Own the Podium dream over: Canadian official

[HeresyLives]

Canada won't own the podium at the Vancouver Games after all.

With seven days of competition remaining, the Canadian Olympic Committee raised the white flag Monday on the host team's goal of finishing first overall in the medal count.

"We are going to be short of our goal," CEO Chris Rudge said at the team's daily news briefing.
Canada entered Monday with nine medals (4-4-1), tied for fourth with South Korea, and far behind the United States at 24. Germany was second with 17, followed by Norway with 12.

"We'd be living in a fool's paradise if we said we were going to catch the Americans and win," Rudge said. "We're not throwing in the towel. You never do that when you are in the middle of a fight, but it's difficult. They are way out ahead at this point and it would be unrealistic to state that we are going to catch them

http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/story/2010/02/22/spo-rudge-podium-over.html

[Spazito]

1. I won't hold my breath but...

it would be nice of the COC would learn a lesson from this and stop projecting numbers and, instead, celebrate the athletes themselves. Don't give a number when asked and, instead, state proudly our athletes will do us proud wherever they 'place'.

[HeresyLives]

2. I think that's where the politics came into it.

This idea that you have to 'tough' and be a chest-beater and all. Con malarkey.

'Strive for excellence' or 'reach for the top' or whatever would have been much better.

[Spazito]

3. I remember when our participation used to be touted in the way you have...

put it, phrases like 'strive for excellence', etc. They need to take the overt politics out of our Olympic participation and go back to what used to be the focus for sure.

There seemed to have always been some number put forward and I would like to see that practice stopped as well, it serves no good purpose, imo.

[HeresyLives]

4. I agree...no numbers.

Because if you set a number but then come in even one under it, it looks like failure, even tho they may have done fantastically well.

[daleo]

5. Olympic chest-beating

I also think this has been a deliberate attempt to move Canadians' patriotism into politically safe realms (from the Conservatives point of view). They have been trying to steer us away from being proud of accomplishments such as public health care, decent public pensions, peacekeeping, and so forth as part of their effort to re-norm our political culture away from collective accomplishments and towards an emphasis on competitive achievement.

[HeresyLives]

6. Sports and war, Harp's two big themes.

Wouldn't want anything as wimpy as peace ya know.

[Toilet]

7. lol

Why does something like this somehow become a harper/concervative thing? It has nothing to do with it.

[Toilet]

8. I'm no harper/conservative fan.

But that post was a load of crap.

[HeresyLives]

9. I'd say you were a party member.

The name gives you away.

[Lucy Goosey]

11. Hee!

Good one.

[Prometheus Bound]

16. Whoo Hoo! That made me laugh out loud.

[Spazito]

10. Uh huh

:eyes:

[daleo]

12. You need to contribute more, if you want to be taken seriously

All you really did was express a dislike for a thesis, rather than counter it analytically.

[Toilet]

13. I see.

So because I disagreed with you there's no way I can be taken seriously.

One moment were talking about the Olympics. The next it's some how turns to Harper the evil baby killer.

And you want me to be taken seriously?

Seriously dude. What you said was utter crap.

[daleo]

19. You need to learn how to engage in debate

I said it is Conservative policy to turn Canadian patriotism away from matters such as public health care and peacekeeping to sports and warfare, as the former are associated with liberal positions while the latter are neutral or conservative. Conservatives themselves have said that they want to re-frame the Canadian political culture in these ways.

To debate this means to refute it in a meaningful way, not just gainsay it like some bad Monty Python skit.

[Toilet]

14. I see.

So because I disagreed with you there's no way I can be taken seriously.

One moment were talking about the Olympics. The next it's some how turns to Harper the evil baby killer.

And you want me to be taken seriously?

Seriously dude. What you said was utter crap.

[HeresyLives]

15. There's that word again....

CCRAP.

[Toilet]

17. you don't like the word?

[HeresyLives]

18. Hey, it's your party, not mine.

And the name has always summed it up nicely.

[Toilet]

21. What's my party?

[polly7]

20. Totally agree. nt.