Vancouver 2010: And So It Ends

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

The Winter Olympic Games concluded with a men's hockey game that belongs right up there with the 1980 "Miracle On Ice".  Sidney Crosby's overtime goal gave Canada a 3-2 victory over the United States, fulfilling their destiny of winning a gold medal before the home folks.  The way the game was played, this might do for hockey what the 1958 NFL championship game between the Colts and Giants did for pro football--put it on the map in a big way in the United States and around the world.

Otherwise, these Olympics have been very good for the United States.  They won 37 medals (including nine gold, 15 silver and 13 bronze), more than anyone else in Winter Games history.  Not only that, but they struck gold in unlikely places.  Billy Demong and Johnny Spillane finished 1-2 in the men's Nordic combined (that's large hill ski jumping and cross country skiing)--the first American medals ever in that sport, while Steve Holcomb piloted the U.S. four-man bobsled team to its first gold since 1948.

The American alpine ski team, which had been loading up on medals during the first week, fizzled in the second week due to injuries and controversy.  Lindsey Vonn disqualified in her last two races, including her crash in the Giant Slalom that looked much worse than it was in the snow and fog (she broke a pinky).  But teammate Julia Mancuso had more reason to be upset, because her run immediately following Vonn's was halted halfway down the hill by officials, causing her to replay her run as the weather got worse and finished out of the running.

Host country Canada may not have "owned the podium" like they said they would, but they did lay claim to a record haul of gold not seen in those parts since the 1890s.  They finished third in the medals (Germany was second) with 14 gold, seven silver and five bronze for a total of 26.  The golds came in men's and women's hockey, men's curling and ice dancing.

The women's hockey team, upon winning the gold over the United States, had a private celebration on center ice at Canada Hockey Place.  Thanks to You Tube, we could see the players quaffing champagne and beer.  So why does the song "Tik Tok" by Ke$ha come to mind?

For those of you who hit the remote whenever NBC put its prime time showcase on figure skating, the winners were Kim Yu-Na of South Korea in the 'ladies' category, and Evan Lysacek of the United States in the men's.

As the Games closed with the dousing of the flames at Vancouver's B.C. Place Stadium (which looks eerily like the Metrodome), the memories of bad weather, trucked-in snow and the death of a Georgian luger still linger.  But Canada should be proud of the way they hosted these Olympics in spite of everthing.  All they really did was to set the bar higher for the next Winter Olympics host, Sochi, Russia, in 2014.

Beauty,eh?