1) Well done, NIKE....once again, you've proven you should change your corporate name to Hype, Inc. Your boy, Bode Miller, did ya proud, didn't he? He's coming home with more gold than a prospector, isn't he? What? He isn't?? No, of course not! He's all talk and no show. Let's face it -- he said two years ago he had no interest in the Winter Olympics and, boy, was it apparent. He did get to party and rock, though, so it wasn't all for naught. I didn't think anyone could look more foolish than Reebok and its ill-fated campaign for "Dan and Dave" prior to the 1992 Summer Olympics, when Dan O'Brien failed to even qualify for the Olympic team. O'Brien returned four years later and ripped the world record for the decathlon to pieces. Expecting Bode to return in four years and make amends in Vancouver? I'm thinking by 2010, everyone will be saying, "Bode who??"
2) The United States finished with 25 total medals, including nine gold medals. It's the most medals we've ever won at an Olympics that were held outside the U.S. Impressive, right? Well, let's hold on a second. Let's subtract the medals won by the athletes from the Winter X Games and let's see what we have left -- just five gold medals and 14 total medals. Kind of puts a little damper on our performances, doesn't it? Except for Ted Ligety's win in the Combined, our men's alpine skiing team was a total flop. The women were not any better, either, returning with only one medal themselves, Julia Mancuso's win in the Giant Slalom (BTW, memo to Julia -- lose the tiara). Don't get me wrong -- I'm proud of the performances our Winter X Games athletes turned in. But frankly, I don't see why these events are being included in the Winter Olympics. They should stay right where they are, in the Winter X Games. Same for short-track speed skating, which is little more than Roller Derby on ice.
3) OK, Canada's showing in men's ice hockey was rather embarassing, by Canadian standards, but their showing was still better than ours was. If their record was embarassing, ours was humiliating. One win, one draw and four losses. ONE win! And we even struggled to get a draw with Latvia! If this is the best we can do after all this time, hockey in the U.S. is in BIG trouble. The NHL is having a hard enough time winning back the fans it lost during the work stoppage. One win in the Olympics with NHL players is not going to help that struggle a lot.
4) Raise your hand if you think we got played for fools by Chad Hedrick and Shani Davis. The media led us to believe these two were blood rivals, but as it turned out, they were probably playing possum all along. I have to wonder how much of their "rivalry" was real animosity and how much was just an act. Now, ask me again why I miss the newspaper business...
5) While Canada might have been disappointing in men's hockey, its overall team showing was remarkable. Canadians will bring home more medals (7-10-7=24) to the Great White North than at any previous Olympics, Winter or Summer. They will definitely be a force to be reckoned with in four years, when Vancouver hosts the Winter Olympics. Tres bien, Canada!
6) Last, but certainly not least, Italy hosted the Winter Olympics with the efficiency of a Ferrari. The Italians were warm and gracious hosts and they cheered the best ever showing for their country in Winter Olympic history with the same fervor that they do their soccer teams. Molte Grazie, Italia -- thanks for a wonderful Olympics!
