IOC to investigate Canadian women's hockey team for celebration
By Chris Chase
The International Olympic Committee will investigate the actions of Canadian women's hockey players who celebrated their gold medal victory Thursday night by swigging beer and smoking cigars on the ice in Vancouver.
A number of players, including 18-year-old superstar Marie-Philip Poulin, were drinking alcohol on the ice following the team's 2-0 defeat of the United States. (The legal drinking age in British Columbia is 19.) Players lingered for more than 70 minutes after the awards ceremony reveling in the arena, which was empty except for media and arena staff. (Click here to view a slideshow of the celebration.)
Gilbert Felli, the IOC's executive director of the Olympic Games, said that drinking in public was "not what we want to see" from athletes at an Olympic venue. The organization will investigate the actions and will speak with the international hockey federation and Canadian Olympic Committee and ask them to "act accordingly."
Steve Keough, a spokesman for the Canadian Olympic Committee, told the Associated Press, “We condone celebrations. … We don’t condone actions of irresponsibility. I think Canadians understand it’s quite an emotional moment for our team. It was not our intention to go against any IOC protocols.”
To be sure, the Canadian women's hockey team should have acted with more class and been a little more discreet with its celebration. But to do something drastic like ban the team from the Closing Ceremony or force them out of the Olympic Village would be an overreaction. In past Olympics we've seen steroids, political boycotts, cheating and judging scandals. A few puffs of a cigar hardly seems to be in the same league.
"(I'm watching Finland play against USA and I'm embarrassed!)"
That's the problem with the olympics. It's only one game. I wouldn't expect the Finns to perform like that game in and game out.
The Finns have a good team.
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Desideria (Moderator) says on Feb 26, 2010, 15:45:
Yet I have to agree with Saku Koivu at he start of the second period...."we have only one option here to try to make it look a little less embarassing.."
The Finnish team is good but they are not hungry; they have been around for a while and don't need to prove anything. They know where their bread and butter is coming from. They don't have to sing the high C for their supper.
...."we have only one option here to try to make it look a little less embarassing.."
In other words........the Finns gave up?
Not what I would expect from professionals.
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Desideria (Moderator) says on Feb 26, 2010, 16:42:
That's what he said...I would think he saw the inevitable and focused at cutting their losses.
The Finnish hockey team is made of professionals who have played for a long time now and may not feel an Olympic gold medal is worth all that much. It's a pity.
Finland had a dismal perfomance in the Winter Olympics. If I were their leader I would have sent them home now, to avoid any further embarassment.
Luongo robbed the Dmitra of the tying goal with just seconds to go. We were lucky.
Kudos to the Slovaks. They were the toughest opposition so far (in terms of the balance of the play). The Americans beat us in the preliminary, but we outplayed them. The American goalie stole that one.
The play in tonight's game was very balanced. Both goalies played very well.
Desideria (Moderator) says on Feb 27, 2010, 05:51:
The Finnish players didn't say anything of the sort. I said it. Most guys in the Finnish team have a long professional career behind them, some in USA and Canada, they're wealthy family men and don't need to make a name for themselves. The US players are much younger and more eager. They played to win, simple as that. Kudos to USA's team.
All kidding aside jb......baseball requires a lot of skill as do hockey, basketball, soccer, American football, etc.
I am glad every country can send their best athletes to the Olympics. It was not always so. For many years the Olynpics were ruled by Avery Brundage who had some really neantherthal views on what constituted an "amateur". Soviet block countries had their athletes classified as "army officers", or "phys-ed instructors", etc. In fact, they did nothing else but play their sport. It reached the point where truly amateur athletes could not compete with them.
Now anybody can participate, and the level of play in virtually all sports has come up everywhere. A good example is basketball. In 1992, nobody could compete with the American team. Now the level of play has risen to the point where Americans have to send their best players to win. The same is true for us in ice hockey. At least 6 other countries play the game at a level comparable to Canada.
hahahaha!!! MC so true, had to hit the town last night. It was awesome. I'd post pics but I look like ass. Had every Brit in town congratulating us on our win, especially after I explained that it would be like YOU GUYS winning the World Cup! hehe. Still not used to watching hockey in 30 degree weather though.
