Canada's Olympics

BossHog · Post by **BossHog** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 3:45 pm

Well I had to make this post while i still could...

As of right this second... the Canadians actually have more medals than the Americans. I'm not gloating... not at all... it's just significant because I don't think it's ever happened in my lifetime.... well not unless it was the first two hours of the games or something like that.

Canada just won their 7th medal in two days with the Gold and Silver medals in the Men's skleton. They also won a bronze in the men's Snowboard X today.

Yesterday we won a bronze in Men's figure skating, a bronze in women's skeleton and silvers in both the men's and women's longtrack speed skating (pursuit). That brings our medal total to eleven... which I believe is half our best medal total ever (22, 2002). It's also one more than the Americans had at the time I started typing this (might have changed by the time I'm done :roll:

).

We get what we pay for in Canada... amateur athletes don't get anywhere near the support that they need... but having the next Olympics here mandated that we did up the ante a little for this set of games, and so far the athletes have performed very, very well.

Hopefully I'm not mojoing them by making note of their performance, but I just wanted to say great job to the Canadian athletes so far and to keep it up. I'm sure RiC is enjoying it as much as I am.

Skinsfan55 · Post by **Skinsfan55** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 3:59 pm

I'll tip my hat to Canada, while still keeping in mind that the US has the most gold medals so far in the games.

Still Canada is tied for second with 11 total medals, which is pretty cool.

Punu · Post by **Punu** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 4:13 pm

Wow America Junior is doing pretty well.

BossHog · Post by **BossHog** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 4:15 pm

If 'America junior' spent 'America senior' money on amateur athletics, our ability to train year long for the winter olympics might actually mean giving america senior a run in the medal hunt over the entire haul.

My 2 cents

Punu · Post by **Punu** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 12:03 am

If 'America junior' spent 'America senior' money on amateur athletics, our ability to train year long for the winter olympics might actually mean giving america senior a run in the medal hunt over the entire haul.

We cant help that we like to invest in our so called "amateur athletics", we take pride in all of our sports and everything we do.

UK Skins Fan · Post by **UK Skins Fan** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 9:05 am

I feel the need to salute the magnificent silver medal that the UK's brave athletes will be bringing back from Italy. Skeleton bob - now that's a sport. You can keep your namby pamby ice hockey - sliding down mountains on dinner plates is real sport.

And we haven't even finished with the the curling yet. Should be good for a medal or maybe two.

Hell, we even won a skiing medal last time out, until somebody detected a dodgy nasal decongestant in our man's blood stream.

I'm telling you, the UK is well on the way to being the greatest winter sports nation in the world. And I heard that from a taxi driver, so it must be true.

Now, if only the UK government would reach into it's pockets and start supporting sport, then we might avoid humiliation on home soil in 2012.

BossHog · Post by **BossHog** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 10:23 am

Punu wrote:
If 'America junior' spent 'America senior' money on amateur athletics, our ability to train year long for the winter olympics might actually mean giving america senior a run in the medal hunt over the entire haul.

We cant help that we like to invest in our so called "amateur athletics", we take pride in all of our sports and everything we do.

It wasn't a slam on the Americans, it was a slam on the Canadians for not supporting their athletes enough.

The Winter Games in Vancouver WILL change that to a large extent though and Canada will likely make it's best showing ever there. Unfortunately it seems that Canada only cares about their olympic athletes (finanially) about once every four years. :oops:

.. and UK... what's Eddie the Eagle doing these days? Man, that guy was a trip and a half. ROTFALMAO

Punu · Post by **Punu** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 11:43 am

I was watch'n last night and I saw the states and canada whoop'n butt!

BossHog · Post by **BossHog** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 1:08 pm

... and the mojo has officially begun... Canada loses 2-0 to Swiss in men's hockey. :oops:

Great game from the Swiss, especially the goaltender... Canada had a couple of tough calls but in the end, didn't play near well enough to win a game that the other team showed up ready to give 110 percent.

Typical Pat Quinn coached team. :-"

... good thing it was only a round round game and not for all the marbles. Now the Czech / Canada game is back to being of HUGE significance.

UK Skins Fan · Post by **UK Skins Fan** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 2:10 pm

Boss - Eddie is still making some headlines even now. Read it and weep (with laughter):
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_ob ... _page.html

Or perhaps you'd like to book him for a corporate event? More info here:
http://www.nyt.co.uk/eddiethe.htm

He still makes lucrative apparances at all the best places:
http://www.0-21.co.uk/newsposts/EEEEFEFulldCSeiDII.html
I take issue with the reference to "Britain's most famous winter sportsman"!

But this one just cracks me up. From The Derby Gripe (really), comes this gem:

You have to ask yourself how someone can do so badly in a sport which simply requires you to bend your legs and wait

http://www.derbygripe.co.uk/theeagle.htm

UK Skins Fan · Post by **UK Skins Fan** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 2:15 pm

BossHog wrote:

The Winter Games in Vancouver WILL change that to a large extent though and Canada will likely make it's best showing ever there. Unfortunately it seems that Canada only cares about their olympic athletes (finanially) about once every four years.

For Canada, you could just as easily say UK. I prey that winning the Olympics in 2012 will see a step change in investment in UK sport, and a complete rethink of the involvement of government. For as long as I can remember, all politicians here have wanted to do is to cuddle up to any medal winner in a photo op, without ever having contributed anything to the furtherment of that athlete's career. Their attitude makes me shudder.

Redskin in Canada · Post by **Redskin in Canada** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 9:19 am

BossHog wrote:Typical Pat Quinn coached team. :-"

For those who may not know it. Pat Quinn is the coach of BH's favourite NHL team. :idea:

Di Pietro was a very good player for the Canadiens...

... a decade ago! :shock:

And they do have a solid defense man from the current team, and a Canadian coach but still! Come on.

Having said that, Switzerland is emerging as a medal contender and Canada should have taken big notice when they defeated the Czech Republic. :evil:

Amendment:

Canada lost to Finland today. Things are looking pretty grim right now. They are going to have to dig deep in their hearts if they still want to have a good tournament. :cry:

thaiphoon · Post by **thaiphoon** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 7:13 pm

Boss - you guys are doign really well. Congrats !!!

It, so far, has been a disappointing Olympics for the U.S. following Salt Lake City in 2002

UK Skins Fan · Post by **UK Skins Fan** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 3:53 pm

I wrote:

And we haven't even finished with the the curling yet. Should be good for a medal or maybe two.

OK, let's revise that down to "maybe good for a medal, perhaps, possibly."

welch · Post by **welch** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:48 pm

And we haven't even finished with the the curling yet. Should be good for a medal or maybe two.

First, can somebody explain what curling is all about? I know it's played by a team that pushes a stone down an ice rinl, and there are people who run in front with brooms. But what's the goal?

Irn-Bru · Post by **Irn-Bru** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:49 pm

For what it's worth, welch. . .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curling#Basics_of_the_game

(I always approach Wikipedia a bit cautiously, but figure no one's got anything to gain from giving misinformation on curling. . .)

welch · Post by **welch** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 8:12 pm

Thanks, FFA. So curling is like team shuffleboard on ice using 45 pound stones. Tricky.

UK Skins Fan · Post by **UK Skins Fan** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 3:27 pm

Curling is a game that is superficially extremely dull, but can lure you into its web, once you start to understand some of the nuances. While watching it, I still have no real idea what's going on until the last three or four stones are delivered!

Britain's women's team won the gold medal in Salt Lake City, as much to our surprise as everybody else's. For Britain, you may as well say Scotland, as curling barely exists south of the border. Scotland is the spiritual home of curling, but Canada is undoubtedly the current stronghold of the game. I believe Canada have strong chances in both the men's and women's competitions in Turin, however Britain's women's team have sadly been eliminated before the semi-final stage.

DESkins · Post by **DESkins** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 1:31 pm

UK Skins, please keep the Scottish connection with curling quiet! It's bad enough we get blamed for inventing golf, without adding to the indignities that we must suffer! And good luck to the Canadian team, as well as all others, in the Olympics!

UK Skins Fan · Post by **UK Skins Fan** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 3:14 pm

DESkins wrote:UK Skins, please keep the Scottish connection with curling quiet! It's bad enough we get blamed for inventing golf, without adding to the indignities that we must suffer! And good luck to the Canadian team, as well as all others, in the Olympics!

I'm sure nobody's noticed DE-your secret is safe. :-#

DESkins · Post by **DESkins** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 9:40 am

Let's hope so!

Irn-Bru · Post by **Irn-Bru** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 4:19 pm

I'm sorry about the Canada - Russia game, Boss.

UK Skins Fan · Post by **UK Skins Fan** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 2:48 pm

UK Skins Fan wrote:I wrote:
And we haven't even finished with the the curling yet. Should be good for a medal or maybe two.

OK, let's revise that down to "maybe good for a medal, perhaps, possibly."

Whoops. Final revision: "no chance of any medals in curling at all".

UK Skins Fan · Post by **UK Skins Fan** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 2:50 pm

FanfromAnnapolis wrote:I'm sorry about the Canada - Russia game, Boss.

Those darned Ruskies looked pretty good. Canada always appeared to be second best, but it was unfortunate that these two teams had to fight each other in the last 8.