The Agony of Defeat

At the 2006 Winter Olympics, Lindsey Jacobellis of the U.S. -- the funky snowboarder with the distinctive blonde perm -- had the gold medal in snowboard cross locked up.. With a huge lead, she tried to grab her board off the last jump, ate it and a Swiss boarder passed her for the gold.

With redemption the name of the game for Lindsey in Vancouver, I headed up to Cypress Mountain for the women's event -- about a 45-minute bus ride outside of Vancouver. The weather was spotty at best to start the day, with a massive fog bank just hanging over the mountain all morning. It caused the competition to be delayed for two hours, but finally it started to lift, as you can see above. Notice the lack of snow on the slopes to the left of the freestyle mogul run. Snow has been a problem in Cypress, where rain and warm weather haven't been kind. Organizers were forced to bring snow down from higher elevations for the mogul course seen here and cover haybales on the halfpipe and snowboard cross tracks.

Waterfalls are everywhere on the drive up to Cypress. This one was right when we unloaded from the media bus for the walk up to the media center.
A shot of Lindsey Jacobellis (22) and her teammate Faye Gulini heading off after their early qualifying runs. Notice the Burton snowpants the American team is sporting -- made to look exactly like jeans..

Here's the finish line of the snowboard cross track itself, as seen from the mix zone, where the competitors walk through to talk with the media after the race.

The one video below is shot during a semifinal run from the mix zone, with gold medalist Maille Ricker of Canada thrilling the home crowd, while the second is of Jacobellis after she again suffered Olympic heartbreak and understandably didn't feel like talking right away.. Here's the link to the story I wrote after the event: http://tiny.cc/qoBZE

Weathering the Weather

Weather almost always seems to be an issue at the Olympics and it's no different here in Vancouver. I've been asked a lot about the conditions, which change quite a bit depending on the venue. I've spent most of my time in the Main Press Center in downtown Vancouver and this is the launching point to various venues, whether its a 20-minute shuttle to the hockey arena, a 45-minute bus to Cypress Mountain or a 2-hour+ bus trip up to Whistler for the alpine skiing events, luge, etc..

Here in Vancouver, there's no snow to be found. It's fairly nice, with temps in the 40's generally, though it's been somewhat damp and rainy early on.

Up at Whistler, it's been hit and miss.
(At left is the luge track at Whistler, by the way)





We've had rain and fog that's wreaked havoc with the alpine skiing events and generally made a mess of the slopes. After several days of that, it improved a bit, then a heavy snow hit last night that caused more cancellations.

Hopefully it won't cause too much of a backlog with the skiing events..

At Cypress, the weather has been pretty sloppy. They had to truck snow in there to begin with to cover the snowboard tracks and the rain that's been coming down has caused even more problems. A total of 4,000 standing room only seats at the snowboard cross venues were returned because more than a foot of snow had been washed away, resulting in some muddy slopes and treacherous footing. Keeping our fingers crossed that things get better,

So the four Olympic mascots in Vancouver are Miga, Sumi, Mukmuk and my favorite, Quatchi.
He's a hairy sasquatch-looking fellow.




I believe the hat I'm sporting here has Mukmuk on the top...

I decided the look wasn't for me and passed on buying it.

In Vancouver

After a three-day delay thanks to the crazy amount of snow that slammed the East coast, I finally arrived in Vancouver via Minneapolis in time for the first day of Olympic competition.

We have a significantly smaller contingent on site than at the Beijing Games, with just me, Butch (from our Atlanta bureau), Dave (from Toronto) and Chris (from Vancouver).

Butch, Dave and I outside the Main Press Center (MPC) in downtown Vancouver.

After arriving at the Vancouver airport, I caught the light rail train to my downtown home for the next three weeks, the Hotel Carmona.

Behind the totem poles to the left, you can see the train peeking out as it makes its way into the airport station. I quickly found that the snow in the northeast was nowhere to be found here in Canada, where rain was the order of the day -- and I had forgotten to pack an umbrella..

After hustling a couple blocks from the train station with my bags in the rain, I made it to the Carmana Plaza Hotel, which would be my home away from home for three weeks.

It's an extended-stay type of place, with several rooms including a full kitchen and a balcony with decent views of the city. I'm sharing the place with Butch, who's a decent enough sort. He did takc the fold-out couch we got stuck with, although that was only because the TV is directly in front of it.

Her'e's my bedroom to the right. It's an adjustment to have a bed all to myself. I'm used to jockeying for position with the kids while trying to avoid being pushed off the bed..

The hotel is about 15 minutes from the Main Press Center, which is right on the water with incredible views of the mountains in the distance.

Bloomberg's Vancouver office is en route to the MPC -- here's the entrance with the very Canadian eagle/wolf sculpture out front.

A look at the outside of the Main Press Center, which is where I've spent the majority of my time early in the Games. While Butch was up at Whistler handling everything luge -- after the unfortunate death of the Georgian sledder during a training run -- I held down the fort at the MPC writing our running and roundup stories.

Above is the main work room in the MPC, where we're joined by hundreds of fellow journalists from around the world. Always interesting to see how much the guys from other countries can be total "Homers," loudly cheering on their countrymen during events. In the U.S., we're always taught there's "no cheering in the pressbox", but that's certainly not the case at the Olympics.. The ever-present Olympics McDonald's in the media center. McDonald's is an Olympic sponsor after all! It's one of several meal options in the dining area, where I've yet to sample the Ploughman's Special at the Canadian food counter.

Here's a look from outside the media center -- this is the international broadcast center next door where many of the TV networks have their studios set up during the Games.


A couple more pics from the deck outside the workroom -- very cool to hear the pontoon airplanes taking off from the water and then flying into the distance toward the mountains!

The Winter Games Begin

I'll remember the start of the 2010 Winter Games because of the snow. On the day I was scheduled to fly to Vancouver, we were dealt another haymaker in NJ by Mother Nature, who decided to dump 18 inches of the white stuff. It was the second major snowfall in less than a week and canceled all flights from Philadelphia and most other airports in the Northeast -- almost 2,000 by some accounts.

When all was said and done, Delta couldn't reschedule me on another flight out until Saturday morning.

I ended up missing the Opening Ceremonies -- as well as the chance to get settled and adjusted before the chaos of the Games began -- but made the best of it by enjoying my own Winter Games with the girls at home. Hey, when life gives you snow, you make a snowman. Or a fort. Or dig a tunnel through the massive snow bank outside your front door.

Ultimately, I did make it to Vancouver -- going from snow in the Northeast to rain in the Northwest. I was three days later than anticipated, but I arrived less than an hour after the first medal was decided. There was no time to ease into things -- just had to hit the ground running.

Yankees Win! The-e-e Yankees Win!

It wasn't a subway World Series, but for me, it was even an easier commute.

I attended all six games of the 2009 World Series over an eight-day span, alternating between the Yankees' new digs in New York (about an hour and a half from my house in NJ) and Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia (45 minutes from my house).

The teams split the opening two games in New York, with Cliff Lee dominating for the Phils in Game 1 and the Yankees taking out Pedro Martinez in Game 2 -- a rewarding win on my birthday! The series then shifted to Philadelphia, with the third game scheduled for Halloween, making for an eventful day.

I grabbed my rental car, drove into Philly to pick up my media credential and set up shop in the press box during the afternoon, then raced back home to take the girls Trick or Treating in Pennington with Carrie.

(At the left is Hana as Hanna Montana, Maia as her sidekick Lily and Sadie as a Minnie Mouse witch...)

Had to make sure I got my share of chocolate!

With a few Reese's peanut butter cups and Snickers bars in my bag, I shot back to Citizens Bank Park. I got there just at the start of the Yankees' 8-5 victory in which Andy Pettitte got the W and even drove in a run -- the first by a Yankee pitcher in the World Series in 45 years.

*********************

It's easy to get jaded by the sports world when you work in the industry, but this World Series definitely renewed my passion for the game in many ways.

Sometimes all it takes is a new perspective. In this case it was my 6-year-old nephew, Dante, for whom this World Series was the ultimate struggle of good and evil, as his beloved Phillies took on the hated Yankees. This was the first year that baseball really "clicked" for him and it was cool to see. He memorized the players, knew their positions and even tried to mimic their batting stances. When he played games in the backyard or on the Wii, invariably it would be the Phillies against the Yanks. His love of Chase Utley took me back to my youth, when Dave Winfield ensconced himself as my all-time favorite player by drilling long two home runs into the night air in the very first game I ever went to at Yankee Stadium.

So when Dante got a chance to go to a World Series game in Philly with my bro-in-law, I couldn't be more psyched...

They went to Game 5, with the Phillies already down 3-1 in the series after a heart-breaking 7-4 loss in which they gave up three ninth-inning runs. It's hard to root against my team, but in this case, I was -- I wanted Dante to see a Phillies' win in his first World Series game, but also wanted to see the Yankees have a chance to close things out at home. Fittingly, Chase Utley cracked two homers to lead the Phillies the win and send him home happy...

Two days later, the Yankees finished the job -- heading back home to the Bronx and wrapping up their record-extending 27th World Series championship as Hideki Matsui had a game for the ages, driving in six runs to snag MVP honors.

Before the start of the game, I interviewed Barry Larkin for a story I was doing on Derek Jeter and it proved to be a surreal experience, as I got to walk with him along the warning track to the door in the centerfield fence. I ended up being one of the last folks on the field before the start of the national anthem, a very cool experience..

When Mariano Rivera recorded the final out just before midnight, you bet I had the cell phone in hand ready to snap a picture:

I then high-tailed it down to the Yanks' locker room to join in the celebration. I was prepared -- wearing my rain jacket for the champagne spraying in every direction!

(Jeter ducks for cover!)

(Champagne for everyone!!)

(Aceves gets a champagne shower!)

(A-Rod pops out from behind the tarps protecting the lockers..)

(And of course, the Captain, who slips out after a private celebration with Minka Kelly..)

The one picture that I missed out on in the locker room was with Kurt Russell, who I've been told bears some physical resemblances to me (hopefully from his Snake Plisken years).

He was there wearing his Yankee jacket and hat, and I was very disappointed that I wasn't able to snag a pic as my camera died and then the media was ushered out before I was able to replace the batteries. Would have been a good one.

Ah well, there's always next year,

Yankee Stadiums

Closing out the old and ringing in the new.

On Sept. 21, 2008, I covered the final game in the 85-year history of venerable Yankee Stadium, which was home to all of the franchise's record 26 World Series titles and so much more.

On April 16, 2009, I covered the first game in the Yankees' brand-spanking new, $1.5 billion ballpark in the Bronx.

So, as a long-time Yankee fan, I figured I'd chronicle some photos and memories of those two games just seven months apart.

Needless to say, the House that Ruth Built was packed for the finale. Unfortunately, everyone knew it was the last game in the old ballpark because for the first time since the early 90s, the Yankees wouldn't be headed to the playoffs.

But emotions were still riding high and I spent a good bit of time wandering the concourses and different levels, talking to fans about their memories and experiences at the stadium.

I made sure to take a last look from numerous different vantage points, including one from down the third-base line, where as a youngster I watched my first Yankee game -- a loss to the Royals in which Dave Winfield cemented his place as my favorite baseball player by hitting two towering home runs.

Also during the game, I went down to a little room behind home plate where everything and anything involved in the final game was being authenticated by Major League Baseball and its official collectibles arm. It was actually pretty cool seeing all the official balls that were being used, watching them put holograms on the bases that were swapped out every inning, and listening to them explain how the dirt would be collected and sealed in containers afterwards.

Of course, I also made sure to get a picture of the final official lineup, which was posted on the blackboard in the media room tucked in the bowels of the stadium.

"The bowels", to be sure, are an apt description of the underbelly of Yankee Stadium. While there's much to miss about the old ballpark, the place definitely had run its course in many ways. I'll never forget that during the post-game news conference, as Yankee manager Joe Girardi summed up his feelings and emotions in the cramped, run-down interview room, there was a garbage bucket in the middle of the rows of folding chairs for reporters. And into the bucket fell water from a steady leak in the ceiling. Needless to say, I included that in my post-game story on the event.

The pre-game ceremony that featured more than 50 former Yankees, including Don Larsen, who at one point stooped over to collect dirt from the pitcher's mound. That was a popular keepsake, though I didn't snatch any up after the game -- a 7-3 victory over Baltimore in which Andy Pettitte picked up the W and Mariano Rivera tossed the ninth.

I did make sure to get down on the field just to soak up the moment. Of course I had to take a picture from Jeter's shortstop position…

Mariano was among the players who scooped up their own share of dirt, so I made sure to take a couple pictures. What I thought was even cooler though was that he and some family members later just laid down in the infield grass and enjoyed the moment -- it almost looked like they were having their own private picnic, just without the food.

A cool way to close things out, though there was no escaping that directly across the street loomed the new stadium, which at the time was about 75 percent complete. And from the outside, it looked like it was ready for action..


The Yankees couldn't have gotten a better day for the opener at the new park -- as one bitter Red Sox fan said to me at one point, "Man, look at that weather.. Even God is a Yankee fan."

Headed over from the office with Soshnick, who was writing a column on the stadium, and got there a few minutes before they opened the main gates at about 10:30 a.m. It was about three hours before game time, but the fans were everywhere, anxious to check the place out.

Having been at the opener of the Mets' new park (Citi Field) just three days earlier, I have to say the Yankees did things right. Of course they spent almost twice as much as the Mets did, but while both stadiums were beautiful, the new Yankee Stadium still had the feeling of the old digs. Yeah, I'm a Yankee fan, so I might be biased, but Citi Field just had a generic feel to it. There was no nod to the team's history -- no mention of the Mets' two championships, no pictures of Mets' greats and no Mets' colors (green seats??).

Yankee Stadium, as one would expect, was still loaded with history. There were pennants and plaques for all the retired numbers and championship seasons. The signature frieze was still atop the stadium itself. Monument park was moved just beyond the centerfield wall (albeit partially covered by a restaurant). There were pictures everywhere; I loved the fact that from foul pole to foul pole there were huge black and white photos of great moments in Yankee history in chronological order. Great stuff.

Of course, there were loads of stories about the outrageous ticket prices (some behind home plate went for more than $2,500 PER GAME). It definitely is a shame that the normal fan is in many ways getting priced out of the stadium, but there are still reasonable seats to be found. I talked to a guy who was there with his 15-year-old son and had snagged some primo bleacher seats on the cheap, just $14 apiece for great views from beyond the outfield fence.

While the stadium felt like the same place, just better, there were naturally questions about whether it would still have the same magic… There seemed to be some missing as their 11-game home-opening win streak came to an end with a 10-2 loss to Cleveland. (I liked the fact that by far the biggest boos of the day went to Carl Pavano, now with the Indians, during pre-game introductions. Bum..)

China Trip - Final Chapter

Finally getting around to adding the final chapter to my China trip. This after nearly losing many irreplaceable photos when my laptop crashed...

As great as the trip was, it just wouldn't be me if I didn't close things out with a couple mis-steps.

The first came after a long, leisurely swim in the penthouse pool of the 5-star hotel in which we stayed the final night. Now I love swimming, but my ears and water don't mix well. This place was so nice and private, I didn't stop to think of the potential problems -- an ear infection ahead of a 14-hour flight halfway around the world. To say the ear trouble made things uncomfortable with the high-altitude pressure would be a bit of an understatement. I actually had to get medicine and then get my ear drained after returning home. Good stuff.

The second snafu came as no surprise whatsoever for Carrie, who is constantly finding a little bit of anything and everything in the pockets of my pants come laundry time. Unfortunately, the folks who were doing my laundry in China didn't check my cargo shorts as closely. As a result, my passport lost its battle with an industrial washer. I have to admit, this caused a little consternation on my part before arriving at the airport for the return trip home. I envisioned all kinds of nasty possibilities stemming from a problematic passport, but fortunately the fellow checking me back through customs was an understanding and sympathetic chap. In some ways, I have to imagine this problem is a universal one...

Lastly, I had to take the time to add a few other pictures. Of all the amazing things I got to see and experience during the trip, among the most endlessly fascinating for me were the multitude of strange two- and three-wheeled mutant bicycle contraptions. I'm not sure why, but these vehicles captivated me -- I guess it was an interesting juxtaposition against the backdrop of a modern urban area and being that there were so many around, I couldn't imagine this being a central mode of transportation in any big U.S. city. So... I end with a few of these:

This woman and her kids jostled for position not only with buses and cars, but with pedestrians on the sidewalks.

These things were too cool. Invariably, there would be an older woman in the back compartment being driven around. As hot as it was, I couldn't imagine these tinder boxes not being like being in a blast furnace. But they were all over..

Bikes like this one above were all over, many of them LOADED precariously with tons of boxes and supplies that looked like they would spill off at any moment..

And lastly, these guys. We have these surrey-like bikes in the states too, of course, but probably not in as great a quantity. And many of these vehicles looked like they'd been around since the Ming Dynasty.. I brought plenty of souvenirs back with me, but if only I could have come home with one of the mutant vehicles! Perhaps next time,