Relief is spelt in GOLD.

There is no adequate way to express the whole of the emotions that were attached to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic games. However, we as a nation breathed a collective sigh of relief when 'Sid the Kid' snapped home the overtime goal to secure Canada's record setting 14th gold medal of the event.

Indeed - the people of British Columbia, and Canada at large set a great stage for the world's best athletes to display their talents.

Congratulations to the athletes - the organizers - and all of Canada for a great Olympics! You have set a new standard for hosting the Olympic games and Russia will have a hard time matching it.

deanofnucks

The tension is in the air…

Every four years Canada braces itself for the Olympic games. So much emotional investment is made by Canadians in their athletes that it effects our everyday morale. There will always be critics of the efforts made by the Olympic program organizers. It is safe to say that Vancouver 2010 has been a roaring success in the areas which could be controlled. We all would wished for Nodar Kumaritashvili not to have died tragically early in the games.

We all would have wished for Cypress Mountain to have had better snow conditions. Perhaps a few more medals in the alpine events for Team Canada during the early segment of the games would have put a better shine on our outlook. However - what all Canadians will remember for the next four years is the outcome this Sunday.

Now that this pundit's wish has come true - for Roberto Luongo to be inserted as THE netminder for Team Canada - the chances of success are much higher for the Gold Medal we all seek to remember for the next four years. Only time will reveal whether or not the Canadian men can assert their physical play and superior defensive abilities over the USA squad powered by the likes of Kane - Kesler -and Miller. We all cross our collective fingers lightning won't strike twice - having lost to the "under dog" Americans, the first go'round.

Indeed the Canadian womens ice hockey team put their stamp of effort and determination on the gold medal they secured by beating the USA.

We will all be glued to our TV sets (very few will be in attendance) praying for a gold medal performance.

deanofnucks

Why was Cypress Mountain used for 2010 events ??

I am a resident of the lower mainland of British Columbia and proud Canadian citizen. But as perplexing as the lack of a wintertime for our region is (somewhat bucking the usual trend) - I am mystified why our Olympic Committee VANOC chose to host the snowboarding - and 'trick skiing' events at the local Cypress Mountain. After all - Cypress is not our best Alpine venue locally... why not move (originally or in this now emergency situation) to the sister mountain to Whistler - Blackcomb???

The facilities and pure capabilities at the adjacent site to Whistler would have been ideal for the snowboarding events - which are now in such a mess. Who wants this misrepresentation of our gorgeous part of the world? There certainly seems to be some missing details ... can anyone say special interests (?) involved in the decision made to utilize this lesser venue for the athletic competition.

VANOC cancels 20,000 more Cypress tickets
Last Updated: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 | 12:21 PM PT Comments364Recommend98
CBC News
A fan reads a newspaper in the rain and fog at the finish area of the women's snowboard cross event during a weather delay at the Vancouver Winter Olympics Games on Cypress Mountain Tuesday.A fan reads a newspaper in the rain and fog at the finish area of the women's snowboard cross event during a weather delay at the Vancouver Winter Olympics Games on Cypress Mountain Tuesday. (Mark Blinch/Reuters)

Olympic officials have been forced to cancel an additional 20,000 general admission tickets for six more events at the rain-plagued Cypress Mountain ski and snowboard venue north of Vancouver.

VANOC announced on Tuesday morning it plans to issue refunds for the standing room tickets after rain turned the spectator area into a dangerous mud pit.

On Monday, VANOC cancelled 8,000 tickets for the men's and women's snowboard cross events at the venue, located just north of Vancouver. The new cancellation brings the total number of cancelled tickets to 28,000, worth about $1.5 million.

The cancellations include the general admission category B tickets to:

* Snowboard halfpipe on Wednesday and Thursday.
* Ski cross on Feb. 21 and 23.
* Snowboard parallel giant slalom on Feb. 26 and 27.

The cancellations will not affect:

* Those with the category A grandstand tickets to the events listed above.
* Those with general admission tickets for the freestyle skiing aerials competitions.
* Those with tickets for alpine or Nordic skiing events in Whistler.

Warm winter creates problems

Olympic organizers have been struggling to keep the troubled Cypress Mountain venue open for Olympic competition during one of the mildest winters in more than 100 years for Vancouver.

In addition to the cancelled tickets, fog at Cypress also delayed the start of the women's snowboard cross event on Tuesday morning.

Further north at Whistler, weather has also forced the rescheduling of some alpine ski races, including Tuesday's men's super-combined event because of heavy snow, but no events at that venue have been cancelled.

The 31-day period ending on Feb. 9 was a record-breaking mild spell for Vancouver, according to Environment Canada meteorologist David Jones, who notes it's been at least 114 years since the area has recorded so many warm mid-winter days in a row.

As a result, organizers have been forced to truck and helicopter snow and hay bales to the mountain to build up the course and the spectator areas.

'It just wasn't possible to make the area safe for spectators.' — Clay Denton, VANOC vice-president

But the heavy rain melted the snow covering the hay bales in the spectator area, creating cracks.

VANOC decided to cancel tickets for the area for safety reasons after staff began sinking through up to their knees in the spaces between the bales, said Caley Denton, VANOC's vice-president of ticketing.

"Our senior management and venue team have spent significant time on site to try and find a way to accommodate spectators in the standing room areas for the events. We've exhausted all avenues but it just wasn't possible to make the area safe for spectators," said Denton.

As much as I am proud to be a Canadian, and would like to express outrage at the misleading criticism by distant media of our exposition - I am sad this BLACK EYE called Cypress Mountain has been allowed to exist.

Please Mr. Furlong get the events which remain transferred to Blackcomb. Arrange for extra transportation in time for our guests to still attend the athletic competition. Stop the insanity of hosting at Cypress - and swallow some pride.

Re-Introducing the Twins

What does “C.F.L.” mean to you?

The annual trickle of talent from the CFL teams to the NFL has increased to a stream... How long before it is a torrent? This author is most sensitive to the effects on the B.C. Lions. The most recent departure is the C.F.L. Rookie of the Year last season Martell Mallet - who has joined the Philadelphia Eagles. This deduction from the team's starting roster comes right alongside the departure of talented Americans fullback Rolly Lumbala, and kick returner Ryan Grice-Mullen to the Miami Dolphins

As blogged by TSN analyst Glenn Suitor...

Now, more and more, both Canadian and American-born players currently in the CFL are being pursued by NFL teams for a variety of reasons.

First, there is no other professional football played in the world so once a player leaves college, he has two choices, and no I'm not counting that new four-team American league, whatever it is called. Simply put, if you are not playing the game somewhere, you are falling farther off a scout's radar screen.

Secondly, it seems the politics in the NFL are starting to slowly change. It used to be that if a first-round pick from a major US college did not pan out in an NFL training camp, he still not only made the team, but stayed on the roster for a few years so the scouting staff didn't have to admit that they made a mistake. Very seldom, if ever, did they look north.

Now that practice still does exist, but it appears that the NFL power brokers are starting to not only look north more often but starting to really dig. How else do you explain that, of the 12 CFL players that have already signed NFL deals, seven of them were essentially CFL back-ups?

This brings us to the reoccurring question of what is "Canadian" about the C.F.L. ?

It seems plausible the Canadian Football League has to change the terms of the Free Agency Window in the next collective bargaining agreement. It is unjust the way the NFL teams pay nothing to fleece the talent from it's northern cousins. The second change that needs to occur - sooner than later - is the accelerated development of the Canadian collegiate system. The C.F.L. needs to support the Canadian talent pool better. Share resources (money) and increase the roster requirements for Canadian born players... Otherwise the C.F.L. is dependent on the cast offs from the NFL and is vulnerable to any proven talent being raided by the NFL forevermore.

deanofnucks

Does Brett Farve return?

The moment Brett Favre released his desperate pass with less than 2 minutes to go in the 4th quarter of the NFC Championship game - he knew he made the kind of mistake he had avoided all season. He committed the No. 1 no-no for an NFL quarterback when he threw the ball late and back over the middle toward Sidney Rice, and Tracy Porter stepped in front to intercept the pass.

The center of media attention will swing away from Farve for a time. Now it becomes all about the crowning achievement for the remaining two teams the Colts and the Saints For me - an old fart like Farve - the real question (aside from the injustice of how the Vikes lost !) is whether or not the appearance of Farve was the final chapter in his storied career...

The Minnesota Vikings have a well balanced team. The two-many-men penalty was the coaches fault not Farve's. Yes, he threw the interception - but doesn't he deserve a last shot in 2010 / 2011? I think he can do it... circumstances aside - he should be there this year.

deanofnucks

Nino Niederreiter Creative Shootout Goal at CHL Top Prospects Skills Competition

Does Stephane Auger belong in the NHL?

After the past week in the fallout of the NHL handling ... or should I say bungling of the situation surrounding their employee referee Stephane Auger - one must wonder if this official should be released from his duties...

Alexander Burrows is no saint I am willing to agree. However, whenever the bias of an official taints the outcome and obviously tips the scales of competitive balance in a contest - the NHL should be firm and swift in its removal of the official's involvement from any more games.

Stephane Auger has had three complaints filed against his officiating by three separate parties in the past 5 years. He has been hauled into league offices previously because his officiating has shown the color of his personal bias in the past. For nothing to be levied against him in a contest which cost the Vancouver Canucks a valuable 2 points is atrocious.

To compound the malaise the NHL showed for the situation - they let their lap dog Ron McLean run amok performing character assassination of Alexander Burrows post game the weekend after the incident in question. Yes McLean is an employee of the CBC Sports crew - but to roll out Colin Campbell for a one-sided tirade by the VERY biased ex-official playing broadcaster McLean is collaborative if anything.

Pure gutless on the NHL's part - and pure UN professional on the part of CBC Sports and Ron McLean. Go crawl back to Toronto and New York the both of you...

deanofnucks

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