Olympian figure skater Johnny Weir has turned heads not only after his terrific performance in the men’s skating short program, but for his persona off the ice as well.
Tags: Johnny Be Good, Johnny Weir, Winter 2010 Olympic Highlights
The poster was designed by Shepard Fairey, the same graphic artist responsible for the ubiquitous Barack Obama ‘HOPE’ poster. It features a torch-wielding Colbert riding a bald eagle and is emblazoned with the not-so-subtle message, ‘DEFEAT THE WORLD.’
Colbert has a history of getting his fans to do his bidding. In the run up to the Olympics he rallied the troops to raise over $300,000 to become sponsors of the U.S. Speed Skating team who had lost their original sponsor to bankruptcy.
Their results in speed skating have been impressive!
He has apologized!!
Japanese snowboarder Kazuhiro Kokubo has been chided for transforming his sober, official Winter Olympics team suit into a hip-hop fashion statement when he arrived for the Vancouver Winter Games.
He could also be in the firing line for dismissing the Olympics as “nothing special”.
Crashed out … Dominique Gisin after her tumble and, inset, Anja Paerson taking a tumble.
Canada’s Kristie Moore could become the first pregnant woman in almost 90 years – and the most heavily pregnant woman ever – to win an Olympic medal. And it’s a feat she could achieve without having to compete.
Moore, who is 5½ months into her pregnancy, is the fifth member, or “alternate”, in the four-women Canadian curling team at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. As such, she would get a chance to compete only if one of the other players was injured.
RARE AIR: Shaun White spins out of his last jump as he wins the gold medal in the men’s halfpipe final.
The downhill was interrupted for about a half-hour while Edith Miklos, a 21-year-old Romanian, was airlifted off the course by helicopter and later treated for a knee injury. Five-time Olympic medalist Anja Paerson, one of Vonn’s chief rivals, lost control on the last leap, sailing about half a football field before landing on her back, tumbling through a gate and sliding across the red finish line. Miraculously, Paerson was badly bruised but no bones were broken, and she wasn’t immediately ruled out for Thursday. Marion Rolland of France stumbled out of the start and tore a ligament in her left knee not 5 seconds into her run, years of work discarded in an instant.
» Biathlon (women’s) – 10 a.m.
» Biathlon (men’s) – 1 p.m.
» Curling (men’s) – 9 a.m., 7 p.m
» Curling (women’s) – 2 p.m.
» Figure skating (men’s) – 5 p.m.
» Hockey (men’s) – noon, 4:30 p.m., 9 p.m.
» Hockey (women’s) – 2:30 p.m., 7 p.m.
» Skeleton (women’s) – 4 p.m., 5:10 p.m.
» Skeleton (men’s) – 6:30 p.m., 8 p.m.
» Snowboarding (women’s) – 12:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m.
» Speed skating (women’s) – 1 p.m.
Zamboni Man
by BJ Premore
[parody of Piano Man by Billy Joel]
Annotated lyrics to Zamboni Man (follow links for annotations), side-by-side with Piano Man lyrics.
| Zamboni Man | Piano Man |
| It’s five o’clock on a Saturday | It’s nine o’clock on a Saturday |
| In two hours the game will begin | The regular crowd shuffles in |
| There’s a moron in line just ahead of me | There’s an old man sitting next to me |
| Letting hundreds of people cut in | Making love to his tonic and gin |
| Then along comes a man with a squeaky voice | He says, “Son can you play me a memory |
| “Fifty/fifty,” he yells out to me | I’m not really sure how it goes |
| So I cover my ears | But it’s sad and it’s sweet |
| To block out his cheers | And I knew it complete |
| And think about what’s soon to be | When I wore a younger man’s clothes” |
| Clean off the ice, you Zamboni Man | Sing us a song, you’re the piano man |
| Clean it off now, do it right | Sing us a song tonight |
| ‘Cause we’re all in the mood for a hockey game | Well we’re all in the mood for a melody |
| We don’t wanna be here all night | And you’ve got us feeling alright |
| Now finally the line started movin’ up | Now John at the bar is a friend of mine |
| I showed the old man my ID | He gets me my drinks for free |
| I was quick on my feet so I got a good seat | And he’s quick with a joke or to light up your smoke |
| Right near where the Pep Band would be | But there’s someplace that he’d rather be |
| I said, “Gosh, there’s a lot of seats empty here” | He says, “Bill, I believe this is killing me” |
| And I looked where that long line had been | As a smile ran away from his face |
| Why don’t I just come back at six o’clock? | “Well, I’m sure that I could be a movie star |
| There won’t be a Goddamned line then | If I could get out of this place” |
| Clean of the ice, you Zamboni Man | Sing us a song, you’re the piano man |
| I’m in the stands watching you | Sing us a song tonight |
| ‘Cause I’m waiting right here for the hockey game | Well we’re all in the mood for a melody |
| And I’ve got nothin’ better to do | And you’ve got us feeling alright |
| Now it’s time for the opening faceoff | Now Paul is a real estate novelist |
| I knock some guy down just to see | Who never had time for a wife |
| And I turn to they’re goalie–he looks kinda holey | And he’s talking with Davy who’s still in the Navy |
| And he seems like a doofus to me | And probably will be for life |
| And the game it begins with a drumroll | And the waittress is practicing politics |
| You can tell this one won’t be a bore | As the businessman slowly gets stoned |
| But we don’t think they know what they’re doing | Yes they’re sharing a drink they call loneliness |
| So we tell them to skate, shoot and score | But it’s better than drinking alone |
| Get off the ice, you Zamboni Man | Sing us a song, you’re the piano man |
| Get the hell out of my sight | Sing us a song tonight |
| ‘Cause we’re all in the mood for a hockey game | Well we’re all in the mood for a melody |
| And maybe, just maybe, a fight | And you’ve got us feeling alriight |
| There’s a pretty good crowd all around me now | It’s a pretty good crowd for a Saturday |
| To my left is the Burger King Band | And the manager gives me a smile |
| They’re all acting like freaks, those pencil-necked geeks | ‘Cause he knows that it’s me they’ve been coming to see |
| Singing chants that I don’t understand | To forget about life for awhile |
| And the air, it echoes profanity | And the piano sounds like a carnival |
| And the ref makes another bad call | And the microphone smells like a bar |
| And this game is a bore, we’re losing by four | And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar |
| Why couldn’t there just be a brawl? | And say “Man, what are you doing here?” |
| Clean up the ice, you Zamboni Man | Sing us a song, you’re the piano man |
| There’s nothing to watch anymore | Sing us a song tonight |
| I’ve wasted away the best part of a day | Well we’re all in the mood for a melody |
| And our hockey team can’t even score | And you’ve got us feeling alright |
What a tremendous role model!
What a fantastic athlete!
What a beautiful name!
If I had a daughter I would name her Maëlle.
“Turin was such a motivator for me,†said Ricker, a West Vancouver, B.C., native who grew up racing on Cypress Mountain.
“It just made me work that much harder and just go for it today.â€
Two days after moguls racer Alex Bilodeau became the first Canadian to claim Olympic gold on home soil, Ricker became the first Canadian woman to achieve the feat.
“It’s crazy,†Ricker said. “Indescribable. I’m going to pinch myself.â€
