You’re 18 years old, you just won a gold medal in the Olympic sport that is, by far, the most meaningful and popular in your country. And the icing on the cake is, you did it on your home soil in front of an arena full of ravenous fans.
What do you do?
This is not a trick question. You celebrate. Celebrate like you never have before, and as if you never will again for this reason.
The Canadian women’s hockey team did that on Thursday night after beating the United States 2-0 in the gold medal game at the Winter Olympics. But apparently they exceeded some unknown fun limit, because the International Olympic Committee has an issue with this party.
About a half hour after the game, after fulfilling all their media requirements, the Canadian women returned to the ice with champagne, beer and cigars.
I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a good start to a celebration. Players frolicked on the ice, drank, smoked and reveled in their success.
But the IOC declared that the partying was, “not what we want to see.”
Perhaps not, but it was what they wanted to do.
“If they celebrate in the changing room, that’s one thing,” IOC executive director Gilbert Felli said, “but not in public.”
Why not? It’s not like the arena was still full and they were pouring shots of Canadian Club whisky for 8-year-olds in the stands. And anyone who’s ever smelled a hockey changing room knows that’s no place to have a party.
Part of the reason that such a big deal is being made of this is that some of the players were not of legal drinking age in British Columbia, making them the first teenagers in the history of the world to partake in underage drinking.
Come on, let them have their fun. This was the culmination of years of hard work and preparation come to fruition. They earned this.
4 comments:
Beer, champagne, cigars? Those party animals!
This was called a "controversy" everywhere today, but why is this controversial. Did anyone actually complain? If so, who was it?
I think the International Olympic Committee needs to relax a bit here.
Beer, champagne and cigars are nothing we haven't seen before from a pro team that wins a championship. Or a division if you're the Red Sox. But shots of whiskey and underage drinking (is the drinking age 18 or 19 in B.C.?) are a bit over the top. And this is the Olympics, where the athletes are expected to show a little more class. Let's just be glad Canada doesn't have any Brandi Chastains on the team.
GIRLS GONE WILD.....I love it!
Oh for heaven's sake. Lighten up IOC. These young women worked long and hard for this, let them have their moment!
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