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The International Olympic Committee will investigate the actions of Canadian women's hockey players who celebrated their gold medal victory Thursday night by swigging beer and smoking cigars on the ice in Vancouver.
A number of players, including 18-year-old superstar Marie-Philip Poulin, were drinking alcohol on the ice following the team's 2-0 defeat of the United States. (The legal drinking age in British Columbia is 19.) Players lingered for more than 70 minutes after the awards ceremony reveling in the arena, which was empty except for media and arena staff.
Gilbert Felli, the IOC's executive director of the Olympic Games, said that drinking in public was "not what we want to see" from athletes at an Olympic venue. The organization will investigate the actions and will speak with the international hockey federation and Canadian Olympic Committee and ask them to "act accordingly."
Steve Keough, a spokesman for the Canadian Olympic Committee, told the Associated Press, “We condone celebrations. … We don’t condone actions of irresponsibility. I think Canadians understand it’s quite an emotional moment for our team. It was not our intention to go against any IOC protocols.”
To be sure, the Canadian women's hockey team should have acted with more class and been a little more discreet with its celebration. But to do something drastic like ban the team from the Closing Ceremony or force them out of the Olympic Village would be an overreaction. In past Olympics we've seen steroids, political boycotts, cheating and judging scandals. A few puffs of a cigar hardly seems to be in the same league.
http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancou ... oly,224338I agree, they should have waited until they were off the ice and in the locker room or downtown before they started lighting the cigars and opening the alcohol. I think it's really stupid of their team to even think about doing this. They're professional athletes and kids look up to them as role models, and this is what they do right after winning the gold? And as stars in their native Canada, they might as be sticking the cigar in the kids mouth and beer bottle in their hands by doing this on the ice in public.
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"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid." ~ Han Solo
We truly are not worthy of Miller!
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