Is Canada Olympic hockey gold beer controversy just another stupid media creation?
Image by Getty Images via Daylife
Rather than focusing on the sport, some media outlets this morning chose to create or flame a controversy apparently started by reporters – including an AP reporter who took photos to the IOC.
The Canadian women’s hockey team wins an Olympic gold medal – but instead some of the headlines say:
Beery gold-medal celebration could get Canada’s women’s team in trouble (Los Angeles Times)
A Toast to Hockey Gold, but at What Cost? (New York Times)
Boozing Olympic Hockey Team in Hot Water (ABC News)
The fact that the players are all adults, the festivities took place in an empty arena after the public had left, and the only others apparently present were family, cleaners, and reporters begging for photos, is being glossed over in the frenzy.
One newspaper even posted a gallery of the players with cans of beer and cigars. Since when was that stuff illegal? Maybe Nascar drivers ought to keep their champagne away from the track – after all, it’s the same thing, right?
One reporter took the time to research the ages of the players and pointed out that a player with a beer can in hand was 1 month under the legal drinking age in Vancouver, which is 19. The player hails from Quebec, where the drinking age is 18. Whoopee!
So what’s the big deal? Why do some media have to play up what seems to have been a private team celebration that spilled out of the locker room?
What do you think? Is this a real story, overreaction, or something in between?
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Those shots shouldn’t be seen in a negative light – they’re awesome! I have a higher opinion of women’s ice hockey after seeing them. That shot on the zamboni? Priceless! It’s like something out of a Duff beer commercials on the Simpsons. If the IOC strips them of their gold medals in ice hockey, I think the hockey-playing world should band together and buy them gold medals in partying!
They definitely had fun celebrating all that hard work.
A Sports Illustrated blogger had his own reaction to the party, and “controversy”:
In response to another comment. See in context »Totally agree – let them celebrate the way they want. The only problem so far has been that one of the Canadian players seen drinking on the ice is 18… the legal age in B.C. is 19. Hockey Canada has already issued an apology:
http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-features/news/newsid=448255.html#ioc+probe+celebrations+womens+hockey+team
[...] View original here: Is Canada Olympic hockey gold beer controversy just another stupid … [...]
The limit for public consumption of alcohol is 19, but you can drink at private events when you’re younger than that, I believe.
This IS Vangroover, not Jedda, after all.
The Vancouver poet laureate Brad Cran has an interesting response to the controversy:
http://bradcran.com/vancouver_verse/on-women%e2%80%99s-gold-equality-and-the-ioc/