Commentary (March 2010)
Greek Fire
For a brief moment this spring the world averted its eyes from the sovereign debt crisis in Greece to gaze upon a Greek fire of a different sort at the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. There were a few early glitches - malfunctions, the fickle El Nino weather, the death of a young athlete, rioters - and yet, the vibe at street level was palpable, positive and growing. Only the media seemed stuck on the fact that one of the indoor cauldron arms failed to rise during the Opening Ceremonies. Everyone else was electrified by k.d. lang's glorious affirmation of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah!
The driving rains could not douse Gretzky's truck-bed torch drive to the outdoor cauldron just as the violent activists were overwhelmed by the optimism and happy energy of thousands who poured onto the downtown streets day after day after impossibly warm spring day.
These are the Winter Olympics?!
After the wait for a gold medal winner on home soil, again made worse by the agonizing of the media, the deluge began and incredibly, Canada set a new record for Gold medals won at a Winter Games. Why not?
There is a contagion in optimism as surely as there is in economics. The dismal science measures the commitment of traders and consumer confidence to gauge the fiscal mood. In Vancouver, the mood was measured in cowbells and trading pins and red mittens and flags. And smiles, cheers and spontaneous singing - Oh Canada! Hallelujah!
There was a lot of concern prior to the Games. Would we lose money? Would there be cost over-runs? How do you put a price on crowds of proud and happy people? Well, you count up what they spend!
Official sponsor Visa reports that $115 million US was injected into the BC economy during the 17 days of the Olympics in international spending on Visa alone. Hallelujah!
It was poignant and bittersweet, triumphant and typically Canadian, eh? The Games were about spirit and triumph and joy and, yes, beer.
There was said to be some concern after the Gold medal-winning women's hockey team celebrated with champagne and beer at centre ice after the crowd had departed. Again, the media tried to create a scandal, something to write about other than good news. When asked, the public opined "Good for them!" "Why shouldn't they?" "They deserved it!" Canadian public = 3 Canadian media = 0.
The closing ceremonies captured the stereotypes of Canada in all their silliness and glory. Giant beavers, table-top hockey players, moose and Mounties! The red serge-clad RCMP were highly visible throughout the Games on the streets of downtown Vancouver, patiently posing for pictures with endless throngs of tourists. The Maple Leaf Forever, Canada's unofficial anthem was enthusiastically belted out by hometown boy Michael Buble. Has there ever been such a sea of red? During Neil Young's singing of Long May You Run, as the Olympic flame died, was that not a collective gasp? We knew it was coming, but is this really the end? When it was over, a full moon rose over Cypress Mountain. Hallelujah!
What happened here in February is hard to explain. It was emotional not logical. Perhaps it is simply being part of something positive that is larger than yourself. And for the locals, maybe a little bit of the phenomenon known as being a tourist in your own town. And what a town it is.
Hallelujah! Bring on the Paralympic Games!!
Previous Commentaries:
2009:
January /
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October
2008:
March
2007:
February /
May
2006: January /
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November
2005: January /
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December
2004: March /
July
2003: March/
July /
December
2002: July /
December
