It’s hard to believe that the Olympics are almost at an end. It is already Day 15. Soon the closing ceremony will be here and the torch will be extinguished and it’s all over. Vancouver will be back to its old self with perhaps a wicked Olympic hangover. It happens every time a city returns to normal after being the center of the sporting universe. The life cycle of this event is extraordinary. It’s like a rare moth cocooning for an extended period then it is born as an spectacular creature and within 17 days it dies. But during those 17 days the entire world is touched by the things they see and experience and others are touched by the things they missed. Of course we all shared in the triumph and tragedy of Joannie Rochette, who skated through her pain to a bronze medal after her mother died upon arrival in Vancouver. Joannie will always be remembered for her courage and the legacy of inspiration she leaves behind. We had a bit of a life altering experience on our team too. One of our editors, John, came in yesterday morning all shaken up. His wife had gone into labor the night before and gave birth to his first child, a son. I suspect they rolled the dice thinking the baby would wait until he got home but he lost that bet. Instead he gained an extended family who hugged him through his tears, offered him parenting advice and supported him while he worked through what must have been an incomprehensible roller coaster of emotions. Just seeing him in the morning and hearing how he received the call on the train to work and sobbed all the way in got me all choked up. I had to take a walk just to ponder the sacrifices that people make so they can be here. Today I passed John in the hall. “How’re you doing today? Top of the world. I’m a dad. I’m happy.” Soon John will meet little Aiden and I trust that someday he’ll have the first of many Olympic moments to share with his boy.
For more information on Vicky Collins visit http://teletrendstv.com
I was in a beer garden in Vancouver’s Yaletown when a guy draped in an American flag strutted in. He was carrying on like Superman, all layered up in red, white and blue and making lots of noise. Boy, did he rile up the Canadians. After all today is the Canada versus USA men’s hockey match and as friendly as we are with our neighbors to the north, this is war. The crowd started hooting and hollering and singing “Oh Canada.” I was talking to my new friend, Scott, and he explained it to me. Every little kid in Canada, no matter what their circumstances, believes that they can grow up to be a hockey icon like Wayne Gretzky. If you think there is pressure on Canadians to win gold at these Olympics, consider the hockey team. Hockey is right up there with mom and Canadians are getting revved up already for the big showdown. Anything short of a gold medal will be a crushing defeat in this country.
On Thursday night when I was coming back to my hotel I noticed it was particularly celebratory. I assumed Canada had won some coveted gold medal. But no! What really happened was the Canadian hockey team barely escaped the incredible humiliation of being beaten by Switzerland at home. They could not have recovered from such a disgrace and even if they won the gold medal, Scott told me, they would be reminded that they lost to the Swiss. Canadians still have not forgiven their hockey team for coming in 7th at the 2006 Olympics in Torino. It is hard for me to imagine what a scene it will be here in Vancouver tonight when one of the most anticipated matches of the games is played. The 2010 Olymic winter games is being hailed as the greatest hockey tournament ever and already rowdy fans are banging a drum outside my hotel in anticipation of the battle that looms. It’s hockey night in Canada.
For more information on Vicky Collins visit http://teletrendstv.com.
Walking down Granville Street in Vancouver tonight I saw something you hardly ever see in the United States. Twenty something girls playfully singing and strutting to their national anthem. They were on the crosswalk and at the top of their lungs they were singing “Oh, Canada, our home and native land…” Of course patriotism and spirit are running high at the Olympics but the Canadians also have a very singable anthem with an extremely catchy melody. So catchy in fact, that John Furlong, the head of the Vancouver Olympic Committee, chose the English lyrics “With Glowing Hearts” and ”Des plus brillants exploits” from the French version as trademarked slogans for the 2010 Olympics. On the other hand, our Star Spangled Banner, composed when Francis Scott Key was watching the Battle of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812, is set to the tune of a British drinking song and at one and a half octaves is more difficult to get right. We sing it with all due respect at sporting events but always wonder if the vocalist will get through it without becoming pitchy or butchering it with some bizarre rendition. The Canadian anthem, on the other hand, rolls off the tongue especially if you’re 20 something and maybe have had a couple drinks. Purists thought young Nicky Yanofsky, who sang it at the Opening Ceremony, took too many liberties with the melody but I think it’s pretty no matter how you sing it. So when Americans aren’t on the podium and Canadians are, you might be tempted to sing along.
O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
For more information on Vicky Collins visit http://teletrendstv.com.
Immediately after the opening ceremony people began to run. They hoofed it to the International Broadcast Centre to see the after party. Wayne Gretzky rode in a flatebed truck with the Olympic torch aloft to light an external flame outside the building. The crowd went wild, shouting “Gretzky, Gretzky, Gretzky.” Amazing to see how Canadians adore The Great One. A Shaun White look alike and his sidekicks led the crowd in the rousing anthem “O Canada” while another man in a red maple leaf jacket got the crowd cheering “we want gold!” This Olympics Canadians believe they can win. The flame was framed by spectacular fireworks over the harbor. Afterward, I walked in the light rain back to my hotel on Granville Street. The crowd was rowdy, cheering, festive. A little wet weather is not going to dampen the Olympic spirit tonight.
For more on Vicky Collins visit http://teletrendstv.com.
My 16 year old son is mad at me. When I call home his anger is palpable. He does not understand why I leave home for extended periods of time every couple of years to work at the Olympics. He won’t listen when I try to explain so I’m putting it out to the world. Being part of a production team at the Olympics is, well, like being an Olympian. This is a pinnacle in broadcasting and all of my colleagues aspire to work at the games. It is a global coming together of the best television professionals from around the world. Every couple of years we rekindle old friendships and make new ones and try to fit in a beer here and there. We learn the state of the art and the latest technologies. We work around the clock in a pressure cooker. Are we having any fun yet? Hell, yes. The work that is done to bring viewers the Olympics is nothing short of extraordinary. We challenge ourselves to acheive feats in broadcasting that are remarkable and inspiring. It is our Olympics too. It always stuns me that years of planning and so much money and effort go into just 17 days. Olympics transcend sports and for those of us lucky to be a part of the games, it is completely addicting. It is a very unique culture.
The other thing that makes me want to come back year after year is the way the Olympics inspire communities. Today all Canadians are walking a bit taller, all decked out in red, for the start of the games. You sense the pride and anticipation in Vancouver. Low key Canada is showcasing what makes it special. It’s enlightening to know how much talent it has given to the world. And not to be all rah rah about Canada but this country has taken advantage of this moment, not just to offer meaningless apologies to its first nations, but to partner with them in the Olympics. You will see in the opening ceremonies how the native Canadians are honored. It is an unprecedented peace. I might be a bit pollyanna here but I am also still inspired by the idea that the Olympics can foster understanding around the world. Bring nations together and let young warriors hammer it out on the playing field. Win for the country then shake hands and hug and if you don’t win at least you participated and made your people proud.
At the end of all this we are completely spent and wondering how we could possibly do this again. Then we go home to our families and catch up with our sleep and as the next games are a year and a half away we are getting back in touch with our associates and raising our hands again. I have been producing television for 30 years and I am still on fire about the Olympics. This morning when I was watching NBC’s Today Show kick off its coverage of the games and I heard the Olympic fanfare I got all choked up. The Olympics are here. Let the games begin! Get the party started. And Kyle, if you are reading this, that’s why your mom is here.
For more information about Vicky Collins visit http://teletrendstv.com.
I walked out of my hotel room this morning carrying a plastic bottle of water and by the time I was at the front desk it was empty. I handed it to the concierge and asked if he could throw it out. Before I could correct myself a hotel manager did it for me. Recycle! From what I can tell, Canada is an enlightened country. There are as many recycle bins as trash cans. Cops ride bicycles. Gay people can marry. Citizens care about the homeless and even accomodate them. There is universal health care. And most impressive, Canadians seem very proud of their diversity. Vancouver is a city full of languages and color. I ride the bus with a man from Mozambique. A Sikh guards the gate. The city is full of Asians and French speakers. Foreign accents are everywhere. I’ve always been impressed with the way Canadians embrace their diversity. People intermarry. Not a big deal. My cousin from the Czech Republic married a black woman from the Caribbean. Just like America, this is a nation of immigrants, but Canadians are not caught up in discussions of race. That is so yesterday. Canada is a true melting pot and it’s moving forward in an enlightened way.
For more information on Vicky Collins visit http://teletrendstv.com
I walked out of my hotel room in Vancouver this morning to see a flock of seagulls squacking their heads off. That’s the most noise I’ve heard since I arrived in Canada. Toto, we’re not in Beijing anymore. In 2008, with the Olympic Games a week and a half away, the city was buzzing with anticipation and chaotic with last minute preparations. Thousands of people were planting flowers, cleaning up and security was fierce. Here in Vancouver it is so calm and low key you hardly know it will soon be the center of the universe. There are some banners, new buildings and infrastructure improvements but you don’t sense that Canada’s place in the world hangs on these games. I’ve been asking around and people tell me that’s just how it is in British Columbia. People are pretty relaxed and take things in stride. Even the security is laid back. Police greet you with friendly smiles. Maybe it’s because there aren’t that many media, athletes or guests here yet, or maybe folks are being polite and deferential to those who felt the money could be better spent. Or maybe it’s just that the only thing Canadians get really worked up about is sport. As one young woman told me, “I’ll get excited for the men’s hockey.”
For more information on Vicky Collins visit http://teletrendstv.com.
