Well, the last of my 2010 Olympic wish list is complete. I was hard at work (if you can call it that) last week to cross the remaining three items off my list and I’m proud to announce that I’ve done just that (all in one day, actually).
Here’s how I did it. As I tweeted (yeah, I said “tweeted”) first thing in the morning on Wednesday, it was a beautiful summer day here in Vancouver — oh wait! I’ll start by reiterating how great the weather has been for the better part of these Olympic Games. I’m actually wearing shorts and a T-shirt as I sit here writing this blog, trying to take my eyes off the CTV Olympic coverage before me.
Anyways, I started the day off by heading downtown (which was yet again jam-packed with people) with the family to check out the Olympic cauldron. It was a cool sight to see, for sure. Unfortunately, the cauldron was surrounded by a chain-link fence (which was originally much further back than it is now), that prevented us from getting too close. However, the fence did have a gap in between to allow fence-less photos of the cauldron to be taken. And as of Saturday, the fence has been replaced by a plexiglass barrier, which accommodates those who’d like a photo with the cauldron, not of the cauldron. Personally, I’m content with a photo of the cauldron. See the Olympic cauldron: check. Next on tap for the day was the Sweden vs. Germany men’s hockey game. Just as I cleared security to enter Canada Hockey Place, so did Mr. Gary Bettman, the commissioner of the National Hockey League. Without hesitation, my brother and I asked for a picture with the villain himself. Bettman was actually very friendly as he complied with our request. But after we parted ways, I regretted not asking him some questions. For example, why don’t you want NHL players to compete in the 2014 Sochi Olympics? Are you not watching how exciting this tournament has been thus far (for what it’s worth, I know there’s more to it than that)? Or, how do you justify putting/keeping franchises in non-hockey markets like Atlanta and Phoenix instead of hockey-crazed Canadian cities with willing financial backers (hello Jim Balsillie) like Winnipeg, Hamilton, or Quebec City? I guess I’m still more of a fan than I am a journalist. Meet someone famous: check. (This was originally “meet a notable athlete,” but as you can see I’ve expanded the definition of this item on the list). With that being said, I plan on making a last-ditch effort to meet the great Sidney Crosby (I guess I really am still a fan). Stay tuned. I ended the day by taking in the Sweden vs. Germany men’s hockey game at Canada Hockey Place. Although the game itself wasn’t necessarily the most exciting I’ve ever seen (Sweden won 2-0), it was a great, fun experience. I’ve never been to a soccer game in Europe, but I imagine the atmosphere at this game was something similar. Every few minutes, the crowd would burst out into different chants (I couldn’t understand them for the life of me, but I still found myself trying to sing along more often than not). Attend a men’s hockey game: check. Now that my Olympic wish-list is complete, so is my Olympic experience in Vancouver. I return to the nation’s capital bright and early Sunday morning (thank you Carleton), just in time for the Canada vs. USA men’s hockey game, which has all the makings to be an absolute gem. I know most of you reading this probably call Ontario home, so this is probably not what you want to hear. But being back in Vancouver during these games has confirmed what I think I already knew: West Coast = best coast.