SCREAMING GOLD

BILL DEMONG WINS ANOTHER NORDIC MEDAL AT THE OLYMPICS. THIS TIME GOLD AND TEAM MATE JOHN SPILLANE JOINED HIM WITH SILVER. FIRST U.S. NORDIC GOLD MEDAL EVER.

AH MAN! UNREAL! THIS IS ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS I'LL REMEMBER WHERE I WAS WHEN BILLY WON GOLD. SITTING AT WORK. NO ONE ELSE IN THE OFFICE. SCREAMING AT THE COMPUTER SCREEN. ONE COMPUTER GETTING THE EUROVISION VIDEO FEED (fromsport.com) AND ANOTHER COMPUTER GETTING AN ENGLISH AUDIO FEED (linked from cyclingfans.com) AND SPLIT TIMES (nbcolympics.com).

THE ACCOUNTANT NEXT DOOR KNOCKED ON THE OFFICE DOOR TO SEE IF EVERYTHING WAS OKAY. FUNNY!

I MIGHT HAVE TO OFFICIALLY JOIN FACEBOOK SINCE THAT'S THE BEST WAY HE SAID TO GET IN TOUCH WITH HIM. YES, I SAID FACEBOOK.

PHEW!

Scared of NYC

I'm heading to New Jersey tomorrow for a team get-together. Otherwise know as a team training camp. No physical training going on. Just everyone getting together. All the veterans and newbies getting their clothing and goodies. Pictures and media training. Meetings and discussions.

I have to admit something.

We are going to be right near New York City. I've never been to New York City even though I'm from New York State. In many ways New York City has nothing to do with New York State. I don't think I knew anybody that had been to NYC growing up. What I do remember, and what I need to admit, is that I'm scared of NYC. I really don't care if I ever see NYC in my lifetime.

I know this feeling stems from my childhood. One of my earliest memories is hearing of a place called NYC and a big word that coincided with this place. The word was "mugging." I didn't really know what a mugging was, but I pieced things together and it wasn't good. I was pretty it sure it involved someone bigger than you coming up to you on the street and asking for your money. If you didn't give it up you were beat up. Maybe knifed or maybe even shot. Those early media messages pretty much scared me. So even to this day as an adult I really question what does a place like NYC have to interest me.

I know, I know... its supposed to be the greatest place on earth or something. Really? Crowded sidewalks, traffic!

My good friend, the Greek Goddess Athena Fliakos, recently wrote on her blog...

"What do you do when you board a Bronx bound number 4 train to find a man with swollen joints, ashen skin, and a single raggedy rolling suitcase, a man passed out (but twitching), hunched over one crutch, saturated in his own vomit and reeking of cheap whiskey? What do you do the day after the President of the United States spins intoxicating rhetoric about the power of the American spirit, the compassion of the American people during his State of The Union address when you board a subway to find a fellow human being in desperate need? I found out today that most of us just ignore him. Or stare, shake our heads. Many of us step over him, around him, and startle with disgust when we realize that the wet streak running the length of subway car number 1160 is actually this man’s puke-drool, a rotting bile gurgling up from his throat. “Whoa, Caliban.” I whisper to myself, as I hop on the train. “Say, Caliban. Can you see?”

(READ THE WHOLE PIECE HERE)


This observation happened to take place in NYC which is a place I know she likes but it didn't help my anxiety concerning the inevitable moment that is approaching. The moment when, at this team camp, someone will make the announcement, " We are headed into the city. Why don't you join us Doug?"

Snow Play

NBC?

In case you didn’t know, I’m a huge Winter Olympics fan. I can’t stand to watch most typical sports on TV. But every four years I get to immerse myself in the Olympic dream and be one of those couch-sport-guys. Right now I’m pumping a fist watching women’s moguls and waiting for short track to come back on.

One of my favorite Olympic memories is of the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics and the Miracle On Ice hockey team. What perhaps is so memorable all these years later is the time spent in the living room watching the events unfold on TV with my mom. My mom typically does not watch sports. Certainly, she probably never watched a hockey game before or after those Olympics. But for those two weeks we were sitting on the edge of the couch, holding our breath. “DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES!!!!!”

Did anyone else make the following observation about the U.S. television coverage of the opening ceremonies? I felt like the announcing duo of Matt Lauer and that other sports guy were a let down. When every nation entered the stadium, they mentioned who the flag bearer was, their sport, and perhaps a little fact about the person. There was no such commentary when Mark Grimmette proudly carried our flag ahead of the U.S. delegation. They never even mentioned his name. It was as if they dropped their 3X5 note cards on the floor and didn’t know what to say. Seemed like the camera was more interested in where Shaun White was standing and what the snowboard ladies were doing.

Do you think there will be any mention of any of the Nordic sports? I miss having access to Canadian CBC coverage.

I was watching a news story about the two snowstorms that hit the Washington D.C. area this past week. Why is that snow storms are talked about as being bad? Apparently people are blaming the mayor because the city is still crippled from the snow and its removal. They budget for 15” of annual snow and they received somewhere around 50”. Hurray for mother nature! As humans we should realize there are some things beyond our control. Deal with it. Things could be a lot worse than some snow in the street. What about the Donner Party? (I recently saw a PBS documentary about that).

Even in Milwaukee the news stations treat a local snow storm as the lead story. As if the world is about to end. Live “on location” spots and everything. One story this week was about a guy up in arms that snow piles restricted views of traffic in certain locations. Once again… it snowed. DEAL WITH IT!

US Flag bearer

'Papa Mark' Grimmette will carry flag for America

by Trey Kirby

Just a month and a half after qualifying for the Olympics, luger Mark Grimmette has been chosen to carry the flag for the United States at Friday's Opening Ceremony. The 39-year-old will be appearing in his fifth Olympics, and will be only the third luger to carry the flag for the U.S.
After being told that he had been voted to carry the flag by the 216 United States Olympic athletes, Grimmette was shocked. He told the Associated Press, "I'm still shaking. I was incredibly surprised when Brian [Martin] told me, and I'm still trying to process it all. To be the person leading the U.S. team into the Opening Ceremony is just such a great honor."
Grimmette – along with Martin, his partner – is the most decorated American luger in history. The pair won the bronze medal at the 1998 Olympics and silver at the 2002 Games.
Grimmette will be one of only four Americans to compete in five Olympics.
Grimmette, nicknamed "Papa Mark" for his age, is well-respected among American Olympians. Looks like all that flexing will come in handy when he's waving the United States flag.

Congratulations to Mark. Mark is a super nice guy from LP. I think his previous nick name around the Lake Placid crowd was the teddy bear. He is an approachable guy and I always enjoyed hearing about his travels. One time, some of my family came to visit me in Lake Placid. As we were walking into the bike shop I worked at to give them a tour, I ran into Mark in the parking lot. I thought I'd introduce him to my family. I introduced him as one of the athletes who had won an Olympic medal that winter (It was June). By coincidence he had the medal in his pocket (He was coming back from a talking engagement). It was a nice gesture by him to be able to show my niece and sisters a real olympic medal and explain a little about his sport. That is the type of guy he is. That is the type of place Lake Placid is.

Doug E Freshies