Final Thoughts on the Olympics

As much as I may hold the Olympic movement in contempt and the International Olympic Committee in low regard, what the athletes bring to the Games has always been, and will continue to be, moving and memorable. The Games are—when we get our national ego’s out of the way--for them, first and foremost. May they each cherish their experience in Vancouver.

Canada, the political entity, desperate to do well, did well. And Canadians, who largely did not care about winning—only 8% of Canadians, according to an Angus Reid poll, considered first place their criteria for success--enjoyed all the Gold nonetheless. Vancouver can now return to being one of the world’s loveliest cities.

Here then, in no particular order, are some closing thoughts:

--Did Gretzky have to be the torch lighter? Wasn’t that a bit too predictable? It was a choice made by central casting.
--I’m not sure which is sadder: that the opening speech by the head of Vancouver Olympic Committee contained no French, or that people reacted with a “stop your whining” attitude when it was pointed out.
--Am I wrong or did NBC never, NEVER, interview athletes from countries other the U.S.? Canada seems more ready to let Canadians know and appreciate athletes from elsewhere.
--Back in 88, when I was 100% American, I remember watching the Battle of the Brians, and thought the Canadian chap deserved the Gold. In fact, if the current criteria were applied to that skate, Brian Orser would’ve beaten Boitano. It was good to see Orser finally earn one as a coach.
--Can somebody please point out to Canada’s most public idiot, Don Cherry, how beautiful a game hockey can be when goons don’t play and fighting isn’t included?
--To the Canadian athletes who didn’t “live up to expectations” and feel they let down their country, you didn’t. Canadians never bought in to the trip laid on you by the COC. Thank you for trying your best.
--To the Canadian woman athlete—I wish I could remember her name—who won Gold and didn’t feel that good about it because she knew she could have done better, you embody what it’s all about. And to the many unnamed athletes who turned in a personal best and weren’t on the podium, so do you.

Finally, let’s take a couple of weeks to decompress, to put sport into proper perspective, and begin to turn our attention to the work that matters. Canada has had a unique injection of patriotism. Wouldn’t it be grand if it could find more legal injection sites for patriotism through taking the lead on climate change perhaps, or building more social housing or caring for its elderly? They may not be games, but I’d cheer for any one of them.