The Torch Is Passed

Au revoir, CBC. Bonjour TSN, Rogers Sportsnet and CTV.
Tucked among the many retrospectives aired tonight during CBC's final telecast from the Beijing Games was a tribute to CBC's Olympic coverage over the years. With images from Tokyo 1964 all the way to this week, it almost played like a farewell concerto.
As most of you no doubt know, CBC's grip on Olympic rights ended this evening. When the five-ring circus opens for business again in less than 18 months — yes, Vancouver, that's how close the 2010 Winter Games are now — you'll see broadcast coverage presented by a CTV Globemedia/Rogers consortium that most prominently features TSN, CTV and Sportsnet. They'll be back two years later to do it all over again in London for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
We've said it before but it bears repeating once more. While many across our land have lobbed bombs (and justifiably so, at times) in the CBC's direction for some of its bungles in recent years, its Olympic work is generally worthy of our acclaim. They took it to a new level in Beijing, presenting the first full high-definition Games and offering Canadians a wealth of viewing options online.
Tonight's tribute video featured a number of CBC voices we've come to know so well over the years including, interestingly enough, Brian Williams and Chris Cuthbert, now CBC alumni who will be back on the Olympic job in Vancouver. Maybe their appearance was a subtle way of passing the broadcast torch to their competition.
Beijing 2008 introduced us to some new Olympic TV faces, including Diana Swain and Ian Hanomansing — two anchors brought over from CBC's news side who acquitted themselves admirably. It'll be interesting to see if some of the CBC talent, both new and old, employed at the Olympics over the years might find a home with the other guys from now on.
The word is CBC intends to push hard to regain Olympic rights in 2014, the next Games still available (in Sochi, Russia). If Chicago wins the 2016 Summer Olympics, those broadcast rights figure to become much more pricey.
That's a story that still remains to be told. For the CBC, though, it's farewell to the Games.
We'll see soon enough how much they'll be missed. And if and when they'll be back.

CBC's Run Almost Done

You've no doubt heard it said plenty over the past dozen years or so.
"CBC Sports. Canada's Olympic Network."
In less than 48 hours, the folks who run the Mother Corp. will have to retire that moniker for at least another six years. When the flame goes out in Beijing on Sunday, it's curtains for CBC's run as the Olympic broadcaster of record in Canada.
The world's athletes next gather in two years time in Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Games and we'll see coverage presented by a CTV Globemedia/Rogers Communications consortium that will put the Olympics primarily on TSN, Sportsnet and CTV. They'll have a second go at it again in 2012 for the London Summer Olympics.
CBC has avoided — so far, at least — getting all sentimental about the fact that they're losing the grip on Canadian Olympic broadcast rights that they've held since 1996 in Atlanta. Beijing 2008 marks the end of a five-Games partnership with TSN that has supplied Canadians with comprehensive Olympic coverage (further enhanced this year with hundreds of hours of online broadcasts).
Sunday at 6 p.m., CBC begins its Beijing swan song and it intends to include a retrospective of its Olympic coverage over the past 12 years. To hear the higher-ups there tell it, though, the public broadcaster intends to push hard to get back into the Olympic game in 2014 (there's a strong belief that its just-approved digital channel, CBC Sports Plus, will be a key weapon in a future bid to combat the CTV/Rogers group).
But that's for another day. If you're a fan of the way CBC presents Olympics (and there is a lot to like about their live-emphasis programming), enjoy what's left of Beijing. It'll going to be a little while before we see the likes of it again.

Time Is Of The Essence

Not to keep harping on a certain person's absence from Beijing 2008 but ...
When Brian Williams was manning the prime-time anchor desk for all those past Olympics, his incessant referrals to the time wherever he was became a bit of a calling card. In some eyes, it became the target of the odd bit of joking or parody.
During my TV column days at the Ottawa Sun, we always spoke at length before every Games. And one line always made its appearance when the discussion moved to the time zone in which the Olympics were being held, and CBC's philosophy of showing things live whenever possible.
"We're not going to con you," Williams would say, inferring he'd always make sure viewers knew when something was airing live and when it was on tape.
It's early in Beijing — we've only had two full days of competition so far — but it seems that lesson has been lost with with Williams' departure to TSN (he'll be back on Olympic duty at Vancouver 2010 and London 2012).
Take, for example, the start of Olympic Prime on Saturday night. Early in the program, we saw some Canadian rowers in action. Being that it was early morning in Beijing, it was easy to presume this was live stuff (morning rowing not being out of the ordinary). And there was nothing to suggest otherwise with prime-time anchor Ron MacLean's lead-in.
Eventually, we figured out that this had indeed happened the day before (or in the wee hours in Eastern Canada). Olympic Morning hosts Scott Russell and Diana Swain were guilty of the same vagueness earlier Saturday (which we alluded to here yesterday). Of course, seeing night sky behind their studio set while an event is being shown in broad daylight is a bit of tipoff for us, but still ...
Point being, while we applaud CBC's dedication to live coverage (and always will, quite frankly), we also appreciate being told when it isn't. Especially at a Games on the other side of the world, where today is often tomorrow.
You know who wouldn't stand for that, to be sure.

So What Else Is New?

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know this is CBC's Olympics swan song. Until 2014 at the earliest, that is.
A CTV Globemedia/Rogers Consortium (primarily CTV, TSN and Sportsnet) moves onto centre stage for the next two Games — the highly anticipated Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, followed by the next Summer Olympics in London in 2012.
No surprise, really, seeing the CBC bashers of the world (and they are legion) chortling with glee about the impending turn of events. The Hockey Night in Canada theme song fiasco, the curling mess of a few years back, the end of its hold on the Grey Cup after more than half a century ... yep, those bitter folks have had plenty of ammo in recent years (and, they might also remind you, how come we're not hearing Brian Williams or Chris Cuthbert from Beijing?).
At times, it's been like shooting fish in a barrel, it's been so easy.
In this case, at least, I find that whole tone humorous. You see, it wasn't all that many years ago the Canadians from coast-to-coast were cheering loudly when CBC got its hands back on the Olympic rings for the 1996 Atlanta Games. This was after CTV efforts in Barcelona 1992 and Lillehammer 1994 that were received rather coolly, to put it kindly, by the viewers and the critics back at home.
So what's the lesson here?
That's easy. Canadians like to bitch about what they see on television, no matter what the game is or who's showing it to them. You'd almost think it's a national sport. Some of them actually know what they're talking about, too (everyone's an armchair expert, right?).
In other words, be forewarned TSN and Sportsnet. While we trust the next two Games will be in good hands, someone out there figures to disagree. And they won't be shy about telling you so.
Hey, it's the Canadian way.

The Bold And The Beautiful

Remember CBC Country Canada?
You know, the digital TV channel that likely still causes steam to come out of the ears of the country's many curling fans.
Times have changed, though, my friends. Country Canada is dead, replaced by bold (all lower case, you should know). And bold is how equestrian and sailing event lovers might want to display the schedule this channel is offering as part of CBC's massive 2,400-hour broadcast presentation at the Beijing Olympics.
Of that total, 250 hours will be carried by bold — all of it devoted to coverage of sailing and equestrian competition, starting with individual and team eventing dressage on Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET. That's the first full night of Olympic action (actually, it's Saturday morning in Beijing).
You'll hear the voices of Nancy Wetmore, analysts Beth Underhill and Cara Whitham, and reporter Erin Paul at the equestrian venue in Hong Kong throughout the Games. When the action turns to the high seas, CBC's sailing crew of Peter Rusch and Fiona Kidd takes over.
Bold is just one part of a multi-pronged CBC plan to provide Canadians with the most extensive Olympic coverage they've ever seen. You'll find another 145 hours of Olympic content on CBC Newsworld, much of it centred around Beijing Today, a live newsmagazine show with host Brian Dunstan that debuts Saturday at 6:30 a.m. ET and runs every hour thereafter through 12:30 p.m. We've already detailed the 150 hours of additional Games programming you'll find on TSN.
Add on another 1,500 hours of coverage on CBCSports.ca — they'll offer live streaming of nine sports throughout the Games (women's soccer, cycling, beach volleyball, rowing and men's water polo and basketball are featured this weekend) — and it's a mighty impressive total.
French-language viewers will also be well-served, with 263 hours on Radio-Canada and another 206 airing on RDS.
Nope, they're certainly not mailing this one in, even though CBC will surrender its 'Canada's Olympic Network' title to a CTV Globemedia-Rogers Communications consortium for the next two sets of Games (Vancouver 2010 and London 2012).
It should be quite the feast for the eyes, indeed.
For as long as you can keep them open, that is.

Warming Up For The Big Show

In less than two year's time, they'll be kings of the rings.
But one more time, TSN will play the good partner to CBC for coverage of an Olympic Games. Beijing 2008 marks the final chapter in their five-Games shared arrangement, which began back in Sydney in 2000. A partnership, we might add, that has served Canadian viewers more than well over the past dozen years.
Come 2010 in Vancouver, CBC is out and CTV Globemedia (TSN's parent company) will team up with Rogers Communications (which includes Sportsnet, among others) — a consortium that also holds rights to the London 2012 Summer Games. But that's a blog post for another day.
So what's the deal for TSN in Beijing? Look for 150 hours of coverage (50 of them in prime time), the majority of it live and all of it in high-definition format (these being the first all-HD Olympics ever).
For the most part, TSN hits the air between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. ET, with its morning coverage running as late as noon. Prime-time action generally begins at 7 p.m. Among the sports you'll see along the way: Rowing, canoe-kayak, basketball, soccer, boxing, tennis, baseball, softball and beach volleyball.
Gino Reda is TSN's early-morning host; Dave Randorf takes over in prime time. You'll also hear the voices of TSN's Vic Rauter and Russ Anber (boxing) throughout the Games, along with network alumni Paul Romanuk (basketball) and Jim Van Horne (baseball and softball).
Check out the complete TSN schedule in Beijing here.

The Original Mr. Olympics

Once upon a time — a few days before they lit the torch for Athens 2004, if memory serves me — your humble blogger penned his usual preview of the planned Olympic broadcast coverage for the Ottawa Sun.
(at least it was 'usual' procedure for seven Games while I was there).
Often, those pre-Olympic columns would revolve around an interview with the CBC's then-dean of the Games, Brian Williams (now at TSN). A veteran of the sporting Big Show that I dubbed the network's "Mr. Olympics" before those Summer Games in Greece (it was such a good reference that Peter Mansbridge used it to introduce the esteemed Mr. Williams before the Mother Corp.'s coverage of the opening ceremony in Athens. Undoubtedly a coincidence ... but I digress).
While we Canadians have set our clocks, so to speak, to Williams' direction of prime-time coverage of the Games over the years — gawd, we're gonna miss him in Beijing this summer — another TV broadcaster south of the border had already set the standard for how an Olympics should be presented.
To me, ABC's Jim McKay was the original Mr. Olympics, a distinction and honour he is most worthy of wearing. And this isn't just being said out of necessary respect on the day on which McKay passed away at age 87.
For someone who developed a passion for all things Olympics at a young age, McKay was the gold standard for it all. The man you trusted to give you the straight goods from wherever the Games were being held (a dozen times in all), back when ABC was America's Olympic network (pre-1990s, for those who don't recall).
Of course, McKay is most famous for his work on that terrible day in Munich in 1972, when he carried us all through what would end up being the darkest moment in Olympic history: The massacre of 11 Israeli athletes by Arab terrorists.
"They're all gone," McKay told us when the awful news was confirmed, the tone of his voice truly offering up all that needed to be said.
While McKay's longest association was with ABC's often wild and wacky Wide World of Sports — the anthology show that gave us "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” — I will always remember him as the man who spoke in front of the five rings so many times.
Forever, he'll be Mr. Olympics to me.

When We Were One

The book hasn't been opened in who knows how long.
But there it sits on a shelf in my living room, the three words in its title a tangible reminder of a remarkable two weeks 20 years ago, when Canada proudly opened its door to the world perhaps like never before.
Calgary 1988. It was our first try at being Winter Olympics hosts (we'd done the Summer Games thing 12 years earlier in Montreal) and did those warm Albertans ever pull it off just right. Those Olympics raised the bar to new heights and, if you ask the fortunate folks who go to these things on a regular basis, maybe only Lillehammer 1994 has surpassed it since.
Think of those Games and names like Katarina Witt, Alberto Tomba, Brian Boitano and Canadian heroes Brian Orser, Liz Manley, Karen Percy and Tracy Wilson and Rob McCall rush to mind. And, oh yes, who could forget the likes of Eddie the Eagle and the Jamaican bobsled team?
The Olympics, though, is also about a spirit, one that unites the world as one like perhaps nothing else. If you have been or ever aspire to be an Olympian, you know of what I speak. And nothing symbolizes that spirit much more than the flame that is lit the signify the launch of the Games and isn't extinguished — always with a sense of sadness — when they come to a conclusion.
That flame is something Canadians from coast-to-coast embraced in the days and weeks leading up to Calgary '88. The torch relay became such a rallying point for a nation, even esteemed ABC commentator Jim McKay said he had never seen anything like it from an Olympic host country.
Rarely have I been prouder to say that I am Canadian.
No doubt, those feelings will spring forth once more in less than two years time, when Vancouver becomes the third municipality in the Great White North to become an "Olympic city." All of which serves as an introduction to the blog you're reading now.
During my years in the newspaper business, I was intimately involved in the coverage of many an Olympic Games. Always from the "home front," mind you, but the connection was clearly there. During my time at the Ottawa Sun, I profiled a number of Ottawa-area athletes who traversed all parts of the globe to realize the dream of a lifetime. Since Atlanta 1996, my commentary on the television coverage of the Games became a regular Sun feature (yes, I got paid to watch it all on TV).
Now that my career has taken a different turn, though, I felt a little bit like Brian Williams — all dressed up but without an Olympics to cover (Williams, you no doubt know, will sit out CBC's coverage of Beijing 2008 but will be CTV/TSN/Sportsnet's prime-time anchor for Vancouver 2010).
This blog, I hope, will fill a bit of that void.
Oh, and the name of that book?
It's the title of this blog.
Now you know why.