# Can we speculate on who the olympic flame lighter will be? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 9, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-speculate-on-who-the-olympic-flame-lighter-will-be/528289 "2010-02-09T17:09:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-speculate-on-who-the-olympic-flame-lighter-will-be/528289/1 "2010-02-09T17:09:09Z")
So, we’ve invited Arnold Schwarzenegger to be one of the final torch-bearers on Friday. Why? I don’t know of any other reason than publicity, and ratings, but there you have it. Also included in the final leg are Walter Gretzky (Wayne’s father), astronaut Julie Payette, singer Jann Arden and former hockey player Richard Brodeur. Guesses? I don’t think it will be Wayne Gretzky, although he was the GM of Canada’s 2002 gold medal team at Salt Lake. It won’t be a politician. What about home town boy (well, from close by) Michael J Fox? Would we do that? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-speculate-on-who-the-olympic-flame-lighter-will-be/528289/2 "2010-02-09T17:17:34Z")
Well, Wayne Gretzky is certainly the GREATEST Canadian athlete ever, but I don’t know that people tend to associate him with the Olympics. Yes, I know he has genuine Olympic ties and experience, but when you think of Gretzky, you DON’T think of the Olympics first, any more than we in the USA associate Larry Bird or Michael Jordan with the Olympics (though both WERE Olympians). My feeling is, if you’re going to pick an NHL star, it ought to be Gordie Howe (even Gretzky could get behind that). On the other hand, if you’re looking for a great Olympian, I’d pick Cindy Klassen, who’s Canada’s top Winter Olympian ever. But those are just opinions. I have no idea who WILL light the torch. But if it’s Gretzky, I certainly can’t object to that. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-speculate-on-who-the-olympic-flame-lighter-will-be/528289/3 "2010-02-09T17:22:09Z")
Gretsky makes sense. He’s the closest analog to Muhammad Ali that Canada can muster. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-speculate-on-who-the-olympic-flame-lighter-will-be/528289/4 "2010-02-09T17:23:12Z")
I really hope it’s Alan Thicke, I loved him on _Animal Crackups_. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-speculate-on-who-the-olympic-flame-lighter-will-be/528289/5 "2010-02-09T17:55:20Z")
Bob and Doug McKenzie. Bob pulls Doug’s finger, and the flame lights. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-speculate-on-who-the-olympic-flame-lighter-will-be/528289/6 "2010-02-09T17:58:27Z")
Terrence and Phillip could do a better job of that. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-speculate-on-who-the-olympic-flame-lighter-will-be/528289/7 "2010-02-09T18:48:31Z")
Kanye West. “Yo, Gretzky, I’ma let you finish, but Muhammad Ali was the greatest torch lighter of all time. OF ALL TIME!” ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-speculate-on-who-the-olympic-flame-lighter-will-be/528289/8 "2010-02-09T18:56:05Z")
Bryan Adams? ---
**Author:** ![Rafe\_Hollister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Rafe\_Hollister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rafe_Hollister)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-speculate-on-who-the-olympic-flame-lighter-will-be/528289/9 "2010-02-09T18:59:38Z")
Let Red Green come up with some jack-eyed Rube Goldberg device to get the party started proper. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-speculate-on-who-the-olympic-flame-lighter-will-be/528289/10 "2010-02-09T19:09:21Z")
Mel Lastman. He’s such a gasbag, all he has to do is breathe on the torch and the flame will be ignited. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-speculate-on-who-the-olympic-flame-lighter-will-be/528289/11 "2010-02-09T19:12:20Z")
Oooh, how about Don Cherry? His suit will cause the flame to spontaneously ignite. Edited to add a few illustrative photos: > **[Home - Broadcom Community - Discussion Forums, Technical Docs, and Expert Blogs](https://community.broadcom.com/home)** > > The site home page [http://blogs.watoday.com.au/executive-style/allmenareliars/don-cherry.jpg](http://blogs.watoday.com.au/executive-style/allmenareliars/don-cherry.jpg) [![](https://doncherryjacketwatch.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/doncherryhnic20080509.jpg) ](https://doncherryjacketwatch.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/doncherryhnic20080509.jpg) > **[97.7 HTZ-FM](https://www.iheartradio.ca/977htzfm)** > > 97-7 HTZ FM is Southern Ontario’s Best rock, located in St. Catharines, ON, Canada. CHTZ-FM is part of iHeartRADIO ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-speculate-on-who-the-olympic-flame-lighter-will-be/528289/12 "2010-02-09T19:14:00Z")
Canadian Cage Match. Winner lights the torch. I pick Shatner. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-speculate-on-who-the-olympic-flame-lighter-will-be/528289/13 "2010-02-09T19:41:18Z")
Ha! This does work much better as a joke thread. But what are we going to do, run through all known Canadians? Who’s next? Donald Sutherland? Neil Young? ---
**Author:** ![Foldup\_Rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Foldup\_Rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foldup_Rabbit)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-speculate-on-who-the-olympic-flame-lighter-will-be/528289/14 "2010-02-10T04:19:43Z")
My money’s on Rick Hansen. ---
**Author:** ![Foldup\_Rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Foldup\_Rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foldup_Rabbit)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-speculate-on-who-the-olympic-flame-lighter-will-be/528289/15 "2010-02-10T06:44:35Z")
Never mind. Apparently he carried it this morning. Ah, rats. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-speculate-on-who-the-olympic-flame-lighter-will-be/528289/16 "2010-02-10T20:07:48Z")
Gretzky ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-speculate-on-who-the-olympic-flame-lighter-will-be/528289/17 "2010-02-12T13:28:44Z")
The rumoured short list is: Wayne Gretzky \*Betty Fox - Mother of Terry Fox Nancy Green - 1968 Gold and Silver skiing medalist \*Does anyone outside of Canada know who Terry Fox was? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-speculate-on-who-the-olympic-flame-lighter-will-be/528289/18 "2010-02-12T14:07:14Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Oooh, how about Don Cherry? His suit will cause the flame to spontaneously ignite. > > Edited to add a few illustrative photos: > [http://community.brocade.com/home/servlet/JiveServlet/showImage/38-1588-1032/don\_cherry\_rose.jpg](http://community.brocade.com/home/servlet/JiveServlet/showImage/38-1588-1032/don_cherry_rose.jpg) > [http://blogs.watoday.com.au/executive-style/allmenareliars/don-cherry.jpg](http://blogs.watoday.com.au/executive-style/allmenareliars/don-cherry.jpg) > [Don We Now Our Gay Apparel: Image](http://doncherryjacketwatch.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/doncherryhnic20080509.jpg) > [http://www.htzfm.com/files/htzfm/images/don%20cherry.jpg](http://www.htzfm.com/files/htzfm/images/don%20cherry.jpg) It’s amazing what you can do with a tablecloth. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-speculate-on-who-the-olympic-flame-lighter-will-be/528289/19 "2010-02-12T14:08:47Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > \*Does anyone outside of Canada know who Terry Fox was? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-speculate-on-who-the-olympic-flame-lighter-will-be/528289/20 "2010-02-12T14:22:25Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > The rumoured short list is: > > Wayne Gretzky > \*Betty Fox - Mother of Terry Fox > Nancy Green - 1968 Gold and Silver skiing medalist > \*Does anyone outside of Canada know who Terry Fox was? I do and I think that would be an awesome choice. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-speculate-on-who-the-olympic-flame-lighter-will-be/528289.md?page=2)