Winter Olympics Coverage Starts Tonight

[Guest Tristan]

The opening ceremonies start tonight at 7:30 PM EST.

 

Check out http://www.nbcolympics.com for complete coverage of all events, bios, and just about everything you want to know. The figure skating schedule is included, as are the schedules for all events.

 

Brian Joubert, the French skater who walks around backstage with his shirt off, has quite an interesting bio. Check out his bio to see what he's been doing.

[Guest DuchessIvanaKizznhugg]

For Tristan....

http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae139/DuchessIvanaKizznhugg/Hubba%20Hubba/brian-joubert-20080104-358825.jpg

 

http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae139/DuchessIvanaKizznhugg/Hubba%20Hubba/brian_joubert.jpg

 

http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae139/DuchessIvanaKizznhugg/Hubba%20Hubba/bd182e67.jpg

 

[Guest Spanky]

http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae139/DuchessIvanaKizznhugg/Hubba%20Hubba/bd182e67.jpg

 

 

Oh my goodness. Is there room in that shower for two?

[foxy]

Please, please bring back naked Olympics! Oh to be an ancient Greek. Well, at least I have the ancient part down and, um, I do like Greek. Hey, I'm there. Yay!

[Guest greatness]

oh my

 

DuchessIvanaKizznhugg, you are so good in finding great pictures~~

[Guest TBinCHI]

The opening ceremonies were boring. Not that it's easy to beat Beijing, but it's as if they didn't even try. I turned it off after the parade of athletes.

[NYTomcat]

yeah sorry lots of Pomp without circumstance. Really bland lets hope the games excite as always

[MsGuy]

Thanks for your posts on the opening ceremonies; I thought I was being too picky. Well, I guess those giant flaming icicles looked good on paper. Even the analysts were struggling to find something nice to say.

[+ deej]

Those of us on the left coast are still watching them.

[NYTomcat]

Sorry Deej. Its captivating

[Mark Gordon]

I thought the production was clever, entertaining and meaningful. Perhaps the references to Canadian culture were too nuanced for the American audience. KD Lang's rendition of Halleluljah was awesome. Not as many fireworks as Beijing, I know.

[RickyDC]

Brian Joubert

 

Joubert is hot . . . don't get me started! He's got a shot at an olympic medal for sure - been inconsistent with the jumps lately. I'm cheering for Jeremy Abbott.

 

But, check this out this video from Joubert -- like he's practically nekkid -- what's he trying to do here?

 

[NYTomcat]

Honestly mark, I liked the Canadien themes and the photo's were incredible im just not that into the ceremonies ever

[foxy]

I love Canada and I thought the whole thing was very moving. But I'm a softy and like almost everything. Felt sort of bad that the lighting of the torch thing was kind of busted but that was okay. They dealt with it and life isn't perfect even if you spend millions. I think it had heart and it touched me. Did I say I was a softy? I didn't even care that kd lang has gotten so fat. She sort of looked like Wayne Newton. But she sure can sing and she's an out gay person. Good for her. Did I say that I was a softy?

[RickyDC]

Joubert Talking - Cute

 

What he's wearing - kinda glitzy - but he's so cute.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GrjXMdQcH0

[foxy]

I could eat that nose off of his face. He's so adorable I feel weak.

[+ purplekow]

I enjoyed the production. The production was honest, decent, understated yet admirable in its beauty. It struck me as a terrific representation for Canada and Canadians. No need to shout from the rooftops how terrific Canada is, lets sit down have a beer and we will show you. They did.

[GoodFella69]

A Very Moving Opening Ceremony, Canada.

 

I was blown away by the Opening Ceremony. Almost every time they are trying to outdo the last games with big spectacle but I thought the 2010 ceremony approached "art" in its intelligence, thoughtfulness & taste. In contrast, I found the Beijing Opening Ceremonies overblown & mindless...not surprising. The use of high tech was well done & not just flash for the sake of flash. Too bad about the glitch with the torch pillar, but at least this occurred in Canada--if that had happened in Beijing, someone (or several) would have been executed! Overall, job well done Canada. You are a great neighbor to the U.S. and we admirably salute you tonight. Let the Games Begin!

[justaguy]

I'm with TB on this one. As the friend I was watching said, I'm into spectacle. China kept me glued to the tube. With this one, I kept finding reasons to leave the room. For me part of the problem is the difference between the summer and winter olympics in that for the winter games the athletes comes in before the show and that gives me a lot of time to get antsy.

[adriano46]

$$##$% nbc

 

I have watched the Winter and Summer Olympics since the time I was a boy (quite a while ago), and so I was set to be mesmerized for this, but damn NBC and US corporate sponsors who have to interrupt everything every few minutes for a commercial (and provincially they cut when it is smaller - in US opinion "less significant??) countries parading. How I wish I was in Europe where they would have wall-to-wall coverage of such action without a single commercial break!

 

I always enjoy the Parade of Nations, and enjoyed the beginning of the Vancouver program with the excellent and moving representatives of the First Nations peoples. Having visited the Canadian Northwest Territories in the past, this part alone brought back great memories of this spectacularly beautiful country and its wonderfully open and friendly people - and the two weeks I spent visiting especially various sectors of the First Nations territories.

 

That said, once the Olympians took their seats... the program fell flat in my opinion. Parts reminded me of the Canadian exhibit at the World Trade Centre (the REAL one in Queens circa 60's) where you were placed in seats and had a soaring 360 degree view of the vastness of Canada. BUT... sometimes the designs fell flat (square snow???, that floating young kid who really was not graceful, acrobatic or anything.... why not get someone of the Cirque du Soleil school???, etc... I always enjoy the Newfoundland fiddling and dancing, but here found it here too stilted and too hyped.

 

And -- oh my God prepare to be slaughtered on this Board -- I do NOT like KD Lang and so sitting through her rendition of HALLELULIA was painful for me (why could they NOT have had the Canadian Tenors - hyped here already - on that show??) Oh well, it is a taste thing, and thank God it was KD Lang and not Celine Dion.

 

Hopefully the Games will excite me more than this show, but from seeing the opening, I am not really making plans to sit glued to the TV for the Closing Program -- unless I find on some cable network the sports channel that has coverage sans NBC banal reporters.

[Luv2play]

And -- oh my God prepare to be slaughtered on this Board -- I do NOT like KD Lang and so sitting through her rendition of HALLELULIA was painful for me (why could they NOT have had the Canadian Tenors - hyped here already - on that show??) Oh well, it is a taste thing, and thank God it was KD Lang and not Celine Dion.

 

 

I am wondering why they didn't have Leonard Cohen, who is also Canadian and wrote the song, perform Hallelulia. Over the years it has been recorded by numerous performers and his version may not be considered the favorite, but he created it and is always a crowd pleaser. Of course, maybe it's because he tends to dress in black or grey and is a bit mournful whereas kd lang is perky and more up-beat. It could be a style thing.

 

And about kd being fat now, I heard her on the radio being interviewed by NPR the other day and she said she goes to great lengths to protect her voice. Maybe fat works!

[MsGuy]

I am wondering why they didn't have Leonard Cohen, who is also Canadian and wrote the song, perform Hallelulia.

 

That was exactly what I was wondering while I was listening to the song. But as you said, it was probably a matter of taste and tone. & kd lang does sell more records.

[EXPAT]

KD Lang was the only thing I loved about the Opening Ceremonies. I've seen her sing this live twice and it is aways amazing. She has an amazing voice.

[Greathands]

Like many others, I did enjoy the show. I liked that they opened the show with the parade of athletes. I think they should do this for every Olympic opening, so that the athletes get to see the program, instead of standing outside of the arena waiting to come in.

 

It's true that it wasn't the flashiest, most impressive opening. I think it's sad that as we become more media and technically saavy, that it gets harder and harder to entertain and impress us. Sometimes beauty can be found in simpler, unimpressive ways.

 

I learned quite a few things about Canada during the show, albeit that some of that came from the coverage and not the show itself. I guess I'm pretty ignorant about our northern neighbor, but I was surprised to learn that 90% of Canadians live within 100 miles of the US border. When I saw that graphic, I was stunned.

 

I think the show had some great moments, one of which was the poem/rap that was shared. While I'm really not a huge poetry fan, nor do I care much for rap, I thought the message it offered was moving.

 

So, while it may not have been as impressive as the Beijing opening show, I enjoyed it for its more simpler, intimate presentation.

[justaguy]

OMG--I'm not the only gay guy who isn't a Celine Dion fan! LOL

 

I'm with you on the commercials all the way!! Coverage isn't what it used to be. If the last few airings are an indication, what will really get to me is when they show us just the hightlights of three or four performances and air live only the top performers.

 

Bug #2: Why do American broadcasters have to be so nationalistic? An athlete (especially in skating) makes and error. If the athlete is American = that's too bad but still a great performance; if the athlete is non-American = points should be dedected for that. Is the same true in other countries?