IOC not happy with Canadian women's ice hockey gold celebration

[Yamer]

Wait, didn't the 72 team have cigars at center ice in the Luzhniki Ice Palace after game 8?

[GirlySports]

if the americans had done this, there would have been a national outcry.

[Canuck-Hater]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

if the americans had done this, there would have been a national outcry.

I doubt that. I know it wouldnt bother me, the team has every right to celebrate.

[Peanut]

Originally Posted by Gerry

I think that in each and every case cited in the post above that it is relevant for the IOC to decide if these sports continue to be a part of the Olympics. Canadian men's dominance in hockey is irrelevant because that dominance no longer exists. At the time, it would have been relevant, but no longer.

But it is relevant because they were dominant because it was a new sport to the Olympics. Just like women's hockey is a new sport to the Olympics now.

So the point is that by having women's hockey in the Olympics, it brings more attention to the sport and other countries will start developing women's hockey programs, etc. etc. leading to a more balanced competition over time. Just like we see now with men's hockey.

[Netskot]

Originally Posted by Yamer

Wait, didn't the 72 team have cigars at center ice in the Luzhniki Ice Palace after game 8?

The '72 team deserved to smoke the finest cigars until they couldn't see each other within a 2 foot radius, drinking the finest oak aged wines and champagnes to a point of being too intoxicated to remain conscious.

[Gerry]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

if the americans had done this, there would have been a national outcry.

I disagree. I'm not sure why you would think this to be true.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

The only thing worth discussing IMO, is the underage drinking.

If it was a team of 16 year-olds and the coach told them that if they won she'd buy them a couple of cases a beer to celebrate, then I'd have a problem with the underage drinking.

The team is based in and trains in Calgary, where it's perfectly legal for an 18 year-old to purchase alcohol. I doubt that anyone even gave it a second thought when they handed her a beer. I'm not even sure what the drinking laws are in this country. Is it only illegal to sell/provide alcohol to a minor? Or is it actually illegal for her to consume alcohol?

Whoever provided the beer to the team (Molson, I assume) might face a fine for not controlling the distribution of the alcohol, otherwise, I don't think even the "underage" drinking is a big deal.


If the Penguins had won the Cup in 2008, Crosby wouldn't have been old enough to drink champagne from the Cup after the game (he was further from his 21st birthday than Poulin is from her 19th). Does anyone think he wouldn't have? Would anyone been up in arms over it if he had?

[VladtheImpaler]

For the record I don't care about the celebration itself - I am not a tiny bit "outraged". I think it's kind of classless (in line with the 10th goals over-the-top celebrations), but meh. I just find the whole thing "a bit much" for a 2-team sport. Like I said earlier in the thread - make it a best of 7 - at least there will be some competitive games.
I personally find it unwatchable because the hockey is so awful. I get that men are stronger and faster - I am not looking for Scott Stevens hits or Matthew Lombardi speed from them. But why are these essentially professional hockey players, who have been playing all their life, and basically on the same team, so unskilled??? Why can't they pass or use teammates or make creative plays? There is no reason why women can't be as "skilled" as men after years of practice. These were the best 2 teams, yet what I see is: get puck at red line, skate in straight line, ignore teammate(s), take weak shot, rinse, repeat. Explain that to me, defenders of the women's game - why can't they play better hockey???

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Originally Posted by Yamer

Wait, didn't the 72 team have cigars at center ice in the Luzhniki Ice Palace after game 8?

They also didn't have women's hockey in the Olympics back then. Think we should return to the way things were back then?

[Yamer]

Originally Posted by Netskot

The '72 team deserved to smoke the finest cigars until they couldn't see each other within a 2 foot radius, drinking the finest oak aged wines and champagnes to a point of being too intoxicated to remain conscious.

True.....

but wouldn't that make it tradition?

[Yamer]

Originally Posted by GreenTeaFrapp

They also didn't have women's hockey in the Olympics back then. Think we should return to the way things were back then?

I....don't quite understand your point.

I was just trying to point out that this isn't exactly new to our nation....and at least we did it on home ice this time.

Anyway, no....I don't miss the Cold War.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

Really, that's a pressing important issue to you that one of the women was 4 months away from turning 19? Had the games been held in Calgary, Winnipeg, Montreal, or Quebec City there would not have been any 'underage' drinking. It's also not like a bar or other establishment let her do it, but rather a team avoiding excluding their teammate from participating in their celebration.

Nope, never said it was a pressing important issue. I said it was the only matter even worth discussing. It was after all, illegal. That the only issue, really, not really pressing, or important. I'm sure there have been plenty of worse celebrations at these Olympics.

[Netskot]

I would compare women's hockey to the US and Mexico qualifying to the World Cup every 4 years.

If I can predict the 2 of the 3 teams going to the next 5 World Cups from Concacaf, they shouldn't celebrate their qualifying success.

[FurnaceFace]

Originally Posted by ricosuave

http://winterolympics.si.com/2010/02...ef=sihp&hpt=T2

I loved his comments at the end.

Late-night update: In the latest moronic piece of news to come out of the IOC, executive director Gilbert Felli says they will investigate the celebration. “It is not what we want to see,” he told the Associated Press. “I don’t think it’s a good promotion of sport values. If they celebrate in the changing room, that’s one thing, but not in public. We will investigate what happened.” And the reason Felli had to react to it? Because an equally lame reporter from the AP called to inform him about it and ask for a comment. Is it possible to just see something like this, laugh at it, and be happy for these girls? At least Steve Keough, the Canadian Olympic Committee spokesman whom the AP called, had a reasonable answer: “In terms of the actual celebration,” he said, “it’s not exactly something uncommon in Canada.”
A word for the IOC, and reporters casting this as a negative incident: Please, just let Team Canada have their fun. What they did was refreshingly authentic. Don’t punish them for it.

My bolding, not his.

Originally Posted by GirlySports

if the americans had done this, there would have been a national outcry.

I believe it would have been the exact same people kvetching about The Canadian teaming doing it and the exact same people saying "what's the big deal".

[HPLovecraft]

Looking at those pictures, they are kind of strange to see being done on the ice while still in uniform. Couldn't they have gone to the locker room to force feed one another champagne and smoke cigars? Kids do watch the Olympics. Call me old fashion, but I like a little more respect shown for the game. I don't care how they celebrate, but they don't need to do it at center ice. As said before, not outraged, it does seem in line with this women's team.

[Flamesguy_SJ]

From Elliot Friedman's Twitter:

In other news, IOC to investigate last 100 Stanley Cup Final celebrations.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Originally Posted by Yamer

I....don't quite understand your point.

I was just trying to point out that this isn't exactly new to our nation....and at least we did it on home ice this time.

We've evolved from those days where smoking was socially acceptable into a society that treats smoking tobacco as the revolting act that it is.

[ricosuave]

[Flacker]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

For the record I don't care about the celebration itself - I am not a tiny bit "outraged". I think it's kind of classless (in line with the 10th goals over-the-top celebrations), but meh. I just find the whole thing "a bit much" for a 2-team sport. Like I said earlier in the thread - make it a best of 7 - at least there will be some competitive games.
I personally find it unwatchable because the hockey is so awful. I get that men are stronger and faster - I am not looking for Scott Stevens hits or Matthew Lombardi speed from them. But why are these essentially professional hockey players, who have been playing all their life, and basically on the same team, so unskilled??? Why can't they pass or use teammates or make creative plays? There is no reason why women can't be as "skilled" as men after years of practice. These were the best 2 teams, yet what I see is: get puck at red line, skate in straight line, ignore teammate(s), take weak shot, rinse, repeat. Explain that to me, defenders of the women's game - why can't they play better hockey???

Why can't Russian men play better hockey? Apparently they suck too! Malkin, Ovie, Kovalchuk, and they can only muster up two goals in an elimination game. They shouldn't send a men's team next olympics. They couldn't make a cohesive play all game!

I can make stupid arguments too!

[Netskot]

Originally Posted by Flamesguy_SJ

From Elliot Friedman's Twitter:

Thankfully the Canucks won't be burdened by this.