Someone Get Catriona a Pillow!
Apparently several of Canada's top athletes have taken the step of specifically asking NOT to be nominated to carry their country's flag in the opening ceremonies at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympic Games. This brought immediate reaction from Don Cherry, who made his feelings about their action clear during a CBC Newsworld interview.
Cherry's take on the whole thing is that those athletes "not proud to carry it should be ashamed of themselves." He pointed out the likelihood that such a thing would never happen in the States, and you know he's probably exactly right. Whatever else you may feel about Americans, you have to acknowledge them as a people not at all abashed to declare a love of their flag. Cherry had a comeback for those athletes who declined in advance because they say they need the time to prepare for their event, those who say that carrying the flag would likely detract from their performance. "That nonsense about getting prepared --- how long does it take? A little walk around. Come out and say you don't care..." Obviously, Cherry has little patience and even less respect for those athletes who have declared themselves uninterested in the honour.
Catriona Le May Doan, Canadian speed skater who won gold at the games in 2002, and also carried the flag then, felt the need to jump all over Cherry's head. Says little Ms Catriona, the one who should be ashamed is Cherry. "Marching in the opening ceremonies is exhausting. An athlete saying 'no' is doing it because they want to be at their best for their country. We should be saying 'thank you' to them for not jeopardizing that."
You might feel the need to give your head a little shake to clear it after reading that line of flowerbed fertilizer. Then you might be interested to know how the last ten flag bearers from Doan back to Nancy Greene fared after their "exhausting" ordeal of carrying their country's flag in the opening parade. In 2002 Doan won gold. 1998's Brassard and 1994's Browning failed to place. 1992's Daigle won gold in speed skating. 1988's Orser won silver in figure skating. 1984's Boucher won two gold and a bronze. 1980's Read and 1976's Irwin both failed to place. 1972's Magnussen won silver in figure skating and in 1968, Nancy Greene won gold and silver in skiing. Were they all "SUPER-ATHLETE", faster than a speeding bullet, stronger than mighty Atlas? Maybe not, eh? Maybe they were proud to be given the honour of representing their country in the opening ceremony as well as in competition, rather than being solely focused on the ego-centric pursuit of first place.
To acknowledge Doan as speaking with the voice of experience when she speaks about the grueling and 'exhausting' ordeal of carrying that flag, maybe there should be some changes made to the way Canada's finest athletes make their entrance at the Games' opening. She says it was OK for her to carry the flag because her race wasn't for almost a week after the opening. Obviously, any athlete who is going to compete before the week is out should not be expected to undergo this harrowing experience.
Perhaps another change could be made by utilizing the events held before the Olympics, the ones that determine membership on Canada's roster of competitors. For those afraid of exhaustion, the first runner-up at each of those events should go to the Olympics as well, with the athlete they lost out to. At the opening ceremonies, those runners-up should pull that athlete around the Olympic venue in a little red wagon. Maybe each wagon could even be equipped with a widdle bwankie and a pillow, in case the ceremonies drag on too long. We could even have Doan pulled along in front of the tired contingent, crooning a lullaby so the little sleepy-heads could catch 40 winks and stave off any threat of fatigue from the long hike around the venue. Of course, all of this effort would simply go to waste if we still insisted on an athlete carrying the flag, even from his/her comfy position in their little wagon. Not to worry, I have a solution for the conundrum. The wagon of the "flag carrier" could be emblazoned on both sides with the proud standard of the true north strong and free.
There, Catriona, problem solved. Now if you could just get that nasty-wasty ol' Don Cherry to say he's sorry, I'm sure you would feel all better.
Cherry's take on the whole thing is that those athletes "not proud to carry it should be ashamed of themselves." He pointed out the likelihood that such a thing would never happen in the States, and you know he's probably exactly right. Whatever else you may feel about Americans, you have to acknowledge them as a people not at all abashed to declare a love of their flag. Cherry had a comeback for those athletes who declined in advance because they say they need the time to prepare for their event, those who say that carrying the flag would likely detract from their performance. "That nonsense about getting prepared --- how long does it take? A little walk around. Come out and say you don't care..." Obviously, Cherry has little patience and even less respect for those athletes who have declared themselves uninterested in the honour.
Catriona Le May Doan, Canadian speed skater who won gold at the games in 2002, and also carried the flag then, felt the need to jump all over Cherry's head. Says little Ms Catriona, the one who should be ashamed is Cherry. "Marching in the opening ceremonies is exhausting. An athlete saying 'no' is doing it because they want to be at their best for their country. We should be saying 'thank you' to them for not jeopardizing that."
You might feel the need to give your head a little shake to clear it after reading that line of flowerbed fertilizer. Then you might be interested to know how the last ten flag bearers from Doan back to Nancy Greene fared after their "exhausting" ordeal of carrying their country's flag in the opening parade. In 2002 Doan won gold. 1998's Brassard and 1994's Browning failed to place. 1992's Daigle won gold in speed skating. 1988's Orser won silver in figure skating. 1984's Boucher won two gold and a bronze. 1980's Read and 1976's Irwin both failed to place. 1972's Magnussen won silver in figure skating and in 1968, Nancy Greene won gold and silver in skiing. Were they all "SUPER-ATHLETE", faster than a speeding bullet, stronger than mighty Atlas? Maybe not, eh? Maybe they were proud to be given the honour of representing their country in the opening ceremony as well as in competition, rather than being solely focused on the ego-centric pursuit of first place.
To acknowledge Doan as speaking with the voice of experience when she speaks about the grueling and 'exhausting' ordeal of carrying that flag, maybe there should be some changes made to the way Canada's finest athletes make their entrance at the Games' opening. She says it was OK for her to carry the flag because her race wasn't for almost a week after the opening. Obviously, any athlete who is going to compete before the week is out should not be expected to undergo this harrowing experience.
Perhaps another change could be made by utilizing the events held before the Olympics, the ones that determine membership on Canada's roster of competitors. For those afraid of exhaustion, the first runner-up at each of those events should go to the Olympics as well, with the athlete they lost out to. At the opening ceremonies, those runners-up should pull that athlete around the Olympic venue in a little red wagon. Maybe each wagon could even be equipped with a widdle bwankie and a pillow, in case the ceremonies drag on too long. We could even have Doan pulled along in front of the tired contingent, crooning a lullaby so the little sleepy-heads could catch 40 winks and stave off any threat of fatigue from the long hike around the venue. Of course, all of this effort would simply go to waste if we still insisted on an athlete carrying the flag, even from his/her comfy position in their little wagon. Not to worry, I have a solution for the conundrum. The wagon of the "flag carrier" could be emblazoned on both sides with the proud standard of the true north strong and free.
There, Catriona, problem solved. Now if you could just get that nasty-wasty ol' Don Cherry to say he's sorry, I'm sure you would feel all better.
1 Comments:
Those that refuse, should be ashamed of themselves. It's an honour. There they would, carrying the flag, while a nation cheers them on.
WTF?
If it's one thing we can learn from the US, is a bit of pride. Pride for our nation, our flag, and our place in the world.
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