2010 Vancouver Olympic & Paralympic Super-Thread

[SpongeG]

there was plenty of liquor on the streets so they can obviously come down with it - so closing probably only affected locals who live downtown

news reported 800 liquor seizures by police - thats pretty small considering the crowds

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by giallo

..I do think our ridiculous liquor laws are part of the problem. They absolutely encourage binge drinking; gotta get that last drink before the shop/bar closes. We've had two generations now with this sort of mentality. We need to approach alcohol more maturely in this province.

That doesn't explain the binge drinking in the UK, or Australia, or places frequented by American spring-breakers.

[cabotp]

Originally Posted by giallo

I've got to agree. For whatever reason, Metro Vancouver (and BC for that matter) have an almost feral-like younger population. It isn't until around 25 when the a lot men start to get their shit together.

While I think closing the liquor shops are insane, I actually can't fault the cops. A chunk of younger metro Vancouverites have proven time and time again to be shit disturbers when drunk.

I do think our ridiculous liquor laws are part of the problem. They absolutely encourage binge drinking; gotta get that last drink before the shop/bar closes. We've had two generations now with this sort of mentality. We need to approach alcohol more maturely in this province.

I'd say that the vast majority of the people who are shit disturbers. Are most likely shit disturbers even when they are sober. So even if they were drunk or not they already are thinking about being violent. All the drinking does is just tip them over the edge.

[cornholio]

Originally Posted by whatnext

ORLY?

Study the 1994 riot. Had nothing to do with what you describe. Any time you liquor up a bunch of guys in their early twenties the potential for violence increases exponentially. Look at the "Entertainment Strip" (sic) on Granville on any given Saturday night.

what???? 94 was compeltly started by police interference, and then fueld by it. It was exactly when the police tried to disperse and attack the crowd, which wasnt causing any serious problems, that the riot started. They tried to satisfy their urge to force order where no order was needed, the crowd couldnt vent and was pissed of by the police, no kidding the crowd turned on them, like it always does in the same situation. This isnt rocket science.

[lightrail]

Originally Posted by cabotp

I'd say that the vast majority of the people who are shit disturbers. Are most likely shit disturbers even when they are sober. So even if they were drunk or not they already are thinking about being violent. All the drinking does is just tip them over the edge.

Totalitarian State - this is Vanoc - couver - the Canadian Charter of Rights was thrown out weeks ago. If the police say they want something, they get it.

Personally - we are in grave danger if we continue to allow this to happen. Elected politicians should be the decision makers, not the police. By definition, what the police are doing is a Police State. Maybe the stores that were forced to close will sue after this mess if finished.

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by lightrail

Totalitarian State - this is Vanoc - couver - the Canadian Charter of Rights was thrown out weeks ago. If the police say they want something, they get it.

Personally - we are in grave danger if we continue to allow this to happen. Elected politicians should be the decision makers, not the police. By definition, what the police are doing is a Police State. Maybe the stores that were forced to close will sue after this mess if finished.

To call what we're experiencing a "police state" is a huge insult to the millions around the world that have to endure and suffer from living in real police states. You are paranoid.

Special circumstances/super large crowds during a targeted world event call for special methods. That doesn't make it a police state. When the Games are over, they will leave.

And from the latest polls, virtually everyone affected has no problems with the extra police presence. So much for the hype about security before the Games...

[Yume-sama]

Is the right to get your crunk on actually in the Canadian charter?

[jlousa]

I was at ground zero when the 94 riots began, the police didn't start anything, the moron who climbed the light standard did. After a couple of minutes of the moron dancing around he fell to the pavement and the paramedics couldn't get to him due to the crowds. The police began creating space to allow the paramedics thru and that's when a group across the street began smashing windows, they were not even part of the group being cleared to the sides. The rest is history.

I would argue that 800 liqour pourouts is a huge number, as that was on saturday night after the change to liquor store hours, on the friday night which would've been slightly quieter but no early closures there were 1600 liquor pourouts, obviously a huge change. I think the biggest reason is potential liability, if the police took no action and something happen everyone would be screaming at them, at least this way they could say they tried. It is sad that our society hasn't evolved past this.

[vancityrox]

The Olympics have been crazy busy for me. I havent had much time to check out all the pavilions. Which ones are worth checking out? I havent even touched the ones on False Creek yet.

Oh and I got to meet some really famous people at work these days. Mostly hockey related. I met Steve Yzerman as well as Wayne Gretzky, some other hockey guys I think coach of the Oilers etc. and also Cuba Gooding Jr. was with Waynes entourage...talk about random!

[s211]

Originally Posted by mr.x

To call what we're experiencing a "police state" is a huge insult to the millions around the world that have to endure and suffer from living in real police states. You are paranoid.

Special circumstances/super large crowds during a targeted world event call for special methods. That doesn't make it a police state. When the Games are over, they will leave.

And from the latest polls, virtually everyone affected has no problems with the extra police presence. So much for the hype about security before the Games...

[sacrifice333]

Just got my Goat For Gold t-shirt and subsequently purchased a Goat For Gold goat in honour of Mr. Jon Montgomery!



If you don't know what Goat for Gold is you can check it out here.



It's from the same guys that brought us Goat Canucks Goat!

[SpongeG]

according to CTV entertainment reporter towards teh end of the week there will be lots of big hollywood names in town - and usher will be at whistler

if you're star struck...

club bud hosts a party on thursday where celebs will be no doubt...

[Yume-sama]

The sliding course will be modified again, to make it safer, after several bobsled crashes. This course seems like it was very poorly designed.



http://www.ctvolympics.ca/hockey/news/newsid=49560.html

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Delirium

"the guy with the glasses from MTV - you must all know him and that ginger girl..."

i am always SHOCKED that CTV would give these two clowns airtime. i can't stand them. what are they doing here anyway? they don't cover anything. they just sit there and babble and look like complete idiots.

Absolutely agree. I watch the Today Show instead of CTV because they're so irritating.

[Zassk]

A lot of passing of the buck going on, with respect to the sliding centre.

The facts I've been able to gather are;

- the IOC insisted that it be located in Whistler, rather than on Grouse Mountain as Vanoc had intended
- the IBF and ILF approved the grade and dimensions of the Fitzsimmons Creek location, knowing it would produce a straight and fast course
- the designer was Udo Gurgel who designed the last 10 Olympics' courses
- the architect was Stantec who did the 2002 Salt Lake course

It seems to me that Vanoc doesn't have a lot of responsibility or control over how the track turned out.

[zivan56]

Plenty of athletes made it down safety. It is their own greed for a medal that compromises their safety by allowing their bobsleigh to reach those speeds. They could come down at 5 km/h if they wanted, since they do have brakes.
I could understand if there were tons of skeleton/luge crashes, but they can also brake using their feet (to a less effective degree)...and there were only a couple of crashes.

[aastra]

I've traveled to and lived in many cities around the world and nowhere did I ever get a similar sense that things to devolve into violence during alleged celebrations.

Montreal?

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by zivan56

Plenty of athletes made it down safety. It is their own greed for a medal that compromises their safety by allowing their bobsleigh to reach those speeds. They could come down at 5 km/h if they wanted, since they do have brakes.
I could understand if there were tons of skeleton/luge crashes, but they can also brake using their feet (to a less effective degree)...and there were only a couple of crashes.

World cups were held there prior to the Olympics. Over 5000 runs were taken. What can you say.. the desire for speed keeps getting higher until something terrible happens.

[Yume-sama]

Well, it may be true that we had no actual say when it comes to the design of the course, but everyone will blame us.

And yes, there has been track record after track record. People are pushing it, maybe too far.

Everyone does try harder in the Olympics, I suppose. Even Ilya Kovalchuk plays defense in the Olympics.

[sacrifice333]

CTV says 10.6 mil Canadians watched the CDN-US Olympic hockey game; calls it "most-watched sports program in Cdn history"