04/24/24
February 13, 2010
SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
Somewhat cringed.
posted by tommybiden at 05:04 PM on February 13, 2010
Hated the "we say Zed not Zee" bullshit and the stereotypical heavy-handed ways of establishing distance from the US. I love the idea of a slam poet at the opening ceremonies, but this particular one's schtick was banal and, like much of the ceremonies, had that Canadian feel of a committee in charge. That is, I would be very surprised in a thousand bureaucrats hadn't edited his poem.
Then, light the flame by committee even. I thought the whales and some of the northern lights effects looked gorgeous and they should have maxed out on those and less of the Las Vegas style stuff. And yeah, the fiddle bit had its moments but way too long. Brian Adams is 20 years past a "sell by" date. I mean, I'd rather see BTO doing "Takin' care of Business", at least that has a kind of primitive charm vs Adams' lame-ass drum thing.
Meanwhile, cops are busting heads on Granville Street this morning.
posted by rumple at 05:38 PM on February 13, 2010
Meh. The Whales were great. And I love me some Leonard Cohen. Other than that, it was kinda cringy. The slam poet thing was just awful. And Bryan Adams and Nelly Furtado!?! Please god, at least try to dispel the idea that we're super lame. Please - you've set us back another decade.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 05:38 PM on February 13, 2010
Meanwhile, cops are busting heads on Granville Street this morning.
That's one way to put it.
Another way would be that police restored order when armed masked thugs and goons smashed cars, buses, threw paint, and broke windows.
Police, protesters clash in Vancouver
posted by tommybiden at 05:56 PM on February 13, 2010
Bryan Adams and Nelly Furtado!?
Canada, in my humble opinion, has given two great gifts to the world of rock music--Neil Young and Rush. Where the hell were they?!
Although Geddy Lee's caboose has nothing on Nelly's
posted by tahoemoj at 07:33 PM on February 13, 2010
Sure enough the worst did happen, with Georgian luger, Nodar Kumaritashvili killed just hours before the opening ceremony. Charmingly, the Canadians have quickly wrapped up an investigation that blames the dead guy for the accident.
On Thursday, a BBC survey showed that Canada's international image is beginning to take a battering:
Several countries saw sharp falls in positive ratings of Canadain the USA the proportion rating Canadian influence as positive fell from 82 per cent to 67 per cent, in the UK from 74 per cent to 62 per cent, in Australia from 77 per cent to 72 per cent, and in China from 75 per cent to 54 per cent. Overall, comparing views in 15 of the countries that were surveyed last year, the proportion rating Canadian influence in the world as mainly positive has fallen on average from 57 per cent to 53 per cent.
posted by rumple at 07:37 PM on February 13, 2010
There is way more great Canadian music than just Neil Young and Rush.
The great band Crowbar for starters. Never a harder working bunch than those guys.
There have been several groups named Crowbar over the years. I'm talking about the fur hatted rockers from the early 70's who at one point were Margaret Trudeau's personal prime ministerial house band.
Ronnie Hawkins, Rick James, the great multi-instrumentalist Don Thompson, Joni Mitchell, we could go on all day and night about the great Canadian men and women of song. Back to sports for now though.
posted by beaverboard at 08:36 PM on February 13, 2010
Charmingly, the Canadians have quickly wrapped up an investigation that blames the dead guy for the accident.
That was the International Luge Federation that made that decision.
posted by grum@work at 11:39 PM on February 13, 2010
heh: With the whole world watching, Canada has come down with erectile dysfunction.
posted by rumple at 12:28 AM on February 14, 2010
The look on Wayne Gretzky's face said it all:
"This wouldn't have happened in LA. Yokels."
posted by owlhouse at 12:32 AM on February 14, 2010
I liked the comment I saw somewhere that, despite the secrecy around the torch bearers, it was obvious in retrospect Gretzky would be there because of his experience: after all he had spent his whole career lighting up the Flames.
posted by rumple at 03:39 AM on February 14, 2010
Need another great Canadian band? The Tragically Hip.
posted by apoch at 06:58 AM on February 14, 2010
O.K., I'll give you the Tragically Hip as a good one. The others mentioned by beaverboard, not so much. Not that I know anything about them (I'm sure there's 1000's of great Canadian bands), they're just not necessarily household names--with the exception of Joni Mitchell and Rick James, and, as it was an expression of my opinion, I stand by the previous post.
Speaking only from an American gen-x perspective, when I think of famous Canadian "musicians" I think of Nickelback, Three Days Grace, Celine Dion, Bryan Adams, Barenaked Ladies, Alanis Morrisette...the horror...the horror
posted by tahoemoj at 12:25 PM on February 14, 2010
I think of Nickelback, Three Days Grace, Celine Dion, Bryan Adams, Barenaked Ladies, Alanis Morrisette...the horror...the horror
Woah! Don't be hating on the Ladies. Their version of college pop was fine. They are a much better act live than on the radio/CD.
Plus, I went to school with Eddie, and he was pretty damn cool.
posted by grum@work at 12:56 PM on February 14, 2010
Hey, how 'bout Jeff Healey and Joni Mitchell? And isn't The Guess Who and Burton Cummings Canadian? I mean with the "American Woman" and all...
posted by steelergirl at 02:39 PM on February 14, 2010
Hey, how 'bout Jeff Healey and Joni Mitchell?
If Jeff Healey played, THAT would have been AMAZING! ;)
posted by grum@work at 04:19 PM on February 14, 2010
If Jeff Healey played, THAT would have been AMAZING! ;)
Truly, he is better known as a de-composer these days.
posted by rumple at 05:13 PM on February 14, 2010
Probably more towards the gen X/Y border, but there are lots of great Canadian bands out there now. There are two major scenes that I'm aware of: Toronto, with bands like Broken Social Scene, Stars, Metric, and Feist, and Montreal, which is a little more experimental with bands on the Constellation label like Godspeed You Black Emperor, Silver Mt Zion, and several others.
posted by feloniousmonk at 07:10 AM on February 15, 2010
Yes, guys, I know Jeff Healey has passed on. I mentioned his name as some of the great music/artists who are/were Canadian, living or dead. ; P
I did get a good chuckle tho, grum.
posted by steelergirl at 10:09 AM on February 15, 2010
I'll drag myself away from the TV coverage for a moment, to provide a few thoughts on the Vancouver opening ceremony.
- What's with the extended version of The Devil Went Down to Georgia? That could have been cut by ten minutes.
- The 'slam poet' was embarrassing. He said that being Canadian wasn't just a laundry list. Then he gave us one. So you're not American? The rest of the world doesn't give a shit. Lighten up.
- Otherwise, despite the technical malfunction it was pretty good fun.
I remember during the Sydney 2000 Games being constantly on edge that the producers wouldn't do anything really cringe worthy. We got away with it. What do you Canadians feel?