What's the hype nowadays? Well, of course the XXI Winter Olympics which was officially opened last Friday, February 12, 2010 in British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Amidst the hype the competition officially opened with a much talked opening ceremony with a lot of flaws.
Watching the rerun of the opening ceremony from my DVR several times I can say that it is still memorable and formidable rather than forgettable. But could not match the pomp and the excitement offered by the Chinese during the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
Well, every olympics has their own indelible mark that could not be forgotten be it a flaw or a perfection. And this recent winter olympics has its few indelible flaws that were already been inked in the annals of olympic history be it a summer or winter olympics.
Firstly, the death of a 21-year-old Georgian luger made this celebration a little more unforgettable. This means that accidents couldn't really be avoided. I think Nodar Kumaritashvili's death was the sacrifice of doing this beinnial event. It was such an unfortunate fate for him and the whole olympic participants including his countrymen had mourned heavily for his early demise during the pre-practice event.
This means that the ice track was not really been seriously and safely checked and quality controoled for the safety of the players. Have the organizers anticipated to pad all the corners and post of the luge ice track this tragic situation should have been avoided. It was already too late to act now now that the track had claimed the life of this young gifted Georgian luger. What a waste really!
Secondly, during the opening games I can't help noticing that most of the singers were lipsynching including that young 17-year-old girl who sang the "Oh Canada" anthem. Even Natalie Furtado and Bryan Adams who opened the program celebration were also been found to be lipsynching. The only singer who I didn't noticed lipsynching was Sarah McLachlan.... such a very talented singer though. My hat"s off for her very excellent performance.
Thirdly, also on the opening ceremony I noticed that the presentation was not on par. They let all the aboriginal Indians gyrate and jump on the stage first to gave way for the welcome parade of the participants from the different nations that had participated. And the Totem poles that stood in the middle of the stage appeared like slender ice zombies or in extreme comparison like a tall standing dildos in the center stage. It looks so funny to look at on television. I honestly mean it. Hehehe.
Fourthly, during the lighting of the Olympic flame in the middle of the stage one of the four cauldrons that's supposed to be lighted didn't come out because of a technical and engineering error. It was supposed to be a surprise that the Canadians were planning to light four cauldrons to be lighted by the four famous players from British Columbia but it was really obvious that one of the cauldrons hasn't came out thereby leaving only three of it being lighted.
But despite of the dramatic presentation of the olympic cauldrons to be lighted the flaw wasn't really been noticed that well until Wayne Gretzky aka "The Great One" had lighted the second cauldron (main Olympic cauldron) near downtown Vancouver which will remain to be lighted and seen as the games continued until its culmination. The one that happened at the stadium was almost been perfect until the second one was seen being lighted.
Another flaw (the fifth one) I noticed was during the short track 1500 meter final race when two Korean players collided with each other near the finish line giving skaters Apolo Anton Ohno and J.R. Celski of the United States the benefit of winning the silver and bronze medal respectively.
It was supposed to be a perfect medal sweep for the Koreans if this shameful collision hasn't occured. But with their being so greedy at each other they were probably hexed to not win it and handed the two coveted medals to the medal hungry Americans. Well, at least their compatriot Lee Jung-su won the gold medal though. What a shame for the Koreans!
The sixth flaw taht I've seen happened during the pairs figure skating short and long programs. Well, actually it was a flawless performance for that sweet Chinese couple (husband and wife) to win the gold medal which evaded them for eighteen long years hadn't they came out from retirement and skated for the last time to skate for the gold. Their compatriots also had won the coveted silver medal while the German pair won the bronze.
This winning by the Chinese pair skaters had ended the monopoly of the Russians in the figure skating pairs which stretched for more than two decades. The Russians didn't even qualified for the medal contention and had devastatingly fell on their long program performance. What an embarrassment for them really!
I was happy that indeed the Chinese won the gold medal. It was a sweet success for them to add that medal among their array of international competition medal collections after skating for almost eighteen years. I was really happy and rooting for them to win.
The seventh flaw I noticed was the constant reporting of the United States female skier named Lindsey Vonn about her shin injury that made her unfit to ski for the alpine skiing. Well, to me I think this report was too overrated and was been hyped by the media because of the woman's provocative pose on Sports Illustrated swimsuit collection last year.
Well, how could she claim to have an injured and sore shin if she had won the alpine ski downhill during one of her competitions and still will ski during the slaloms and the super-G's? Such hype and overratedness really! I just can't stand it. Just because she's pretty? I mean the woman is really drop dead gorgeous and talented but what's the fuss about her injuries? Duh!
The eighth flaw I have noticed was the hype about another Lindsey. Now this one was about that female snowboarder named Lindsey Jacobellis who was apparently been maligned for her premature decision to make an exhibition during her Turin, Italy Olympic snowboard race which almost granted her a gold medal if she had not made that premature decision to boast which made her fell greatly on the snow covered hill and cost her to lose the gold medal contention because of her immaturity and had landed her the silver medal instead.
Now on this recent Olympic she was disqualified because of her idiotic move where she made to block one of her opponent's way during the semifinal run. What a loser really! Now she was heard all over the place sour graping about her disqualification and had put her on a spot where her last name was been included in the pages of the Merriam-Webster Dictionary which apparently and disgracingly means "a sore loser." Whaaat? Is that really a word? Jacobellism...... meaning a sore loser? Wow!
Another flaw I noticed was about this hype about a male Russian figure skater named Yevgeny Plushenko. I mean this guy is a complete airhead. He got out of retirement to skate with the goal of winning the second gold medal. But his strategy right now appeared to me as a degrading and very intimidating move. I really don't like this guy. I hope he fell on his long program and cost him a huge deduction from his scores. I just can't probably help laughing in my room seeing him fell.
With what he said against his rivals which anybody can't probably stomach I hope it will really come back, bounce back, and hit him hard. Well, I still really believe in karma. And hope this will happen to him big time. Celebrating prematurely will bring him more bad luck. He even had bad mouthed some of his opponents that they were performing below par and that he was the unbeatable and the most decorated male figure skater. To hell with you Yevgeny! You and your bad mouth.
Speaking of another male figure skater well, I have another one on mind. There's this American weird figure skater named Johnny Weir. Noticed the last name? If you add a letter D on the last name that really make him a weird guy. Hahaha. But the fuss about this flambouyant figure skater was his dramatic-spur-of-the-moment-provocative fashion which even put him in danger.
Lately, he was been mobbed because of his furred costume during the US Nationals which prompted the animal activist PETA to question his intentions and mobbed him with questions and threats which eventually put him in the spotlight and hot water. Now, he has to protect himself against the threats and from harm by hiring security guards to protect him. Really funny! Hahaha.
Another hype that I couldn't stomach was about this American snowboarder dubbed as the "flying tomato". Well, what the fuss about him? I mean this guy is very talented and smart but the hype about him was very overrated.
I mean the media really fueled it on primetime television. The guy is even low key and never boast but the media really hyped it up. I like the guy no offense but I just hated the media putting fire on a cold ember. Good thing Shawn White remained amiable and had proved that the hype was true which made him won the much coveted gold medal. Kudos to you mister!
Well, the first week of the games had gone by and there's still two more weeks of flaw-rich-performances to emerge in the coming days and to be critiqued by no other than me. So, I hope you will remain glued on my blogsite and I will try my very best to keep you updated despite of my very hectic work schedule. I also hoped you can keep up by also reading some of the online news about the games. I think they have a site online named Vancouver Home which can offer you fresh news from the Olympic site.
Ah well, just keep back and relax and wait for my next installment. When will that be? That I don't know but I promise there will be part two. Hehehe. Booooooo........
P.S.
Well, I just wanted to make a note of my prediction to win the men's figure skating final on Thursday. I am really rooting for that Japanese guy named Daisuke Takahashi. I mean the guy is so flawless. He has finesse and grace. His skating is full of passion, drama, and emotions. I am always drawn to how he skated. His story is even very compelling. It really bleeds my heart. Go Daisuke!
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