Another thing NBC failed at was keeping me up on the details of the sports. Most of this stuff I only see every four years, so I don’t remember exactly where they measure the ski jumpers landing from or what’s the difference between an axle and a toe-loop or why there are three different kind of poles with flags for the different downhill events or practically anything about curling, which I kinda’ like but need more explanation of. If they’ve got time to run a piece about lumber jacks, they’ve got time to explain to me why the skip wants the hammer in the house on the button.
I watched a lot of the curling, and they did those basic explanations a few times; maybe more during the first few days than later.
The graphics they used were dreadful, though. They have a computer that can superimpose a line on the ice during speed skating, so you know if the current skater is ahead or behind the best time. During curling, they had to hand-draw things with a telestrator, and by the time they figured out how the camera had switched to a different shot.
I loved the closing ceremony - except for the non ballet dancing Russian part & Katherine O’hara. I’ll take you guys word for it that she was the mother in Home Alone - I had no idea who she was & I can guarantee that not many other people from outside of North America would have known her either. Oh & the guy with the excruciating French - man that was long!
I was hoping for some Gordan Lightfoot - but I wikied him. I didn’t realise he was that old & had had so many health problems in the last decade.
As far as coverage goes - Sky in New Zealand was pretty good. Except in the evening sometimes 3 out of the 4 channels would have curling or ice hockey . Not much interest in curling over here (outher than in teh Southland/Otago areas & most of the ice hockey was very dull. I’m not counting thehockey finals in that - they were brilliant!
I thought his performance brought a touching poignancy to the farewell the these Olympics games. Of course, I’m a Neil Young freak. 
Eh? Bob & Doug McKenzie? I didn’t even know Dave Thomas & Rick Moranis were really Canadian!
The problem with getting the McKenzie Brothers is that Rick Moranis refuses to come down off his giant pile of money. He wouldn’t even do the voice over for the cartoon (they had to get Dave Coulier).
I’m fairly certain that all the artists were lip-syncing last night.
Sort of a contradiction in terms, there.
Edit to add: Er, Neil Peart didn’t write Hockey Night in Canada, nor the new theme CBC uses now.
Avril, for one, wasn’t. I was watching her pretty closely.
Actually, you’re right on that one. I remember noticing that at the time. But most if not all of the rest were.
I heard some callers to sports talk radio saying NBC did a bad job explaining to rules of the Sunday hockey overtime-no mention of number of players on the ice or how long it would go. Doc Emrick is usually better than that.
That would have been awesome. “It’s Bud the Spud from the bright red mud, rolling down the highway smilin’”
When she started singing, I said to Jim, “Her vocal skills seem to be a product of the studio.”
Just referring to why he returned his Juno Awards. 
Oh that was atrocious. MER-CEE BOO-KOO. 
“The spuds are big on the backa Bud’s rig, 'cause they’re from Prince Edward Island.” Now that’s what was missing–a real Canadian who sings about this land. With all due respect to the other performers, nobody has made this land their subject more than Stompin’ Tom Connors. “Now the cops a been lookin’ for the sonovagun who rips up the tar on the four-oh-one…”
Anybody (other than me) ever been in Sudbury on a Saturday night?