You Have Got To Be Kidding!

This past Thursday night, Canada defeated the United States 2-0 to win the Olympic gold medal in women’s ice hockey. Long after the crowds had gone, 14 players returned to the ice and toasted each other with bottles of champagne and cans of beer. Haley Irwin playfully poured a drink into Tessa Bonhomme's mouth, and tournament MVP Meghan Agosta and others enjoyed cigars, the smoke wafting up into the now empty stands. To make matters even more interesting, Marie-Philip Poulin, still a few weeks too young to drink legally in British Columbia, where the drinking age is 19, was seen holding a beer.

Although I said the stands were empty, they weren’t completely empty. Stadium employees were going about their post game duties and that nefarious group known as the media was still lurking about.

Evidently someone spilled the beans and informed the International Olympic Committee about the revolting celebration display. Hmm, I wonder who blew the whistle on the exuberant young ladies from Canada? I doubt that it was the Zamboni driver.

No, it was a reporter from the Associated Press who informed Gilbert Felli, the International Olympic Committee's executive director of the Olympic Games. Felli said he wasn't aware of the celebration until informed by the reporter. He then issued the following statement:

"If that's the case, that is not good. It is not what we want to see," he said. "I don't think it's a good promotion of sport values. If they celebrate in the changing room, that's one thing, but not in public.”

You Have Got To Be Kidding!

Okay, granted it might have been better had they held their celebration in the privacy of the dressing room, but they didn’t. But there were no fans in the stands, just some a reporter who was looking to be the latest “Deep Throat”.

I know that this was the Olympics, the biggest stage for women’s hockey, but please - give me a break. What happens tomorrow night if members of the gold medal winning men’s hockey team brazenly choose to drink some champagne or smoke a cigar after the game?

I will be watching with great interest.

Having managed competitive softball teams for the better part of two decades, I was fortunate enough to have been part of numerous victory celebrations. Guess how we celebrated? You got it; we drank alcohol and occasionally smoked a cigar.

Did I mention that I managed both men and women softball teams? Well I did, and I am proud to announce that the celebrations were pretty much the same. The players named Shirley, Sharon and Carolyn celebrated in a very similar fashion to those named Bruce, Jimmy or Ron. In fact, when it came to a celebratory cigar after a big win, Connie “Stretch” Sutherland could match Mark “Skag” Montague puff for puff.

By the way, in Alberta where the Canadian women’s hockey team trains, the legal drinking age is 18; so don’t be so hard on Miss Poulin.

With all this in mind, Gilbert Felli and the rest of the IOC, should stop getting their panties in a bunch. All I have to say to that snake-in-the-grass AP reporter is - You Have Got To Be Kidding! Until next time…from the booth.