I'm back for another edition of The TV News. This week, I discuss some of the problems with NBC's coverage of the Olympic ice hockey tournament.
Archive for the ‘2010 Olympic Hockey’ Category
February 22nd, 2010
Updated Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Odds
Just got a note from the folks at Bodog.com with the latest odds on the Men's Ice Hockey tournment in Vancouver. As a reminder, here's the post on the original odds we shared back on January 29.
As always, these numbers are for recreational purposes only. Even after last night's setback, Canada is still the favorite.
Odds to Win the 2010 Olympic Ice Hockey Championship (on 2/22/10)
Canada 9/5
Russia 11/4
USA 7/2
Sweden 5/1
Finland 11/1
Czech Republic 12/1
Slovakia 25/1
Switzerland 125/1
Belarus 500/1
Germany 500/1
Latvia 950/1
Norway 950/1
February 16th, 2010
A Simple Reminder for Jacques Rogge and the IOC
The opening round of the men's side of the Olympic ice hockey tournament begins tomorrow, but the functionaries at the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the same folks who caved under pressure from China when it came to censoring Internet access in Beijing two years ago, just couldn't leave well enough alone when it came to U.S. goalie Jonathan Quick's helmet:
U.S. netminder Jonathan Quick will be ordered to remove the slogan 'Support Our Troops' from his helmet for contravening Olympic rules on political propaganda, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) said on Monday.Netminder Ryan Miller, Quick's team mate, has also been told to remove the slogan 'Miller Time' from his helmet while the third American netminder Tim Thomas had already placed a sticker over a slogan on his mask during training on Monday.
"We will inform the American team and their equipment managers that this is a violation of IOC rules," IIHF spokesman Szymon Szemberg told Reuters. "According to IOC rule 51, no political propaganda or advertisements are allowed on equipment.
"It the players don't agree with the interpretation they can ask the USOC (United States Olympic Committee) to petition the IOC."
I can't quite believe that somebody at the IOC actually has the time to make such decisions, but there you have it.
While IOC rules are clear, the IIHF was not so certain whether the slogan on Quick's helmet was political propaganda or simply offering moral support.
"If we go too hard on that we could be seen as insensitive," said Szemberg.
Wow, do you think so? For those of you who might have forgotten, the man in charge at the IOC is Jacques Rogge. He's from Belgium, and I've got a photo I'd like him to see.
American soldiers massacred by the Nazis at Malmedy, Belgium, Dec. 1944.
For those of you who might not be familiar with the history:
On December 16, 1944, the German Army began the Ardennes offensive known as the Battle of the Bulge. On December 17, 113 American soldiers surrendered to a German armored column under the command of SS Colonel Joachim Piper. After the American prisoners were disarmed, they were assembled in a field near Malmedy, Belgium, and shot.
The answer to the IOC from Quick and USA Hockey General Manager Brian Burke on this question ought to be swift and to the point: Nuts!
January 29th, 2010
Winter Olympic Ice Hockey Odds
The folks at Bodog.com just passed along the odds for Men's 2010 Olympic Ice Hockey Tournment in Vancouver. Unsurprisingly, Canada is the favorite to win Group A as well as the gold; Russia and Sweden are also heavily favored to win Groups B and C, respectively.
Remember, we don't dispense gambling advice here at Off Wing. But given the results of previous Olympic tournaments, the Czechs are looking awfully interesting.
Gold Medal Odds
Canada 1/1
Russia 2/1
Sweden 11/2
USA 7/1
Czech Republic 15/1
Finland 16/1
Slovakia 40/1
Switzerland 125/1
Germany 400/1
Belarus 500/1
Latvia 500/1
Norway 500/1
Odds to Win Group A of the the 2010 Olympic Ice Hockey Championship
Canada 2/9
USA 5/2
Switzerland 50/1
Norway 400/1
Odds to Win Group B of the the 2010 Olympic Ice Hockey Championship
Russia 1/3
Czech Republic 9/4
Slovakia 18/1
Latvia 400/1
Odds to Win Group C of the the 2010 Olympic Ice Hockey Championship
Sweden 1/2
Finland 7/5
Germany 50/1
Belarus 150/1
September 8th, 2009
Let the Women Check
Over the weekend at the Globe and Mail, Matthew Sekeres took a look at the current debate roiling women's ice hockey over whether or not it was time to introduce checking into the sport. And while I respect the view of hockey professionals like U.S. Women's National Team Head Coach Mark Johnson who oppose the change, it would seem to me that it ought to happen sooner rather than later.
In the sports world we live in today, women box, enter the octagon, play rugby and drive high performance race cars. Heck, they even fly fighter jets. In light of that, I'd have to say that continuing to ban checking in women's ice hockey is awfully paternalistic. As someone who has played rec hockey against women, I can say with plenty of confidence that not only are they able to dish it out, they can take it too.
August 27th, 2009
How Canadian Hockey Fans View the World
Just saw this latest Nike Canada ad about the Men's Olympic Hockey team:
I don't know about anybody else, but all I could think of after watching it was how good it would feel to see somebody wipe that smug grin off of Jarome Iginla's face.
See you in Vancouver. Stick tap: KK.
POSTSCRIPT: Maybe when Team USA gets to Vancouver they can freeze a U.S. silver dollar under the center ice faceoff circle. Of course, by then, it might only be worth 45 cents Canadian anyway.
