It’s Too Bad London Doesn’t Have A Game Like Hockey To Cling To…
March 12, 2010
It’s London’s turn now.
Any hopes that London would be “a back to reality” Games may be exaggerated partly because London has a global reputation it cannot afford to jeopardise, but mainly because the Olympics have become so commercial.
London is “on budget and on time,” according to organisers, but the cost is about three times the original estimate. The economic downturn scuppered its private and public partnership plans for two of the park’s biggest projects, the Olympic Village and media centre, forcing the taxpayer to step in.
Experts say the security budget of 600 million pounds, the same as Vancouver, is hopelessly optimistic given that Britain will be a much bigger target for potential attackers after its support of U.S. military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Other financial risks lie ahead, including a potential shortfall in the estimated sales revenue of the Olympic Village after the Games.
Despite London’s legacy promises, some lawmakers fear a lack of stadium tenants after the Games will result in venues lying empty at a cost of 276 million pounds, and fears are mounting that regeneration will just result in gentrification, with affluent residents moving in and pushing locals out.
Moves to safeguard company trademarks and stamp out ambush marketing, to preserve the monopoly of official advertisers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) logo, are raising concerns among civil liberty groups.
Pity they don’t have a hockey of their own to cling to in warding off despair. Javelin won’t send them screaming out on the streets, hammered and spanking cop horses for the love of the game. When the financial costs are assuaged in the mind by the emotional high that comes with a national fetish well met, it all seems worthwhile. Synchronized swimming? Right…good luck with that.
Lindsey Vonn And Vail Resorts Celebrate Achievements At “C”
March 5, 2010
(photo: ctankcycles)
News from Scout supporter “C” Restaurant
Vancouver, BC | C Restaurant was selected by Vail Resorts as the location to celebrate U.S. athlete Lindsey Vonn and her Olympic achievements. On Saturday, February 27, 2010, C hosted one of the most exciting and anticipated parties of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Read more
Share Where Were You When Crosby Scored At 7:40 Into OT…
March 4, 2010
The folks behind the local design firm Evoke ID have started a website called Sidney 7:40, which allows Canadians to share where they were when Sidney Crosby scored the overtime winner in the gold medal men’s hockey game. They’ve also designed a simple t-shirt (logo above) that I want more than breakfast. Check it out. For my part, I was in West Van on Sentinel Hill with my family, eating nachos and drinking beer. We yelled so hard that we nearly broke the windows. And you? Spill it here.
The Sound Vancouver Made The Moment Sidney Crosby Scored…
March 3, 2010
Via KK, a video showing an uncharacteristically sleepy Vancouver moments before Sidney Crosby went five-hole on Miller to win gold for Canada in men’s hockey. Wait for the roar. It happens at 1:19.
Guess What? Canadians Drink A Hell Of A Lot When Celebrating
March 1, 2010
Two things. First, Sean Gregory over at Time is a bit of a wuss. Second, burp…
Believe me, I’m no prude. But all the yelling and screaming and woo-wooing gets grating. These are the fourth Olympics I’ve covered, and Vancouver drinks Athens, Torino and Beijing under the table. I asked a few Olympic journalists who have covered more Games than I have to rate Vancouver on the intoxication scale. Vahe Gregorian of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who has covered eight Olympics, dating back to Atlanta in 1996, agreed with my chart-topping assessment. In reference to downtown Vancouver’s main strip of nightclubs, he said: “Granville Street itself is unlike anything I’ve seen at an Olympics.” And he noted that all the drinking in Vancouver has led to a lot of public urinating. “I’ve personally witnessed about 8-10 guys whizzing at once along a fence a half a block off the main street,” he said. “It’s like the infield at the Kentucky Derby.”
Oh, you poor dears. Read the whole piece, and then burn it. Wait, that burning part might be a little tricky, but you’re probably so loaded you’ll give it a shot. Don’t.
Good Times From Street Hockey To Chants Of “BC Bud! BC Bud!”
February 23, 2010
A few clips from our weekend adventures. Good times.
HuffPo: “Does British Columbia Only Want White Tourists?”
February 16, 2010
Mike Barber of The Huffington Post is the fellow asking:
In the weeks leading up to the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia (BC), Tourism British Columbia released a new commercial it spent millions of dollars on in order to promote tourism in the province. The fact that most of the world already knew the 2010 winter Olympics were being held there apparently was not enough. The commercial features notable Canadians Michael J. Fox, Sarah McLachlan, Ryan Reynolds, Kim Cattrall, Steve Nash, and Eric McCormack; what it doesn’t feature is much ethnic diversity.
There are two versions: the 90-second and the 30-second version. The version most are likely familiar with is the 30-second version. I say that because it is the only version I have personally seen aired on Canadian TV; I wasn’t aware the 90-second version even existed until I came across it while searching for the commercial on YouTube. In either case, it is clear the intended target amongst potential tourists are only those as white as the snow featured in the many expensive aerial shots.
Never mind the fact that all the celebrities featured are white, in this version of the commercial there is not a single tourist with a discernible race other than white to be found. There is a token nod to Aboriginal culture for literally a second towards the end, but that’s about the only thing “ethnic” you’re going to see in this version of the promo.
Did Tourism BC err on this or are all of our readily identifiable (in the US market) celebrities white like rice? I understand David Suzuki probably isn’t very big in Texas, but with the absence of any colour in the spot, Barber has a point, albeit a cynical one. Call me naive, but I prefer to think we’re so post-racial here that it never even occurred to the team that greenlit the ad. That said, ad creatives do think about these things, don’t they? I’d hate to think a meeting was held and it was decided that BC would be more marketable if it was portrayed as a rugged whitefest. One of the BC’s greatest strengths is its diversity. It’s something that should be celebrated and sung to the rafters, no?
A Scout Olympic Drinking Game Designed To Enlarge Your Liver
February 13, 2010
It’s going to be an exceptionally long, exciting, and occasionally tedious couple of weeks in front of the telly, so we’ve put together a little drinking game to help you endure. Enjoy, and play responsibly (rules after the jump). Read more
Note To Olympic Athletes: Best Wear Your Cleanest Underwear
February 12, 2010
This video of UK bobsledder Gillian Cooke’s wardrobe malfunction has been making the rounds. Pow!
Stephen Colbert In Vancouver, Out To Defeat The Entire World
February 12, 2010
Stephen Colbert revealed his Shepard Fairey-designed poster on his show (The Colbert Report) last night and wants to see it downloaded and plastered around the city by the time he arrives to report on the Games. The doodle dandy will be doing his fake-right-wing news and commentary thing live at Creekside Park next to Science World at 1455 Quebec Street on February 17th and 18th at 9:15am.
