olympics

Tuesday February 27, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday February 27, 2018

Pyeongchang Winter Olympics 2018: ‘the Games of new horizons’?

Moments before the XXIII Winter Games ended amid a furious barrage of K-pop and firecrackers, the president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, insisted: “We have seen here how sport can make the world a better place … these are the Games of new horizons.”

July 21, 2016

Watching athletes from North and South Korea strolling happily together, for once separated by centimetres rather than 73 years’ antipathy, it was entirely possible to be swept along by waves of sentiment and hope.

Yet another image of Bach, from earlier in the day, was also hard to shake: one of the IOC president despondently confirming that Russian athletes would not march under their own flag  at Sunday’s closing ceremony, because of two doping violations at these Games.

Especially as, with his very next breath, he also promised that the Russian Olympic Committee’s suspension would be lifted very soon if there were no more positive tests. That suspension was imposed on 5 December and will have probably lasted less than 100 days when it is lifted.

August 19, 2004

As a response to the most audacious state-sponsored doping programme in history, it counts as barely a slap on the wrist – even when a $15m fine, being forced to call themselves “Olympic Athletes from Russia”, and a ban on the Russian flag and anthem in Pyeongchang is tacked on.

A closing ceremony that began with the crowd of 35,000 people counting down together to say “one” as the athletes entered the stadium ended with the Russians close to being officially readmitted to the Olympic fold.

September 9, 2000

On the final day of competition, the Olympic Athletes from Russia won their second gold of the Games, in the men’s ice hockey. But it only inched them up to 13th in the medal table – a far cry from their first place in Sochi when their athletes were fuelled by a cocktail of steroids as well as patriotic fervour.

The next Winter Olympic games will be in Beijing in 2022. (Source: The Guardian) 

 

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Wednesday April 5, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday April 5, 2017

Don’t Let Politicians Rewrite National Anthems

Some members of the Senate are determined to stop Parliament from changing the words of the national anthem, with one senator deriding the late Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger’s proposed amendments to O Canada as “clunky, leaden and pedestrian.”

May 10, 2013

Bélanger, who passed away last summer after a battle with ALS, sought to make the anthem gender-neutral by removing the phrase “all thy sons command” and replacing it with “all of us command.”

The bill passed in the House of Commons largely along party lines, with all Liberal and NDP MPs voting in favour of the changes, while most Conservatives opposed. Some notable female Tory MPs, including Michelle Rempel and Lisa Raitt, backed Bélanger’s bill.

Nearly a year later, the bill is now in its last legislative phase — third reading in the Senate — awaiting a final vote.  As per the Senate’s procedural policy, debate on the bill can be continually adjourned by critics, punting a vote on the matter to a later date. (Source: CBC News) 

Meanwhile, after nearly three years of talks, the NHL announced Monday it will not participate in the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, a decision that is turning out to be incredibly unpopular with many players.

June 7, 2008

“It’s crap. I don’t understand the decision,” said a clearly disgruntled Erik Karlsson to CBC Windsor.

The Swedish player and captain of the Ottawa Senators is among many high-profile players voicing discontent in the wake of the announcement. 

One of the most outspoken against the decision has been another Swede — Henrik Lundqvist. The New York Rangers goaltender tweeted that “a huge opportunity to market the game at the biggest stage is wasted.”

Carey Price, who helped lead Team Canada to a gold medal at the Sochi Olympics in 2014, said it’s a particularly tough blow to the younger players.

“I feel like we’re short-changing some of the younger players that haven’t had that opportunity,” he said. “It’s tough to swallow for some of those kids, I’m sure. At a human level, this is a big worldwide event that the world takes part in and you know, we want to shine our light too.”

Marc Savard, a Canadian who is under contract with the New Jersey Devils, joked that tryouts for the team will be posted at local rinks.

Canada has long dominated the game, winning nine gold medals for men’s hockey since 1920 — including consecutive wins in 2010 and 2014.

This will mark the first time NHLers won’t participate in nearly 20 years. (Source: CBC) 

 

Wednesday August 3, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Wednesday August 3, 2016 CDC issues historic travelÊwarning over Miami ZikaÊoutbreak The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an unprecedented travel warning Monday, advisingÊpregnant women and their partners not to travel to a small community just north of downtown Miami,Êwhere Zika is actively circulating. This is the first time the CDC has warned people not to travel to anÊAmerican neighborhood for fear of catching an infectious disease, according to agency spokesman TomÊSkinner. The warning came after 10 additional people in Florida were found to have been infected with Zika virusÊafter being bitten by local mosquitoes, bringing the total to 14.Ê Florida Gov. Rick Scott and CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden announced the development in separate newsÊconferences Monday. The new cases were found by door-to-door surveys of 200 people in their homesÊand businesses, and they were identified by urine and blood samples that tested positive for the virus or anÊantibody.Ê Late last week, Florida state health officials confirmed that fourÊpeople had contracted Zika from mosquitoes in theÊsame 150-square-meter area. It's a mixed-use development with upscale asÊwell as economically stressed businesses and homes, whichÊFrieden said complicates mosquito control efforts. (Source: CNN)Êhttp://www.cnn.com/2016/08/01/health/cdc-miami-florida-zika-travel-warning/ USA, Canada, Zika, Virus, mosquito, welcome, center, centre, migration, Brazil, Olympics

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday August 3, 2016

With Zika outbreak in Florida, Congress plays political games

The Centers for Disease Control did a remarkable thing Monday. For the first time in its history, it issued a travel warning over health conditions in the continental United States. What led the federal medical experts to take such a step? Local transmission of the Zika virus in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Thursday June 30, 2016 Stephen Colbert: Rio Olympics Are 'Massive Catastrophe' With the Summer Olympics in complete disarray, Stephen Colbert examined the mess in Rio: "I am pumped for the Rio games. They are less than two months away É or never," Colbert said. JustÊyesterday, Rio's acting governor warned 'The Olympics could be a big failure,' which is actually an improvement because until yesterday, it looked like a massive catastrophe," Colbert said. "The Olympics are in real trouble: Many of the venues are still unfinished, possibly because over $10 billion dollars in construction contracts went to just five firms, all of which are already under investigation for price fixing and kickbacks, and this has already led to top executives being jailed or charged. Though on the plus side for those executives, the prisons won't be completed until 2036.Ó Colbert also pointed to Brazil's ballooning violent crime rate and a police force strapped by budget shortfalls as reasons why this year's Olympics could be a nightmare. "But corruption and crime aren't the only thing plaguing the Olympics: There is also actual plague," Colbert said. "Because fear over the Zika virus, which can cause birth defects, has led some athletes to stay home, and others to take special precautions like freezing their sperm.Ó Colbert then added some more reasons why the Rio Olympics might be doomed, from a heavily polluted Guanabara Bay, the site of some racing events, to the jaguar that was killed at an Olympics torch ceremony. "I believe that species of jaguar was the Spotted South American Metaphor," Colbert said. (Source: Rolling Stone)Êhttp://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/stephen-colbert-rio-olympics-are-massive-catastrophe-20160629 World, International, Rio, de Janeiro, Dilma Rousseff, Rio, Brazil, Olymp

June 30, 2016

The warning is straightforward. Among the precautions: Pregnant women should avoid the area. The transmission, health officials say, was likely via mosquito, while most of the previous mainland U.S. cases were linked to travel to Latin America or Puerto Rico, where the virus is more prevalent, or to having unprotected sex with an infected person.

That the virus is now mosquito-borne in the U.S. is alarming enough. Worse, six of the 10 newly discovered cases were people who had no symptoms — they were discovered during a door-to-door canvass conducted by the Florida health department.

Contrast the CDC’s response with that of Congress, which so far has done little more than play politics with the health and lives of Americans. The Obama administration sought $1.9 billion from Congress to combat the spread of the virus and to develop a vaccine, among other responses.

By the time congressional Republicans were down with it, the budget was whittled down to $1.1 billion, and included money set aside to fight the Ebola virus. They they also added some poison pills, including restrictions on access to birth control as part of their continuing attack on Planned Parenthood, and loosening some environmentally necessary guidelines on pesticide use.

So Democrats in the Senate blocked the measure and everyone went on holiday. Meanwhile, the Obama administration redirected more than $500 million to the fight against Zika, and has already spent about half of that. (Source: Los Angeles Times)

 

Tuesday July 5, 2016

Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator - Tuesday July 5, 2016 One Month to Go - Should we panic about Rio Olympics? Get real When is it time to panic about the Olympics? ItÕs true, things are not pretty in Rio de Janeiro, even as the Olympic torch arrived Tuesday in Brazil, with three months until the opening ceremony of the Games. ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ ThereÕs the raw sewage in Guanabara Bay, slated for sailing events. The doubts over whether the subway line connecting the Olympic venues will be finished in time. The horror of the collapse of a recently built $12 million seaside bike pathÊ(two dead, three injured), calling into question the integrity of the other structures the city has built for the Games -- for which, by the way, ticket sales are still hovering at only about 62%. But panic? Well, the Zika virus is spreading, with some delegations debuting "Zika-proof" uniforms. The city's notorious crime rate looms large, and Amnesty International has called attention to the death toll from police crackdowns in the favelas, or shantytowns. All this while the country remains embroiled in economic recession, a corruption scandal and political drama, most notably impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff. But letÕs pause a moment. It has become tradition to sound alarm bells in the months leading up to an Olympic Games. Before the last go-round, Sochi for example, cries of crisis came often: Venues built on protected lands. Swollen budgets tied to crime syndicates. Illegal dumping and contaminated water. Anti-gay legislation and hate crimes. Pussy Riot. And stray dogs, everywhere. But good luck finding an example of a truly noble Olympics. Politics take a toll because the Olympics are never free and clear of their political moment. (Continued: CNN News) http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/03/opinions/rio-olympics-panic-bass/ World, Olympics, Rio, Brazil, 2016, Summer, games, delays, construction, #Rio2016, #RioOlympics

Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday July 5, 2016

One Month to Go – Should we panic about Rio Olympics? Get real

When is it time to panic about the Olympics? It’s true, things are not pretty in Rio de Janeiro, even as the Olympic torch arrived Tuesday in Brazil, with three months until the opening ceremony of the Games.

There’s the raw sewage in Guanabara Bay, slated for sailing events. The doubts over whether the subway line connecting the Olympic venues will be finished in time. The horror of the collapse of a recently built $12 million seaside bike path (two dead, three injured), calling into question the integrity of the other structures the city has built for the Games — for which, by the way, ticket sales are still hovering at only about 62%.

But panic? Well, the Zika virus is spreading, with some delegations debuting “Zika-proof” uniforms.

The city’s notorious crime rate looms large, and Amnesty International has called attention to the death toll from police crackdowns in the favelas, or shantytowns.

All this while the country remains embroiled in economic recession, a corruption scandal and political drama, most notably impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff.

But let’s pause a moment. It has become tradition to sound alarm bells in the months leading up to an Olympic Games. Before the last go-round, Sochi for example, cries of crisis came often:

Venues built on protected lands. Swollen budgets tied to crime syndicates. Illegal dumping and contaminated water. Anti-gay legislation and hate crimes. Pussy Riot. And stray dogs, everywhere.

But good luck finding an example of a truly noble Olympics. Politics take a toll because the Olympics are never free and clear of their political moment. (Continued: CNN News)

The above cartoon ran locally on June 11, 2015, in advance of the Toronto Pan Am Games.