The IOC has labored and Dicky Pound and the 'Royal Canucks' have taken a stand. The IOC 'hearts' Russian athletes, they abhor the Russian medal-producing system that fills them full of performance enhancing drugs and then hides the 'facts' from honest people. Russia is officially banned from the 2018 Olympics in Korea, but individual Russian athletes - who have shown themselves to be 'dope free' - may participate as 'independents', under the Olympic banner. I hope the only Russians who would do that are the ones who can't make the US team. For this all started in America.
After the Sochi Olympics, a pair of Russian athletes defected to the USA. On arrival they told the story of how Russian competitors - maybe even them - were doped to provide their very best performances at the Olympics. Shortly thereafter, the man who headed the Russian anti-doping program defected, too, and with him came 'chapter and verse' on who was doped and how they did it and even more particularly, how they avoided getting caught. That involved holes drilled in walls and urine samples slipped into the testing labs in the dead of night by NKVD secret agents. I'm thinking that if any of that doping moved a fifth place loser into silver or gold contention it was an effort well spent. For along with the dope there was also the small matter of beating the best in the world.
I'm pretty sure that, among the best in the world, taking something to ameliorate a problem, or even to ensure an untroubled or pain free effort - 'using' is not something they pass-up lightly. I think many of them dope, it's just that anti-doping is so fool-receptive that few of them get caught.
Canada 's singular doper, Big Ben Jonson, probably wasn't smart enough to appreciate that the 'vitamins' the team doctor as infecting him with, weren't. But he won the gold and PO’ed the US champ - who started the rumours, later borne out in substance, that Benny had been custom-doped to 'excel' on his big day. His doctor confessed, Ben was banned, lost his gold and lucrative series of commercial contracts. After that Canada learned a lesson; no Canucks have been caught doping since. (One (Gold Medal-winning) snowboarder was accused of being under the influence of 'pot' - no particular performance-enhancer - but he said he might have inhaled it 'accidentally' while visiting 'toking' friends. Although the rumours are out there about the good stuff. Let’s face it Olympic athletics are a career for those into it - training is what they do and perfecting ‘the instrument’ might require some medication. If it’s the kind of stuff that would get them banned, they're careful about it or, better still, they get a medical dispensation to 'test dirty'. Let's face it, no 'national hope' is going to be tested when they’re dirty - unless they're Russian, or citizens of Lower Slobbovia.
Russia seems to be covering-up well the fact that it's going down the 'caca hole'. Or, perhaps, the Russians are 'enjoying the ride'. Whatever it is, they seem to be disconnected from the 'facts' on the ground, or at least the groundswell of caterwauling and accusations of 'disrupting world order', 'threats to world peace', destabilizing neighbor countries, downing airliners (their own and other peoples') bombing middle eastern hospitals and - the very latest - cheating at the Olympics.
Russia may be a media hell-hole, but we still 'heart' those Russians. We'd be more than willing for them rise up and cast off their chains.
Putin's great Syrian adventure is being 'doomed and gloomed' as Mr Obama's similar adventure wasn't. But then he doesn't have any 'coalition', or 'duties to protect' anybody. Well neither does America really, either. There are some people very interested in regime change, or thorough destabilization in Syria but it's hard to see the benefit, other than to be having 'that' happening 'over there' rather than 'over here'. Some of the protagonists will get the blow-back, if any, before the USA does. Russia may be one (IS, now according to the wise) of them. But it's a fair statement to make that Russian bombing isn't going to be any more militarily-successful than coalition bombing has been - other than to pound the rubble into smaller particles. The one essential point, I think, missed by so many commentators - the reason Assad didn't fall like other 'tyrants', the reason the civil war in Syria still rages - is because the half of the Syrian population that haven't fled into refugee camp, are still there, fighting for their homeland and their President. They're not all 'free Syria rebels' and the Jihadis are, largely, not Syrians at all. As in a previous Afghan 'quagmire', Russia is not alone.
The US secretary of defense Ash Cater recently pegged Putin for threatening world peace and the 'world order'. He must have been listening to Kristol and Perle's 'Visions of Amerika' again, for he seems to think that if it isn't America doing the military stuff it has to be an enemy. This week however he's 'sticking up' for those around the East China Sea who can't stick up for themselves. But that's all about China and another threat.
Putin continues to 'disrupt' gallant little EUkrainia. He was recently accused of sending 'modern weapons' into eastern Ukraine because somebody claimed a T90 tank has appeared in the east - it looks remarkably similar to the T80 , 82, 85 or 88 tanks that have already appeared in eastern Ukraine - usually unloaded from a western Ukrainian railroad cars. Somebody also seems to think Putin has slipped in a newer variety of rocket artillery with which to 'invade' the place. So far OSCE has failed to come up with any evidence that Russians are crossing the border with anything, but we KNOW they are, eh?
Just like we 'know' they downed the Malaysian airliner, but we can't prove it and, like, they probably downed their own over the Sinai just for sympathy. The good guys didn't drop it, see?
Just recently, we think, or pretty well know, they've been cheating at the Olympics. Not the ones at Sochi, where they almost certainly did cheat, no, the ones in England - where we found 'evidence' of two labs in Russia doing doping tests and covering-up results by losing things and misplacing samples. As if the Russians were testing their athletes who won in London, taking the samples back to Moscow? If they were, there is something wrong with that, and probably the rest of the doping testing regime as well. Once again he media is full of reputed wrongdoings and demands for sanctions. One writer even opined that it might would be good for the Rio Olympics if Russia was banned and its 'allies' boycotted - more medals for the real 'sports'. Maybe the US should boycott in protest? It should be simple to drum up another coalition.
Putinic Russia meanders on to economic ruin and political turmoil while the pacific west apparently hits new heights of stock market activity and consumer confidence. Sadly, all that 'progress' is nonexistent outside the first world and increasingly to more denizens of that, as well. Things are great if you have a) a steady income and b) a 'good' job and really great if you're in the top 15 percent.
Leonhid Berszhidski, writing for the National Post, points out that the current brouhaha, and especially the ceasefire, have shown Ukrainian weaknesses - he describes this as "the rot at Ukraine's core". Whether or not there ever was a ceasefire, let alone a war in the east, Ukraine has been rotten on the inside for a long time. But he can't say the 'skin' isn't impressive. If you take a look at some of the malarky coming out of the place, you get the notion it's just another house of cards waiting to get kicked-in .
Well, for starters there is that 'new' police force being depended-on to bring Eukrainia beyond the knout and the billy club. You know the ones with the US-style uniforms - paid for be guess who - (so that's why). But those service 'shakos' look more like something the SS sported on dress-up day - black with the silver piping, all that's missing is a little totenkopf. And where did they get the training - why from US cops of course, but I haven't been able to figure out what city, or cities they came from. That would have to cause some confusion, for America doesn't have a much of a homogeneous police force outside the military and the FBI. Watch for the tasers and the 'SWAT' squad - although there are a number of security and militia units already doing those. Interesting, too, that the top echelon chosen to command this are a number of Georgian ladies - ex-government and police officials come to help Saarkaasvili birth Ukraine into NATO and the EU. Like Ukraine, they thought a military showdown with Putin was a good way to start. Like Georgia the money and effort were wasted and the military came out a bust.
The Stones didn't appear, but at least we were all spared a reprise of octogenarian Sir Paul doing 'Live and Let Die' again. And so ended the games of the 40th Olympiad in London.
The games themselves were fairly unremarkable - which is probably a good thing given all the security measures that went into that. A couple of new records set - one of them remarkably so. The glory of sport was duly celebrated and the world was at times thrilled. In the western part of the world at least, the games were largely a media event. Even for those attending, the media had to be relied-upon given the disparate venues and an awesome number of daily events and competitions. There were gold medals awarded from the early morning of the first day, until an hour and a half before the closing ceremonies. And the media did it's standard hack job on everything.
Canada had an 'Olympic Consortium", viz CTV et al, running things in London. The featured talking heads - one Brian Williams and the bountiful Lisa LaFlamme (I'm not making that name up) came across as a graduate of the Ted Baxter school of broadcast journalism and the High School Guidance councillor we all wish we'd had once, or even twice. Williams was ridiculous from day one when he pontificated how 'correct' US presidential candidate Mitt Romney had been, to 'call' the Brits on their game preparations. He concluded his final broadcast 'for the last time' wth equal fatuity. He won't be back, thank providence, as his former employer, CBC, has locked-up the next two Olympics and he had 'deserted' their ship to go with CTV.
LaFlamme was simply gushing but there's a significant cleavage there going unused.
Despite the gas, CTV couldn't outdo somebody in the Irish media covering a dinghy sailing competition, although I'm sure they tried; here's the Irish effort (which has gone viral - a good thing for comedian Chris Tordoff, who could replace Williams anyday.)
And another Irish take on the Olympics - given the significance, in Irish history, of August 12th.
Overall the Canadian coverage yo-yoed between 'tragedy striking' (again and again and again - as the song says), 'deep disappointment' on many occasions and the unexpected triumph a gold medal in an event CTV had decided was too unimportant to cover. The surprise winner became a sudden non-icon given the rest of the team who weren't. We settled for adoration of the Bolt - even remarking on his 'triumph' over members of the Swedish Womens handball team who visited him 'in chambers' for 'photos' - and who, apparently, were gone when he flashed the 'three for victory' sign as he sat on his rumpled bed later.
And so let the recriminations begin.
I'd start with firing Mark ("I'll discipline you later") Tewksberry, the 'chef de mission' who has a career plotted out in foreign affairs anyway. I'd also fire Merklinger who oversaw the $230 million spent over the past 4 years to develop a 'team of winners' to 'own the podium'. Somebody has to take responsibility for all the balderdash about our 'slam-dunk' athleticism and the consequent 20/20 hindsight and excuse-making that follow a failure to win. Back to the 'drawring board' it may have to be, but the last set of 'draftsartists' shouldn't be designing the next effort.
And so to the show itself. I only saw the worst bit of the three hour extravaganza. The tail end of some realian and his phantom choir - a future concert for a close relative's punitive concert series. That was followed by a 'digital appearance' by the late Freddy Mercury getting the crowd worked-up with a Kodaly voice exercise and then the remains of Queen, with a rather fetching brunette, to sing the national hockey arena anthem 'We Will Rock You". After that the Brazilians embarrassed themselves with a preview of what may be to come in Rio. The samba dancers and rainforst denizens, military snipers and a moveable array of mysterious golden columns were topped-off with some slick willie dance instruction and a portuguese-speaking comedian, rap artist in a pimp outfit. That's all I could take.
Whaddi miss? Russell Brand in his unwashed glory. Annie Lennox on a pirate ship. Ray Davies of the former Kinks doing 'Waterloo Sunset' - a big hit of which most people who aren't Kinksters would never have heard. The Who closed out the evening with 'M-M-M-My G-Generation' and of course the Spice Girls reunited in all their feminine puchritude to outdo a parade of supermodels and the world-class bathroom boy, George Michaels. It was reportedly glorious. I did miss the fireworks.
I'll bet the Russkis can stretch their ceremonies to four hours and the Brazilians can go all night. So much to look forward to.
In a previous blog I had remarked on how well the sports psychologists had prepped Canada's athletes for the upcoming contest. I'd also noted how many of the athletes were bumming and blowing about owning stuff - the sport, the slopes, the gold.
One of those cracked-up to be a real contender was a chap called Osborne-Paradis who claimed to know the slopes at Whistler better than anybody else on earth. All he had to do he claimed was pick out his course within the boundaries and down the slope and 'by gar' them Postes Canada better have that new stamp about Canadian gold rolling of the presses with his champion's grin front and centre.
Osborne-Paradis
Well it seems that fate or bad manners or something, put a "bump" in this wunderkind's progress, and being as he hadn't noticed it before, it almost knocked him out of the race completely. So we should all be eating maple leafs to-day rejoicing in the fact that his 17th place finish should line him up good for the 2014 games.
Like, I know I shouldn't be cracking-off about those who do while I don't, but there's a certain amount of shit blowing around these days telling you you're less of a Canadian if you're not supporting our athletics or chipping in a donation to help 'sports' at Zellers. Just like I don't support General Rick, or any of the other troops who think that they're in Afghanistan to kill a 'scumbag' for me, I don't support the fatuous 'aces' who talk a great game and then fail to place. Unlike me, they're afforded a lot of free time, facilities and public support to represent themselves and, vicariously, the rest of us, doing something they at least claim to love doing. But spare us the hot air. Be humble and do your best. If you ain't bragging you've got my support. If you show yourself to be a good sport, you've got it in spades - even if you don't win anything.
Osborne-Paradis has one more event in this Olympics. Maybe this embarrassment will help him shut-up, focus and, maybe, do better. But I doubt it. Blaming a bump for not being able to handle a bump says something about character that tends describe the 'loser'.
PS Can you spell hubris - he blew his last chance, too. Maybe he'll be a better man for it, but I'd watch the drinking.
The 2010 Winter Olympics opened the other night in Vancouver. For all the hoopla, it was, really, quite unremarkable. The light show was very good - Canadians seem to have a knack for the 'magic' of lighting - unless they were all imported from Disney World. That the first nations would be featured was understandable too. I didn't think all the reverence for our pseudo royalty, the Governess Generale, was necessary - God Save the Queen and O Canada fanfare? It was almost embarrassing to have the two twenty somethings behind her waving home to mom from the 'vice-regal box', it was embarrassing to have the bozos there yakking through the national anthem and it was a hoot to have the native chiefs show up 'fashionably' late. From there, however, - the Canadian thing went weird.
There were Canada's entertainers - mostly those who had international (viz American) appeal. Brian Addams was himself, Nelly in her latest resurrection as a hooker with a heart o'gold was suitably slinky. The wildings of Canadian east coast druids was something only a Charlie Daniels fan could appreciate. Leather-clad and paratroop booted plaided 'scots' - laced and bodiced, net-stockinged daughters of the dawn, providing some sort of coven to enchant the gods. Mr KD Lang - Canada's officially first 'closet leaver' - reprised Orson Welles in a rendition of , what was described in the media as a 'religious song', Lenny Bernstein's 'Alleluia' - it ain't religious. But maybe her/his white suit was meant to tie into the white suits of those who bore the Olympic flag into the stadium - a melange of notables from stage, screen and sporting rink. The torch was also run into the venue by a series of Canadian sportsters - some pro and most ex-Olympians. The planned indoor torch - which must have been designed to look like a log campfire malfunctioned; and poor old Wayne Gretzky got to ride capless in the back of a pick-up truck, for a seven or eight minute trip through rainy streets to a harbour-side 'campfire' that was to burn for the Olympic period. There were times when I'm sure he thought some of the free-stylers running alongside the pick-up truck were coming over the side to say 'howdy'. Or maybe , even worse, they would be protesters out to create an truck-bed incident! Dopers and winos don't run that fast, for that long and the ladies of the evening just don't run at all.
The City of Vancouver has gone out of its way to hide the lady's warts and pimples. They've blocked off the thriving demi-monde that city has developed - the gritty underbelly common in so many world-class places. The bozos and bums aren't getting anywhere near the venues trod by those in search of Olympic Spirit. But those seekers are free to explore some of the city's seamier delights. The high class gals - from Calgary, Toronto and Montreal will be resident up in the upscale mountain 'digs' for the relief of Olympic 'stress'. The Toronto Star was remarking on how even the video backdrops and shooting points have been vectored off to show the only the city's 'good side'.
Speaking of the Star, they've decided to 'blow the budget' on the Olympics providing the 'deepest' coverage in Canada with nine or a dozen top staffers on-site - the Star delegation was bigger than the Olympic team from a number of countries. After the first day, the most remarkable stories they could come up with are two 'love stories' about participants, and a paean to how the reigning Canadian 'World Ladies Moguls Champ' did really well, placing second to an American with a 'blown knee'. We should feel good about that; "So near, and yet so far", as Rosie DiManno put it. At least that's better than one of those 'Olympic boyfriends' getting himself eliminated from a speed skating event he was supposed to contending for a medal in. The women's hockey team trounced the first-time-out Slovaks 13 - zip. Unless there is some competition (like from the Canadians on the US team) they might be our best chance for a gold.
What gets me is all the hooting about the 'golds we're going to get this time'. Now it may be part of the sport 'psychology' done to 'prep' heroes to do their best, but it strikes me that a notable lack of humility might just be calling down something Freud knew about but denied, 'hubris'. Even if there aren't any gods and goddesses up on Olympus to mess up the big-headed, losing after you've been bumming and blowing how 'you own' something, couldn't be too good for the ego. But it seems that some of our 'big hopes' might be willing to settle for just that, and a two week holiday in the Athlete's village with all them free prophylactics. We'll be seeing.
I would like to see more of the athletes who just say they're going to do their best. That's my Olympic Dream.
