And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Hey, they just won the gold medal game over their arch-rivals the Americans. Why shouldn’t they cut loose?
So, about a half an hour after collecting their gold medals and retreating to the locker room, the ladies of the Canadian hockey team figured it was time to ramp up the party a bit. They came back out on the ice, only this time they brought some accessories.
Beer, cigars and champagne. To which I say…giddy-up.
It got a little wild, like most parties will. The girls were pouring champagne down each other’s throats, and at one point, Rebecca Johnston tried taking the Zamboni for a celebratory spin. But it was all in good fun–right?
If you’re a normal, logical person, yes, it was all in good fun. Let them celebrate another gold medal win.
If you’re the stuffed-shirts of the IOC, the answer is a resounding no.
Gilbert Felli, the IOC’s executive director of the Olympic Games, said it was “not what we want to see. I don’t think it’s a good promotion of sport values,” he said. “If they celebrate in the changing room, that’s one thing, but not in public. We will investigate what happened.”
And in true Canadian fashion, the team apologized for their harmless, post-game celebration.
Via Hockey Canada…
“The members of Team Canada apologize if their on-ice celebrations, after fans had left the building, have offended anyone,” the statement said. “In the excitement of the moment, the celebration left the confines of our dressing room and shouldn’t have. The team regrets that its gold medal celebration may have caused the IOC or COC any embarrassment. Our players and team vow to uphold the values of the Olympics moving forward and view this situation as a learning experience.”
I find it a bit upsetting that anyone had to apologize for this show of exuberance by the women’s hockey squad. But that’s the Canadian way I guess…polite to the core, even when they’re drunk with joy and Molson Canadian.
[ESPN, Image via Wikipedia]
