Here they come.....

Well, one more day before all eyes from around the world focus on Vancouver, British Columbia as they host the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

I think it's great that Canada gets to host its 3rd Olympics (after Montreal (Summer '76) and Calgary (Winter '88)). I was a bit surprised at Vancouver even being considered as a viable site considering that the city itself rarely has snow all winter, but they did site most outdoor competitions in places that usually have snow. I say 'usually', because this year, global warming seems to be taking a toll on Vancouver area weather, causing a few to lose sleep to whether there will be enough snow to hold the competitions properly and forcing organizers to scramble to truck in snow from colder parts of the province. After the reputation bashing Canada received in Amsterdam regarding our waning willingness to do anything about emissions in this country (after setting the standard for the world years ago), the last thing we need is to lose face because warmer than usual weather ruined a few Olympic venues.

There's a buzz while Canadians try to figure out who will carry the Olympic torch the final leg and light the flame at the opening ceremonies. A lot of names have been floated. Gretzky. Rick Hansen. Nancy Green Raine. If it was my decision, I would vote for Jean Beliveau. He was the classy gentleman of Canadian sport for decades (still is). I think Gretzky will be chosen though.

Meanwhile, the television airwaves in Canada are about to become overwhelmed with Olympic this and Olympic that on a network other than CBC (the usual hosts for such sports events). This time around, the CTV network will present the winter event in all of its glory. Hopefully they do a better job than the way they represent Canada on the red carpet during Oscar telecasts. Message to Ben Mulroney: stay the frigg away from the Olympic cameras dude. I sincerely hope they do a good job. Especially with regards to.....

... the HOCKEY! I have a feeling that the hockey competition between rival countries is about to ramp up to a level not seen in decades. It should make for exciting television and I predict the collective excitement could break viewer ratings records.

So if you notice the blog post frequency start to drop off over the next week and a bit, it might have something to do with the hockey game broadcasts. Just in case you get worried something's up.....