XXI Olympic Winter Games

[NEW.ERA]

And yesterday's opening ceremonies are now the most watched event in Canadian Television history.

Friday's Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver was the most-watched television program in Canadian history, with an average of 13.3-million viewers watching every single minute of the 3.5 hour ceremony.

The previous record was the 10.3-million Canadians who watched the 2002 gold-medal hockey game between Canada and the United States.

The Opening Ceremony aired live on 11 television networks in 11 languages. When the Olympics were last in Canada, for the Calgary Games in 1988, 4.24-million Canadians watched on CTV and TVA.

More than two-third of all Canadians, 23-million, watched some part of Friday's ceremony.

"Canadian athletes will break records at these Games," said Ivan Fecan, President and Chief Executive Officer, CTVglobemedia and Chief Executive Officer, CTV Inc "This is the first record to be broken."

[friarcanuck]

The cauldron malfuncton is excusable -- but we Americans can NEVER forgive you for Nickelback.

I'm willing to start negotiations on behalf of Canada on this. You forgive us for Nickleback and Brian Adams and we'll forgive you for Kiss, disco music and calling Benedict Arnold a traitor. We will not include Celine Dion in any of this, that one is your fault. You invited her and we're glad to get rid of her.

The theme centering around the provinces skipped over Ontario and the Great Lakes region

due to the tragic death of the luger. Those segments were reportedly cut for sensitivity.

The word is Rush may tentatively play at the closing ceremony.

That makes no sense. Why would they skip over Ontario, because the luger died? Did Neil Peart say something bad about luging?

Also, I want to know the location of the rock Ashley MacIsaac was hiding under for all these years.

[NEW.ERA]

Sven Kramer next to the Dutch Football Team is the biggest sports hero the Netherlands have. Has just won the the Netherlands 100th Gold Medal combined between the Summer & Winter.

His time was also an Olympic Record, Hup Hup Holland.

[Breakwood]

And yesterday's opening ceremonies are now the most watched event in Canadian Television history.

Friday's Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver was the most-watched television program in Canadian history, with an average of 13.3-million viewers watching every single minute of the 3.5 hour ceremony.

The previous record was the 10.3-million Canadians who watched the 2002 gold-medal hockey game between Canada and the United States.

The Opening Ceremony aired live on 11 television networks in 11 languages. When the Olympics were last in Canada, for the Calgary Games in 1988, 4.24-million Canadians watched on CTV and TVA.

More than two-third of all Canadians, 23-million, watched some part of Friday's ceremony.

"Canadian athletes will break records at these Games," said Ivan Fecan, President and Chief Executive Officer, CTVglobemedia and Chief Executive Officer, CTV Inc "This is the first record to be broken."

Considering that's 1/3 of the entire country, it's really impressive.

[Breakwood]

Slovakia vs. Canada in Woman's hockey is tonight.

The game includes the team who holds the record of most lopsided victory in an IIHF game. The thing is that team isn't Canada. Slovakia beat Bulgaria 82-0 in a qualifying match for the Olympics.

Just imagine what Canada or the USA would do to those poor Bulgarian women.

[Corvus]

Hmm, no boards or ice advertising (aside from games logos) at the hockey venues. Is it like this at every games? I don't recall. I like the graphics they have on the boards, I was expecting a pile of coke, visa and GM logos.

[Breakwood]

Hmm, no boards or ice advertising (aside from games logos) at the hockey venues. Is it like this at every games? I don't recall. I like the graphics they have on the boards, I was expecting a pile of coke, visa and GM logos.

They've never had advertising at venues at any Olympics events that I can recall.

[Corvus]

Hmm, no boards or ice advertising (aside from games logos) at the hockey venues. Is it like this at every games? I don't recall. I like the graphics they have on the boards, I was expecting a pile of coke, visa and GM logos.

They've never had advertising at venues at any Olympics events that I can recall.

Interesting, considering how so many anti olympic folks bitch about how corporate it is. And yet, they could be way more corporate if they wanted to be.

[RedRenesis]

As Break said the IOC is against advertising at the venues. It wasnt that long ago the goaltenders had to tape over the manufacturers logos on their equipment, for the same reason. Hockey is the one sport where advertising hasnt bothered me, it adds a little life to the rink. Now if you got a franchise to adopt what the IOC does and decorate the boards in a design rather then ads that'd be cool, or do like some baseball teams do and cover the outfield walls in past great players.

[jkrdevil]

Honestly I don't like the board graphics they put up. It's distracting and makes it harder to pick up the puck on tv. Even with all the board advertising the NHL has basically made it where the background for all the ads are now white. Makes it look a lot better on tv. They should have done that with Vancouver 2010 just written along the boards on a white background.

[jkrdevil]

Hannah Kearney just ripped the gold medal from Canada's Jennifer Heil in Womens freestyle moguls.

[Korbyn]

Hannah Kearney just ripped the gold medal from Canada's Jennifer Heil in Womens freestyle moguls.

That was very hard to watch ... Jenn Heil nailed her run. Kearney just did even better.

[Lee.]

Crossposting from the photography thread, because this was grand to see with my own eyes.

[Davey]

Hannah Kearney just ripped the gold medal from Canada's Jennifer Heil in Womens freestyle moguls.

That was very hard to watch ... Jenn Heil nailed her run. Kearney just did even better.

I'm sure if Jenn Heil was last she would of gotten the Gold. I'm just saying...

[njmeadowlanders]

Hannah Kearney just ripped the gold medal from Canada's Jennifer Heil in Womens freestyle moguls.

That was very hard to watch ... Jenn Heil nailed her run. Kearney just did even better.

The bar I was at went nuts...and then it emptied out, hence me also being home...

Good stuff though. I love the Winter Olympics...

[NJTank]

Crossposting from the photography thread, because this was grand to see with my own eyes.

Kal-El with these crystals you will gain great knowledge of the universe and the powers you possess with in earth's yellow sun.

[Korbyn]

Hannah Kearney just ripped the gold medal from Canada's Jennifer Heil in Womens freestyle moguls.

That was very hard to watch ... Jenn Heil nailed her run. Kearney just did even better.

The bar I was at went nuts...and then it emptied out, hence me also being home...

Good stuff though. I love the Winter Olympics...

I always love how much we start to care about something like Womens Moguls, when before the event we could not even name one or two of the athletes competing.

[njmeadowlanders]

Hannah Kearney just ripped the gold medal from Canada's Jennifer Heil in Womens freestyle moguls.

That was very hard to watch ... Jenn Heil nailed her run. Kearney just did even better.

The bar I was at went nuts...and then it emptied out, hence me also being home...

Good stuff though. I love the Winter Olympics...

I always love how much we start to care about something like Womens Moguls, when before the event we could not even name one or two of the athletes competing.

That's sort of my point. It's just such great televison...I'm rivited...and much moreso than the Summer Games...

No ice dancing or figure skating though. I just can't do that...

Obviously outside of hockey I couldn't name the big names that don't have whatever sponsorship deals/are famous for whatever reason...

[NJTank]

Hannah Kearney just ripped the gold medal from Canada's Jennifer Heil in Womens freestyle moguls.

That was very hard to watch ... Jenn Heil nailed her run. Kearney just did even better.

The bar I was at went nuts...and then it emptied out, hence me also being home...

Good stuff though. I love the Winter Olympics...

I always love how much we start to care about something like Womens Moguls, when before the event we could not even name one or two of the athletes competing.

You know that's what is special about the Olympics, you can watch a million baseball, and football games, but only every four years dose any one care about skiing, which is what helps NBC with the introductions and background stories of the athletes. Its always Nationalistic and without the Soviets maybe its lost some luster, but there is still that ordinary person aspect in that you don't know who anybody is and you are watching them achieve their dreams.

[jkrdevil]

Hannah Kearney just ripped the gold medal from Canada's Jennifer Heil in Womens freestyle moguls.

That was very hard to watch ... Jenn Heil nailed her run. Kearney just did even better.

The bar I was at went nuts...and then it emptied out, hence me also being home...

Good stuff though. I love the Winter Olympics...

I always love how much we start to care about something like Womens Moguls, when before the event we could not even name one or two of the athletes competing.

That's sort of my point. It's just such great televison...I'm rivited...and much moreso than the Summer Games...

No ice dancing or figure skating though. I just can't do that...

Obviously outside of hockey I couldn't name the big names that don't have whatever sponsorship deals/are famous for whatever reason...

The fact that we can actually watch this stuff live also makes it fun. I mean I don't think I would have watched it had I known it was on tape delay. Sports are made to be watched live.

Of course the cross border rivalry doesn't hurt either.