K Johnson
Moderator
1068 posts
Mar 03, 2010
12:53 PM
|
Here's something to think about...,
Hockey Canada president Bob Nicholson says the president of the International Olympic Committee should watch more women's hockey before criticizing the level of competition at the Olympics.
Nicholson came to the defence of women's hockey Thursday after IOC president Jacques Rogge said competition level in the sport needed to improve or it's future will be considered.
Canada and the United States have dominated women's hockey since it debuted at the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano. The two teams have appeared in three of the four Olympic finals, save the 2006 Turin Games when Sweden upset the U.S. in the semifinals before losing to eventual champion Canada.
Rogge suggested that more countries need to field competitive women's hockey teams in order for the sport to grow.
"There must be at a certain degree of improvement, we cannot continue without improvement," he said. (Yahoosports)
KJ: What are your thoughts?
|
66 chevy
51 posts
Mar 03, 2010
1:52 PM
|
Mr Rogge is from France isn't he? No wonder he doesn't get it. Womens Hockey is a great game and it is catching on around the world. Would be a shame if they chucked it from the Olympics...a real shame.
|
boogaloo
64 posts
Mar 03, 2010
2:03 PM
|
I kinda agree with the IOC. I love women's hockey and Canada and USA are definately the front runners in the sport due to pure talent and funding. I would love to see the other countries put some efforts into strengthening their women's hockey programs, and I do believe the sport is in trouble if other countries don't put the energy and resources into it. I would hate to see it dicontinued because it is very entertaining and competitive...
|
mx-oldtimer
180 posts
Mar 03, 2010
3:26 PM
|
Women's hockey is doomed to suffer the same fate as women's softball, with its eventual exclusion from the Olympics.
The fact is the sport is making very little in-roads at the amateur level in any country other the two in N.America. That is primarily because of what is known as Title-IX, which basically means colleges must provide an equal number of athletic scholarships for women as what are offered to men.
It has lead to the growth of women's team sports and the demise of men's gymnastics at the NCAA level. The effect on women's hockey has been profound. Not only has it provided an advanced level of coaching to teenage girls to refine their game, but it is also a very attractive goal, to attend a big-name school, and have your education paid for.
The carrot of an education is the prime motivator amongst the young-ladies who are quality players and there are hundreds of full-ride scholarships available.
European ladies have no-such option open to them, and as such, participation is restricted to a few diehards, who are willing to pay their own way.
China is the only nation with any interest in investing in women's hockey and if they do in a big way, it may be the saving grace for the sport. But as of yet they have failed to improve at the rate they managed for women's soccer.
It is a fact that any success that women's hockey has of gaining global popularity is with a massive in-flux of participation at the grass-roots level, and as has been demonstrated over and over in communities throughout Canada the demands on reasonable ice-times for both sexes is causing some battle-lines to be drawn.
The sad fact is our communities are balking at building more facilities, in these tight times, less than hockey-rabid nations will simply focus on their more traditional sports.
I would surmise that a few IOC countries would like to see the focus of the winter-games to be returned to Nordic and skating events and have a little less attention paid towards N.American Hockey players, men and women.
Personally, I realize men's hockey had and still has smoke-shows and lopsided results, but the IOC is giving the US networks,( who basically fund the games with the obscene TV money), a bone to make some ad money on. I don't think Women's Hockey is popular enough to NBC, for them to put up much of a fight.
|
charlieboy
14 posts
Mar 03, 2010
3:50 PM
|
I stopped reading after doomed, you writin a novel there bud?
|
MotherEarth
260 posts
Mar 03, 2010
3:57 PM
|
A boring one at that!
|
lovelymiss
233 posts
Mar 03, 2010
4:15 PM
|
I can see MX's point. At least in men's hockey, countries other than Canada and USA have a fighting chance, and at least it's exciting to watch. In woman's hockey the only two teams worth watching play are Canada and USA. Watching the Canadian women beat China 18-0...I turned it to another event after it was 6-0.
|
mx-oldtimer
181 posts
Mar 03, 2010
4:18 PM
|
It is reasoned response to a volatile topic. I thought it best to explain myself. To comment that it is too long is strange. I noticed how you failed to address the OP.
|
K Johnson
Moderator
1072 posts
Mar 03, 2010
6:56 PM
|
I have to agree with LovelyMiss...if you really read what MX said, there's lots of food for thought in it.
He must have done some research but MX has a pretty good grasp on the language as well. You may not like him...but his post 180 has merit.
Last Edited on 3-Mar-2010 7:18 PM
|
Donna_A
218 posts
Mar 03, 2010
7:01 PM
|
Only boring if you don't like hockey. Good info MX
----------
Life is tough ...It's even tougher if you're stupid.........
|
K Johnson
Moderator
1074 posts
Mar 03, 2010
7:07 PM
|
Good point!
|
lovelymiss
234 posts
Mar 04, 2010
10:19 AM
|
Gotta disagree with you there Donna_A. I am a hockey nut! Juniors, women's and especially NHL. My team is the Canucks. Born in Van and have been a fan since birth. It's a million times more exciting watching a tight game than a blow out of 18-0.
Last Edited on 4-Mar-2010 10:50 AM
|
Donna_A
223 posts
Mar 04, 2010
11:50 AM
|
My comment was in reference to MXs post being boring if you don't like hockey, not watching hockey.
----------
Life is tough ...It's even tougher if you're stupid.........
|
icetitanV1.2
Moderator
2408 posts
Mar 05, 2010
1:24 PM
|
Any of you read the little blog spot nbc anchor Brian Williams wrote about Canada? Check it out......
Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor
After tonight's broadcast and after looting our hotel mini-bars, we're going to try to brave the blizzard and fly east to home and hearth, and to do laundry well into next week. Before we leave this thoroughly polite country, the polite thing to do is leave behind a thank-you note.
Thank you, Canada:
For being such good hosts.
For your unfailing courtesy.
For your (mostly) beautiful weather.
For scheduling no more than 60 percent of your float plane departures at the exact moment when I was trying to say something on television.
For not seeming to mind the occasional (or constant) good-natured mimicry of your accents.
For your unique TV commercials -- for companies like Tim Hortons -- which made us laugh and cry.
For securing this massive event without choking security, and without publicly displaying a single automatic weapon.
For having the best garment design and logo-wear of the games -- you've made wearing your name a cool thing to do.
For the sportsmanship we saw most of your athletes display.
For not honking your horns. I didn't hear one car horn in 15 days -- which also means none of my fellow New Yorkers rented cars while visiting.
For making us aware of how many of you have been watching NBC all these years.
For having the good taste to have an anchorman named Brian Williams on your CTV network, who turns out to be such a nice guy.
For the body scans at the airport which make pat-downs and cavity searches unnecessary.
For designing those really cool LED Olympic rings in the harbor, which turned to gold when your athletes won one.
For always saying nice things about the United States...when you know we're listening.
For sharing Joannie Rochette with us.
For reminding some of us we used to be a more civil society.
Mostly, for welcoming the world with such ease and making lasting friends with all of us.
|
Casper
362 posts
Mar 05, 2010
3:57 PM
|
Now how much is it costing us? And for how long?
|
Jim Beck
40 posts
Mar 12, 2010
4:46 PM
|
six billion four hundred and fifty million , three hundred thousand and two hundred and twenty one dollars and thirteen cents over the next twenty five thousand four hundred andthirty; three years and fifty seven days and six minutes
|
Jim Beck
41 posts
Mar 12, 2010
4:49 PM
|
personally i think that we should be spending more money on our rcmp force up here and double the six from thirty six to seventy-two that would keep mother earth happy. Oh did someone say perfect olympics. I seem to remember something about theft that tainted it and got squelched somehow. I wonder who the thieves were?
|
