~ MEMBERS OF THE CANADIAN WOMEN'S HOCKEY TEAM WERE SEEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED DRINKING ALCOHOL AND SMOKING CIGARS - WHICH LOOKED A LOT LIKE MARIJUANA 'BLUNTS' - RIGHT ON THE ICE, SHORTLY AFTER WINNING TO THE AMERICANS, ON THURSDAY FEB. 25TH. MANY OF THESE YOUNG GIRLS, WHO WERE PHOTOGRAPHED DRINKING, ARE UNDERAGE, AND THEREFORE WERE COMMITTING AN ILLEGAL ACT UNDER THE LAWS OF THEIR HOME COUNTRY. NOW I HATE TO BE REAL PICKY FOLKS, BUT THIS STUFF KINDA MAKES ME UPSET . . .
IOC PROTOCOLS, EH?!!? UH, HOW ABOUT CANADIAN LAWS?!!? THESE ATHLETES, MANY OF WHOM ARE CLEARLY DEMONSTRATING, AS OF LATE, THE IGNORANCE AND GREAT LACK OF INTELLIGENCE - THAT COMES MAINLY WITH YOUTH - REALLY DO NEED TO GET IT THROUGH THEIR HEADS~ WHAT THE OLYMPICS REPRESENTS TO THE REST OF THE WORLD, AND WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT, SUCH AS SETTING CERTAIN CORRECT STANDARDS - ALONG WITH A FINE EXAMPLE OF POSITIVITY, LEADERSHIP, AND INSPIRATION - AND PERFECTION - THAT SO MANY OTHERS, INCLUDING MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF YOUNG CHILDREN, FUTURE ATHLETES AND (HOPEFULLY) FUTURE OLYMPIC STARS THE WHOLE WORLD OVER CAN ADMIRE, HONOR, CHERISH, AND HOLD DEAR, AS SOME OF THE BEST EFFORTS AND HIGHEST IDEALS EVER SET ANYWHERE, AT ANY TIME, AND IN ANY PLACE - BY ANYONE, NO MATTER WHAT THE SETTING OR CONTEXT MAY BE. DRUG USE AND ILLEGAL ACTIVITY (YES, ALCOHOL IS A DRUG, AND IS ILLEGAL WHEN YOU ARE UNDERAGE) IN FRONT OF REPORTERS AND CAMERAS, RIGHT WHERE YOU WERE JUST COMPETING, IS A SLAP IN THE FACE TO PRETTY MUCH THE WHOLE WORLD, AND A BLATANT ACT AND SIGN OF GROSS DISRESPECT FOR SPORT AND GAME OF HOCKEY, AND SPORTS IN GENERAL, TO THE FANS, THE PARENTS, AND THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE. WHOEVER WAS WITNESSED AND PHOTOGRAPHED DRINKING UNDERAGE SHOULD BE KICKED OFF THE TEAM AND PERMANENTLY BANNED FROM EVER COMPETING IN THE OLYMPICS EVER AGAIN. THEN, MAYBE - JUST MAYBE - THIS SORT OF THING WILL BEGIN TO RESONATE AMONG ALL YOUNG ATHLETES; THAT THE OLYMPICS IS NOT A JOKE, IS NOT SOMETHING TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY, AND IS A VENUE AND FORUM FOR SOLELY THOSE ATHLETES WHO HOLD DEAR ONLY THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF SPORTSMANSHIP, INTEGRITY, AND HONOR FROM AMONG THE BEST OF THE WORLD'S BEST. THE IOC IS, I FEEL, PARTLY TO BLAME FOR MANY OF THESE ISSUES, AND THERE NEEDS TO BE BETTER COMMUNICATION, BETWEEN IOC OFFICIALS AND THE HEAD COACHES FROM EACH COUNTRY, TO INSTILL IN THEIR ATHLETES, ALONG WITH ATHLETIC SKILL, THE PARTICULAR SET OF VALUES THAT THE IOC WISHES TO UPHOLD WORLDWIDE. IN THIS NEW AGE OF CERTAIN EVENTS THAT CAN ALMOST NOT EVEN BE CALLED A 'SPORT' - CURLING, FOR INSTANCE...MANY 'X-GAMES'-LIKE EVENTS, SUCH AS 'FREESTYLE AERIAL' OR 'SNOWBOARD HALFPIPE', OR SOME GRAVITY SPORTS, LIKE SKELETON, ETC., - HAVE BROUGHT WITH THEM A LARGE DEMOGRAPHIC OF NEW AND YOUNG FANS AND ATHLETES ALIKE THAT TO ME DO NOT ANY LONGER REALLY REPRESENT WHAT THE OLYMPICS TRULY MEANS - CROSS COUNTRY SKIING/NORDIC COMBINED, NOW THAT IS A SPORT. HOCKEY - NOW THAT IS A SPORT; DECATHLON - NOW THAT'S A SPORT; 10K METER TRACK - THAT IS CERTAINLY A SPORT, AND SIMILAR TO ONE THAT THE ORIGINAL OLYMPICS WAS FOUNDED ON. ICE DANCING? UH...NOT SO SURE...
ANYWHO, CERTAIN 'REAL SPORTS' SEEM TO TRULY REQUIRE NOTHING LESS THAN 110% OF AN ATHLETE'S LONG TERM DEVOTION, COMMITMENT, FOCUS, PERSISTENCE, AND DETERMINATION, AND IT IS WITHIN THESE SPORTS WHERE YOU WILL USUALLY FIND ATHLETES OF THE HIGHEST CALIBER, WHO DO NOT ENTANGLE THEMSELVES AROUND ACTS OF FOOLISHNESS OR IGNORANCE. THAT MAKES IT ALL THE MORE WORRISOME, ESPECIALLY, TO SEE YOUNG - CANADIAN - FEMALE - HOCKEY - PLAYERS, ENGAGING IN BEHAVIOR THAT IS TRULY SO UNBECOMING AND UNDESIRABLE. I COULD GO ON AT LENGTH ABOUT THIS SUBJECT, AS EVERY FOUR YEARS, THE OLYMPICS ALWAYS TENDS TO SET SOME FIRES IN MY BELLY, EITHER INSPIRATIONAL OR POLITICAL, BUT I'LL WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT DRAMATIC PIECE OF NEWS EMERGES FROM THE GAMES TO GET SOME MORE OF MY CENTS IN . . .
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What a long winded rant. Impressive but pointless.
These girls were training in the province of Alberta, where the drinking age is 18. They may have not been aware of the difference in the laws that govern British Columbia, which is unfortunate. Being a proud Canadian myself, I see absolutely nothing wrong with a little post game celebration especially when it comes to beating the USA. No one was hurt by their actions and God forbid if future olympic stars are tainted by a few beers and stogies, then may he have mercy on our souls.
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