Archive for Olympics
‘The Case Of The Missing Hockey Equipment’ Now Has Some Promising Leads
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Reebok is reporting that they have received some “potential information” courtesy of a tipline regarding the whereabouts of the missing hockey stick and glove that Sidney Crosby was wearing when he scored the gold medal-clinching goal in the Olympics. The company set up the tipline and have offered a $10,000 reward to help assist in the recovery of the missing equipment.
Wait. They set up a tipline for some missing hockey equipment? What in the hell is this world coming to when a goddamn stick and glove are treated as if they are missing children or in the hands of some lunatic fugitive? Has Reebok contacted John Walsh yet? Jesus.
Len Rhodes, vice president and general manager for Reebok Hockey CCM, says the tipline is producing everything from encouraging comments to claims of “potential information.”
Crosby used the stick – a Reebok 10K Sickick II model that retails for $249 – and glove to score the overtime goal that decided the Olympic men’s hockey final against the United States on Feb. 28 in Vancouver.
This whole situation is borderline ridiculous. Not that these aren’t items which hold some value – both monetary as well as sentimental – it’s just that Reebok is going about it all wrong. What they need is a psychic on the case. I would recommend Madame Ruby. She’s good – just don’t buy into her “the stick and gloves are in the basement of the Alamo” routine.
Reebok: progress made in search for Crosby gear [Sporting News/AP]
Vladimir Putin Has Watched One Too Many Herm Edwards Press Conferences
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I knew Herm Edwards’ speech about how “you play to win the game” was a pop culture phenomenon, especially after it appeared in a Coors Light commercial, but who knew it had reached Russia?
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, followed President Dmitry Medvedev’s lead from earlier this week and harshly criticized the Russian sports federations today during a government meeting for their failures which were evidenced by the horrible performance put forth by its athletes during the Vancouver Games. The Russians finished with a paltry 15 medals – the nation’s worst performance ever.
Stealing a page from from the Herm Edwards playbook when he addressed the sports officials, Putin articulated his profound disappointment with the following statement:
“Following our modest Olympic results I already hear some say that … it’s not the most important thing to be among the leaders, the most important thing is to make a good showing,” Putin said with a wry smile. “I must tell you it’s not so. You go into the Games not just to sweat, but to win.”
You play…to win…the Games! привет?
Hypothetically, I could see Herm going over there and taking charge of the Russian Olympic efforts. First of all, Edwards certainly has the pedigree, having demonstrated his ability to inspire even in the most dire circumstances; and maybe that’s all the Russian athletes need right now – a little motivation by having a fire lit under them. Secondly, I’m absolutely certain Edwards has the temperament to work closely with with the Russians, in particular the likes of Putin, despite the Prime Minister’s intimidating presence and reputation as a ball-buster. I mean, Edwards does seem to tolerate and work well with Hannah Storm on SportsCenter, right?
Putin to Russian sports officials: ‘You go … to win’ [USA Today]
Simon John Ritchie Is Probably Rolling Over In His Grave
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On the other hand, if the REAL Sid Vicious were still alive, he probably would have stabbed this particular headline writer in the stomach while in a drug-induced stupor.
Shame on you, New York Daily News, for disgracing the memory of one of the worst bass playing-addict-possible murderer-suicide-committing punk rock personalities of all time.
SID GETS THE COVER…OF EVERYTHING [Mondesi's House]
Before anyone complains, I am simply doing my best to extract every single semi-newsworthy morsel of material out of the Winter Olympics before we don’t give bobsledding, cross country skiing and giant slalom a single thought for another four years, I bring you news that Lindsey Vonn, who is apparently obsessed with the show, has landed a bit role on Law & Order. Vonn will portray a jury foreman and even has a couple of lines. It all started with an interview Vonn did with Bob Costas on Saturday.
The gold medal winning American downhill ski champion, one of the darlings of the Vancouver games, appeared with Costas. At the end of the interview, Bob reminded Lindsey that she’s the biggest ‘Law & Order’ fan in the world. Lindsey didn’t deny it. She said it was true and the video they showed of her visiting the set and gushing about the show looked very sincere.
Well, just like a game show host, Bob announced that it was Lindsey’s lucky day. ‘Law & Order’ Executive Producer Dick Wolf had written Lindsey into an upcoming episode of the show. Costas even had notes about the role and the lines. She’s going to play a jury foreman who says, “We have, your honor” and “The jury finds him guilty.” … Well, so much for reasonable doubt!
Not a bad gig, but wouldn’t it have been far more interesting if Vonn had received a juicier role? You know, something that she could really sink her teeth into that would have showed off her considerable acting chops, kind of like how she fake cried in the arms of her husband after winning gold? That was Emmy-worthy stuff right there. I almost cried myself, I got so lost in the moment. It was either that or the raw onion I was eating like an apple. Good stuff.
Nevertheless, you have to question the stunt casting that Law & Order is attempting here. While Vonn is as red hot and marketable as she is ever going to be, the fact that Dick Wolf simply found her a role on the show just because she is a huge fan reeks of desperation. Not only that, casting her is taking a job away from a hard-working, struggling actor. Man, considering how far this once-proud television franchise has fallen, Jerry Orbach and Richard Belzer must be rolling over in their caskets.
And I am aware that Richard Belzer isn’t dead, thank you very much. He just sleeps in a coffin is all. Weird guy, that Belzer.
Lindsey Vonn Lands Bit Role on ‘Law & Order’ [TV Squad]
Gasp! British Columnist Ranks Sexiest Winter Olympians, Leaves Out Lindsey Vonn
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What the heck? It is clear that the British media – unlike their Yankee counterparts – evidently do not feel the uncontrollable compulsion to include the lovely Miss Vonn in everything Winter Olympics-related, as Stephen Marche, a writer for The Guardian, ranked his top four Olympians for accomplishments in the area of attractiveness (for both the men and the women, separately) and lo and behold, Lindsey is not on the list! This Marche fellow obviously doesn’t know what he’s writing about!
Or does he?
In the wake of Sidney Crosby’s gold-medal clinching overtime goal in yesterday’s epic game between the US and Canada (seriously, how great was that game?), Hockey Canada’s Executive Director Steve Yzerman joined millions of fellow Canadians and seized the opportunity to gush about his country’s new national hero.
“He’s got a little destiny to him – his entire career, throughout minor hockey, junior hockey, NHL,” Hockey Canada executive director Steve Yzerman said Sunday after Crosby scored 7:40 into overtime to beat the U.S. 3-2 and provide Canadians with the Olympic championship they believed was their birth right.
“So it’s just another monumental moment in his career. And he’s what, 22 still?” Yzerman said. “He’s a special, special guy.
“Kind of like Gretzky.”
Yes, kind of like Gretzky. At the ripe-old age of 22, Crosby already has won the Stanley Cup as well as Olympic gold, not too shabby with more of his career still ahead of him than behind the talented player. And he definitely showed up in the Olympics when it counted, scoring four goals (two game-winners) and adding three assists in seven games, so you have to give credit where credit is due.
But, and I am not here to piss all over the magnitude of what Crosby just accomplished nor do I wish to disparage the Cult of Sidney Crosby in the form it currently exists – well, maybe I am a little bit – but for every fan Sidney Crosby gained with his performance during the Winter Olympics, he also added twice as many people who cannot stand the guy. I know that he is the so-called “Face of the NHL” but to me, he comes across as a petulant whiner with an inflated sense of self-entitlement.
That is not to say he hasn’t earned that right to some extent, but even before his heroic efforts yesterday, I found something about the guy unbecoming and annoying. When he’s playing, he seems to act like he is above it all (which he just might be), that he believes he should be treated differently by the referees and his opponents simply because he is Sidney Crosby. And off the ice, he far too often has the appearance of someone who has worked way too hard to become a pre-prepackaged commodity for mass consumption – he’s far too polished, always striving to say the right thing and act the right way. You get the impression – at least I do – that you are never really going to see the “real” Sidney Crosby It’s understandable to an extent – that is what we (as well as the people who pay their salary and shell out obscene amounts of money in endorsement deals) have come to expect from star athletes, yet the manner in which Crosby does it is oddly unsettling, in a way.
I don’t know, maybe it’s just me and I am allowing my bitterness about how things turned out yesterday to seep into my assessment of an incredibly talented, dynamic player. But at the same time, as I mentioned earlier, I had these sentiments about Crosby long before he fulfilled his destiny and became a Canadian icon yesterday.
Or maybe he’s just a sniveling douchebag and that’s all there is to it. At the very least, believing that helps me feel a little bit better about what happened.
Yes, Crosby’s ‘got a little destiny to him’ [Sporting News/AP]
What an “odd” duck this guy is! Crazy Norwegians, always cracking wise, acting the fool.
Odd-Bjorn Hjelmeset, as you are of course all aware of, is a Norwegian cross-country skier who competed in the 4 x 10km cross-country relay. But even with the worldwide fame that goes with being a cross-country skier (which is immense, by the way), Hjelmeset may end up becoming much more well known across the internets for the following bizarre, yet glorious, quote:
My name is Odd-Bjoern Hjelmeset. I skied the second lap and I fucked up today. I think I have seen too much porn in the last 14 days. I have the room next to Petter Northhug and every day there is noise in there. So I think that is the reason I fucked up. By the way, Tiger Woods is a really good man.
Gold, baby. Alluding to watching too much porn, fucking up and bringing up some guy named Petter is stupefying. And then the mention of Tiger Woods at the end for no apparent reason really ties it all together quite nicely. Always leave ‘em wanting more, they say, and I think Odd-Bjoern exemplified that philosophy brilliantly.
Daily Briefing, Feb. 25 [SI (via Mouthpiece Blog)]
Johnny Weir Just Wants To Be Loved, Is That So Wrong?
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I don’t know, maybe he really doesn’t. He actually said doesn’t want an apology from the broadcasters who mocked and ridiculed him, he only wants understanding. But let’s not split hairs here – it was a catchy title and let’s leave it at that, okay?
Johnny Weir discussed the controversial, homophobic and totally inappropriate comments made by French-Canadian broadcasters Claude Mailhot and Alain Goldberg of the RDS network regarding the figure skater. In case you are just catching up, below is a sampling of some the remarks:
“They think all the boys that skate will end up like him.”
“We should make him pass a gender test at this point.”
Obviously, many people – myself included – have had some fun with Johnny Weir’s “flamboyant” style and personality, but clearly these kind of comments cross the line of good taste, especially when you consider they are being broadcast into homes where anybody, including children, could be watching (I certainly hope the Sportress of Blogitude isn’t required reading in the elementary schools…or do I?)
That is what upset Weir most, and he addressed that issue on Wednesday.
“I want them to think before they speak. I want them to think about not only the person they’re talking about, but also other people like that person,” he said. “What people as a majority need to do is think, and think about who they’re affecting. … I don’t want, 50 years from now, more boys and girls to go through this same thing.”
“I hope more kids can grow up like I did and more kids can feel the freedom to express themselves,” he said. “Out of ugly, I think the most important thing in life is to make something beautiful.”
Truer words have never been spoken. Well, maybe there have been truer words spoken at some time or another. It’s just a saying, for crying out loud. What is the deal with you people? Leave me alone! Just like Weir, I just want to be loved, is that so wrong?
Johnny Weir wants understanding, not apology [Game On!]
French broadcasters: Johnny Weir should take gender test [Out of Bounds]
Old Man Deford Takes A Potshot At ESPN Talent Via Bob Costas Compliment
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As should be expected, Frank Deford penned a wonderful column lamenting the loss of what the Winter Olympics – and accordingly, what watching them – used to be: spontaneous, edge-of-your-seat excitement, filled with meaning, and perhaps most importantly, being subjected to nary a tape-delayed broadcast.
Deford goes on to speculate – rightly so – that this Winter Olympiad might be the last seen on NBC. ESPN, with their money and clout, believe that the Olympics are theirs for the taking. And, with a subtle stroke of the keys, Deford, nimbly and slyly, proceeds to rip a majority of the mouth-breathers and half-wits currently sitting in front of cameras over at tWWL trying to appear witty, while at the same time giving Bob Costas his due:
But it is simply worth noting that if NBC does lose the Olympics, we lose Bob Costas as the interlocutor. ESPN hasn’t anybody even near his ability to do this unique thing he does so well, night after night. You’ll have no idea how good Costas is ’til you see somebody else try to do it.
Burn.
In all seriousness, can you imagine Chris Berman doing what Costas does? (shudders) And considering how hard ESPN came down on Kornheiser – not because of his critique of Hannah Storm’s outfits, but instead, as some allege, a joke he made about Berman’s weight – the Swami might just still be there if and when The Worldwide Leader In Sports lands the Games.
The Games, they are a-changin’ [SI]
Kornheiser Gets Two-Week Suspension For On-Air Comments, And Other Things Of Note [Deadspin]
Boner Update: Still Missing
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Despite the best efforts of Vancouver authorities, Andrew Koenig, 41, best known for his role as Boner Stabone on Growing Pains, is still missing. Although his trip to Vancouver was not related to the Olympics, I am choosing to cover this as an Olympics-related story, because, well, why not? It’s Boner, people.
Koenig was reported missing last Thursday after he wasn’t on a return flight home to Venice, California last week. Authorities have combed over 150 miles of trails in Stanley Park, where Koenig was last seen on February 14th.
His father, Walter, stated on his website that he received a letter from his son with a “despondent tone” on February 16th.
“I think it’s something that has been part of his makeup for a long time,” the father said, adding that drugs were not involved. “There is no episode (that triggered his depression). There is nothing of that nature.”
The last time the family heard from Koenig by phone was Feb. 9, according to the father’s website.
At this point, authorities are ruling out foul play. Investigators believe that Koenig, who once lived in the Vancouver area, simply “doesn’t want to be found.”
I’m not so sure it’s a good idea to rule out foul play at this point. These sit-com sidekicks are an odd breed, run in strange circles and the rivalries between them and other former stars can grow incredibly intense. Case in point: does anybody know if Shavar Ross, a/k/a Dudley Ramsey from Diff’rent Strokes, happened to be in the Vancouver area last week? I heard there was some bad blood between the two. Find Dudley and you might just find Boner, which in a way, perfectly summarizes that “Bicycle Man” episode of Diff’rent Strokes. Just saying.
Boner from ‘Growing Pains’ still missing in Vancouver [USA Today]
