Free Republic

The tally is in: NBC lost $223 million on the Winter Olympics in the first quarter. That's slightly better than the most recent estimate of $250 million in losses. Advertising sales have improved a bit since NBC parent General Electric Co. made that projection in late January. The Olympics did bring about $800 million in extra revenue to GE. But NBC had a lot of production and other expenses, including $820 million just to acquire the rights to carry the Vancouver Games on television and online. That expense was cited as the main culprit for the red ink.

The current 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada presents a confluence of sport, civilization, and pageantry -- all of which, upon reflection, are uniquely Western. With the notable exceptions of a few winter sports-loving Asian nations like Japan, South Korea, and China -- nations that have to varying degrees opened to Western technology -- the Winter Olympics have historically been a showcase for the northern nations of Europe, North America, and the former Soviet Union. Whereas the Summer Olympics dwarfs the sister Winter games in terms of worldwide participation and popular interest, the Winter Olympics features sports that necessitate freezing-temperature...

Dallas-Fort Worth sports columnist likens our patriotism to Nazi Germany An American sports columnist gets a bizarre Nazi flashback in Vancouver By Cam Battley, Canwest News Service March 2, 2010 It took the investigative skills of intrepid Fort Worth Star-Telegram sports columnist Gil LeBreton to uncover the ugly truth. Like Edward R. Murrow in pre-Second World War Vienna and London, Mr. LeBreton put his personal safety at risk to file a brave report from the turbulent city of Vancouver. Sure, Canadians seem multicultural, friendly and good-natured on the surface. But that's just what they want you to think. Dig a...

..an article I wrote for The Vancouver Sun way back in 2003...But Vancouver has an average snowfall of just 48 centimetres and -- as most Vancouverites know -- it is rare for even that small amount to stay on the ground for more than a couple of days. Vancouver's lack of snow will have no practical impact on the Games.

I notice how effusively American-Canadians speak of their native country. I have no problem with this. But isn't there some incongruity when they are showcased in the Vancouver Olympics having emigrated from Canada?

Vancouver Winter Olympics-Photos Closing Ceremonies http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/2010-Games-Closing-Ceremony/ss/events/sp/022810olyclosing

Hope that fat poet guy isn't back.....I heard William Shatner will be there...I wonder if he will be singing Rocket Man??? LOL

The Canadian women's hockey team beat the USA women's hockey by a score of 2-0, and now the Canadian men's hockey team beat the USA men's hockey team 3-2 in overtime. Does God love Canada more? The winning team gets to have their flag raised and their national anthem played for all the world to watch and hear. Both have songs which glorify God (see related articles) but does one team or country glorify God more than other? Does one have his blessing and another his curse? ...

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama owes his Canadian counterpart a case of beer. Obama made the friendly wager with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper before Sunday's U.S.-Canada gold medal game. Canada beat the United States 3-2 on Sidney Crosby's overtime goal. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said President Barack Obama had a case of Yuengling, a Pennsylvania regional brew, riding on the game.

Golden finish for Canada: OT hockey win! Underdog U.S. forces sudden death with late goal, but Crosby's goal wins it BREAKING NEWS NBCSports.com news services Sid the Kid is also golden. Sidney Crosby, arguably the top hockeyplayer in the world, scored in overtime as Canada defeated the United States 3-2 in overtime to win the Olympic gold medal in Vancouver on Sunday. With its goalie pulled for an extra attacker, the United States' Zach Parise scored against Canada with 25 seconds remaining in the third period to tie the game at 2-2 and send the into overtime. The teams are...

Rochette Chosen As Canada's Closing Flagbearer VANCOUVER (AP) -- Figure skater Joannie Rochettehas been chosen as Canada's flagbearer for the closing ceremony of the Vancouver Olympics. Rochette won a bronze medal, skating just days after the unexpected death of her mother in Vancouver. The 24-year-old skater from Quebec says she is surprised by the honor of carrying the flag because Canada's team has at least 13 gold medals. Team officials said Sunday she was selected because of her courageous performance last week, which inspired many of her teammates. Rochette acknowledges it's been a tough week for her emotionally. But she...

This is going to be a great match. USA! USA! USA!

MSNBC interrupted "Hardball" so that MSNBC's Willie Geist could do a phone interview with Ryan Miller, the goalie of Team USA hockey. The reason: Geist had done an interview earlier this evening with a man who was claiming to be Miller. The interview caught the attention of friends and fellow NHL players when the fake Ryan Miller had predicted USA would win gold Sunday. Geist: First and foremost, Ryan, please accept our apology. It's a mistake that never should have happened. We misrepresented your name. We regret it deeply and I personally feel terrible about it. Miller: No problem. I...

LIVE BLOG: Team USA 6, Finland 0 (2nd period)

Finland...sigh. bring on the canucks.

RICHMOND, B.C. — Sven Kramer of the Netherlands as been sensationally disqualified in the men’s 10,000-metre final for straddling a pylon in a corner. The prohibitive favourite finished a 12 minutes 4.50 seconds to wipe out Korean Seung-Hoon Lee’s earlier Olympic record, but it was for naught. A disgusted Kramer threw his glasses into the infield when told by his coach that he’d been disqualified.

The Olympics' hottest couple is not one of the figure skating or ice dancing pairs. No, it's newly crowned figure skating gold medalist Evan Lysacek and the darling of the Beijing Olympics, Nastia Liukin, who has a gold medal of her own in all-around gymnastics. Lysacek, 24, spoke of their relationship to People magazine, and said that they met at the Skating and Gymnastics Spectacular in fall 2008, but hasn't confirmed that they are dating. Liukin, 20, was there to see Lysacek win his gold, and Lysacek was on hand to support Liukin when she competed in August at the...

ICE DANCING PAIR WINS GOLD SPOILER ALERT WARNING-West Coast http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/35532270/ns/sports-olympic_sports/

VANCOUVER - The Americans didn’t believe in miracles. They just believed. And they pulled off the biggest Olympic hockey upset since the Miracle on Ice, stunning Canada 5-3 on Sunday to advance to the quarterfinals of an already mixed-up tournament. Brian Rafalski scored two goals, Ryan Miller held off a flurry of shots and the Americans quieted a raucous, pro-Canada crowd that came to cheer its dream team, only to see it upstaged by a bunch of unproven kids. One day short of the 30th anniversary of the country’s greatest hockey victory — the unfathomable win over the Soviet Union...

VANCOUVER, B.C. -- When U.S. Olympic hockey player Jamie Langenbrunner scored in the final period Sunday night, a shot ricocheting off of his skate blade into the net, he just about jumped out of the arena with joy. This wasn't exactly a miracle on ice, but elements of it had become pretty difficult to believe. An underdog U.S. hockey team hadn't merely given a powerhouse Canadian team a fight in a roaring, red-decked arena. By night's end, it had enlarged its medal hopes and left an entire nation bruised. The Americans claimed their first Olympic victory in men's hockey over...