland and Slovakia (NBC's worst nightmare).
-Teams I think win: USA and Canada. (Somewhere in the basement of the NBC offices, an intern has been instructed to stick needles into Finnish and Slovakian dolls).
-Team I think wins the gold. USA. Just can't count on which version of the Canadian team will show up. If they play as they did vs. Russian, they'll win. But I don't think they will.
-Team I think wins the bronze. Finland.

Team USA makes the Final Four

Team USA celebrates an empty net goal in the final minute to closeout a hard-fought victory over a determined Swiss team. The win sends the US into the semifinals and guarantees that the team will at the very least play for a bronze.

 

One Huge Save

Goalie Ryan Miller made 19 saves, but forward Ryan Kesler(#17) may have made the biggest of the game here in the third period when Miller was out of position. During the stoppage after this play, an official's review confirmed the puck did not cross the line

 

 

 

Team USA Scores!

Zach Parise scores a goal early in the third period to break the 0-0 tie

 

Jonas Hiller in Action

Even while in the center of tempest of skates and stickes, Swiss goalie Jonas Hiller makes one of his 42 saves while facing 43 US shots on goal

 

Swiss goalie Jonas Hiller makes a another save

 

Swiss goalie Jonas Hiller looks on helplessly as the puck floats over his head and into his goal. After a review by officials, it was determined the puck crossed the goal line just after the the end of the second period and game remained scoreless

 

Team USA defeats a game Swiss Squad

Ryan Miller made 19 saves to record a shutout

 

Jonas Hiller was stellar, stopping 42 of the 43 shots he faced

 

The two best players in the game who combined to stop 61 of the 62 shots they faced, share well wishes during the post-game handshake

 

Yucky Olympic Food

Olympic food vendors fail inspections. This would explain the food poisoning two members of the Houston Chronicle crew have experienced so far.

You know what this guy and Huja have in common?

I mean, besides sharing the same hair style. We both left the game disappointed in the final outcome

 

Sweden runs over Finland

Team Finland captain Saku Koivu offers some words of encouragement for his team in the pregame huddle before Finland and Sweden face off in the final preliminary round game in mens ice hockey to determine group winners. Unfortunately, this qualifies at a Finnish highlight from the game.

 

 

Patric Hornqvist (27) of Sweden is leveled by Joni Pitkanen (25) of Finland at the end of the second period. Pitkanan earned a game misconduct and Hornqvist was assisted off the ice with stars in his eyes and on wobbly legs

 

Photographers' Eye View

The people with lenses pressed against the glass and wearing green armbands are accredited photojournalist

 

You want to know how photos like this (click here) are made? By cameras hanging in the rafters and triggered by electronic remote

 

Location, location, location. Look at this image (click here). It's spectacular. This is my photo of the same moment from a different angle. It's pedestrian.

 

Just in case you forgot, Hockey is a CONTACT sport

 

 

 

USA defeats Canada in Mens Hockey

US players celebrate after Brian Rafalski scores in the first minute as Team US defeated Canada in the final preliminary round game in mens ice hockey to determine group winners

 

Brian Rafalski and Zach Parise make sure Mike Richard doesn't get a shot off on goalie Ryan Miller

 

After chaos in front of Martin Brodeur, Chris Drury scores to put the US ahead 3-2. Same goal from a different angle (click here)

 

Finger Pointing Starting as Canada Assesses Olympics

From the Vancouver Sun, an article skewering the Own the Podium campaign by the Canadian Olympic Committee.

. . . More on the Own the Podium campaign.

About the VANOC need to come clean after the death of Georgian Luger Nodar Kumaritashvili.

Hold the Presses: Canada Beats the USA on ice after all

Okay, it's in curling . But let's chalk one up for the host nation eh?.

Hockyeypalooza: 21 FEB 2010

What an epic day of hockey. I was able to catch the end of the Russia/Czech game and all of the USA/Canada and FIN/SWE games.
-Game with the most intensity? Russia vs. Czech Republic. For these two teams, it's proxy for war - lots of history between the two countries. You would have thought USA vs. Canada was the game that shook the foundation of Canada Hockey Place, but the US goal in the opening minute silenced the crowd and the Canadian fans never really recovered.
-Game that was the biggest mismatch? As much as it pains me to say, Finland vs. Sweden. Finland is a very skilled team, but they are not bruisers and got bullied by the bigger, more physical Swedish team. What makes it even more painful for me personally is that a bunch of the Swedes play for the hated Detroit Red Wings (Zetterberg, Lindstrom, etc). With Canada and the US getting all the local attention and Russia fielding a crazy-talented team that includes the baddest hockey player on the planet, Sweden is getting overlooked and that would be a mistake for any team facing them.
-Game that had the greatest impact on the tournament? USA vs. Canada. With the win, the US earned the top seed and easiest path to the gold medal game. Canada, on the other hand drew the toughest road to the gold medal game with their loss. I'm going on record to say Canada doesn't make it to the gold medal game. Here is the mens hockey bracket.
-Luckiest team after yesterday's results? Finland. The got smoked by Sweden but still managed to get the fourth bye and got a relatively friendly draw.
-I burned up 40GB of memory shooting USA/CAN and FIN/SWE so it'll take me a little while to sort through and post pics. In the meantime, Smiley made damn-near a perfect picture after the final goal scored by the US.

Huja's Olympic Miscellany (will be updated)

-I was colder inside the Richmond Olympic Oval where the speed skating events are held than I was up at Whistler Creekside where the Alpine Skiing events are held.

-There are about a dozen TV commercials with Canadians bragging about how modest they are. Isn't it categorically immodest to brag about your modesty?

-Drunken crowds hoot and holler on Granville Street until 3 am every night. Then at about 4 am you can hear cleaning crews hose off the sidewalks and garbage trucks haul way the trash. It's Mardi Gras every night.

-If Canada beats the U.S. in hockey today, there may be a riot.

-If Canada loses to the U.S. in hockey today, there may be a riot.

-The drunken crowds and closed-off streets make it nearly impossible for buses and taxis to reach our hotel.

-If you can buy pizza by-the-slice and falafel in a neighborhood, it's probably a bad place to stay. There are many such eating establishments(as well as nightclubs, peep shows, tattoo parlors and piercing services) all within a block of the Best Western Chateau Granville. If you include the word, "Chateau," in a hotel name, it makes it fancy (not).

-Olympic volunteers wear baby-blue jackets and caps, which they refer to as Smurf Suits. I.e. "Go to the second floor and the Smurf Suit behind the desk will direct you to the right bus."

-Very few media folks have pins to trade - likely due to budget cuts.

-The Olympic torch - anyone else think it looks like a poorly rolled "cigarette?"

-The bus drivers have the BEST Olympic gossip. I'll write a separate entry for bus driver gossip later.

-North American paper hammering the Olympics are hardest? That would be the hometown Vancouver Sun.

-Medal Ceremonies are held in BC Place, site of the Opening Ceremonies. Tickets cost $25 to get in to watch an IOC official hang a medal around the neck of an athlete. But wait, there's MORE. Each evening of medal ceremonies includes a concert featuring a Canadian band. Tonight, 80's band Lover Boy will take stage.

Tuesday, Feb 23 Miscellany:

-Overheard a conversation between the hotel doorman and a guest. Evidently the guest paid $2,400 PER TICKET for four tickets to the mens hockey gold medal game.

-Granville Street has been relatively quiet since the USA beat Canada in Hockey on Sunday. Canada is currently playing Germany. Wonder if the hooting and hollering beings anew with a Team Canada victory tonight (which looks likely as they lead 3-0 in the second period).

-Tickets are scarce for journalists too. Should Canada hold on and face Russia tomorrow, tickets are required for all journalists to attend the game. Tickets are distributed by your country's Olympic committee (i.e. The Houston Chronicle would get a ticket from the USOC, Xinhua News Agency would get it from the Chinese Olympic Committee).

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

-Because the Canadians speak a sort of British English, Bobsled is referred to as Bob Sleigh (and in Sleigh Bells Ringing).

-Light hooting and hollering on Granville Street after Canada demolished Russia this evening. Bandwangoners - that's weak.

Mens 1500m Speed Skating Finals

Mark Tuitert of the Netherlands wins the gold

 

Shani Davis casually chats with a Canadian skater as the US coach consoles Chad Hedrick after his disappointing performance during mens speed skating 1500 meter finals

 

Shani Davis powers through turn one on his was to winning a silver medal in the mens speed skating 1500 meter event

 

Mens 1500m Speed Skating Finals

Defending Olympic 1500m gold medalist, Enrico Fabris of Italy gives supports in the crowd the thumbs up before the mens speed skating 1500 meter finals

 

The Dutch fans come ready to party at the mens 1500m speed skating finals

 

I don't read Japanese, but my guess is that the sign says "Skate Faster!"

 

Four Hour Wait to see/touch Olympic Medals

Two Olympic fans leave with commemorative Olympic coins after enduring up to a four hour wait to enter the wildly-popular Royal Canadian Mint Pavilion for a chance to view and touch the Olympic medals produced by the Royal Canadian Mint. This is the first time in the history of the Olympics that fans are allowed to view and touch Olympic medals. The line to enter winds for a block and half in downtown Vancouver

 

A young Olympic fan poses for a photo in front of the Olympic medals.

 

Olympic fans enter the wildly-popular Royal Canadian Mint Pavilion for a chance to view and touch the Olympic medals

 

The Hockey Gods are ever so generous

The final games of the preliminary round are Sunday, 2/21. The match ups are:
1. Russia vs. Czech Republic for Group B Supremacy
2. Canada vs. USA for Group A Supremacy
3. Sweden vs. Finland for Group C Supremacy

Basically, win your group and you advance to the medal round. The tie-breakers to determine the remaining teams to advance are kind of lengthy and I'm too lazy to sort through them all.

Edit: Okay, so this is how the Olympic hockey tournament works: Group winners (three teams) earn a bye in the qualifying round. A fourth team earns a bye based on various stats (see above link). The remaining eight teams then are paired in a qualifying round and the winner of those four games advance. The winners of the qualifying round then are matched up with the top four teams that earned byes and a standard bracket of eight teams fights for the medals. Got that?

OH (MY), Canada!

 

Gold für Deutchland

Gold-medal winning alpine skier Maria Riesch of Germany bends a gate during the slalom portion of the womens super combined event. Her combined downhill and slalom time of 2:09.14 was nearly a second ahead of her nearest competitor

 

Gold-medal winning alpine skier Maria Riesch of Germany reacts to her first place time of the after skiing the slalom portion of the womens super combined event