Vancouver Olympics

In conclusion...

2010-03-04T11:19:00.000-08:00

Well, it was quite a run. The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver proved to be everything that was expected and more. It was another great experience for me, and one I'll never forget. Hard to put into words the excitement of the Canadians after Canada won the gold in men's hockey. I've never seen streets get so congested so quick, with that much excitement. Probably new year's eve at Time's Square times 10!

There was also great harmony with the group I worked for. The Sports Desk successfully produced over 50 stories, and the people involved worked together with professionalism and it was just plain fun. We had MANY laughs in the edit suite, some even when we HAD experienced sleep the night before! When you're working 12 on and 12 off sleep's a precious commodity. The talent we worked with, Lester Holt, Nancy Snyderman, Alex Flanagan and Peter Alexander are first class, too. Very down to earth - some of the nicest people you could meet. It was a pleasure getting to know them.

After the games wrapped up I had the chance to drive around Vancouver and see some things beyond my 3 block walk to work. One stop was Cyprus Mountain, the venue for the freestyle skiing and snowboard events, where we got to see some of God's beautiful creation. It was nice to personally take in some of the beauty that everyone got to see on television.

It's about time to board my flight for home, so I'll leave it here with one final thought -
GO CANADA GO! (and thanks for the memories)

Figure Skating in Vancouver

2010-02-25T07:17:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday I was handed a couple of VIP tickets to women's figure skating, so my editing partner, April, and I enjoyed the competition at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver. It was especially moving when the Canadian skater, Joannie Rochette, whose mother had passed away a couple of days prior, performed a flawless routine. She received a standing ovation for several minutes, and there was not a dry eye in the house.

It's hard to believe the games are starting to wind down. It's been an enjoyable Olympic experience in Canada. The people have been exceptionally nice and the natural beauty of Vancouver and its surrounding area have made the trip a pleasure.

Final Week of the Olympics

2010-02-23T14:26:00.000-08:00

The final week of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver is in full stride, and the United States is still ahead in the medal count!
Last night I had the chance to check out curling for the first time. It rocks! If you've never seen the sport in person, you've got to find a way to get there. The atmosphere, especially at the Olympics, is like what you'd find at a football or basketball game. Fans paint their faces and really get into it.
I have to admit that I didn't understand the rules before I went, so my son, Jordan, who happened to be watching the match I was attending, sent me a text explaining the rules. That, along with some very nice Canadians sitting in front of me, helped me make sense of the game! It was especially fun watching the USA men's team take on the Chinese.

I've edited over 20 stories, and several have been broadcast. Monday night if you saw a story hosted by Nancy Snyderman about the local cuisine, that was mine. I got really hungry editing that one!

The Olympic Games continue in Vancouver

2010-02-21T18:07:00.000-08:00

The Olympic games continue in Vancouver with the United States leading in the medal count. I haven't had many opportunities to get out because of my workload, but I did have the chance last Tuesday to watch the Russian men's hockey team defeat Latvia 8-2 at the UBC Thunderbird Arena in downtown Vancouver.

I've been editing, on average, two stories per day. Stories which have been broadcast so far include: grizzly bears, snowboarding, the youth of the USA men's hockey team, the maintenance of the ice venues, and a story on the luger who died early in the games. Most of the stories I've edited have been hosted by Lester Holt or Alex Flanagan.

The moose which Stephen Colbert featured on his show this week has made it's way to the halls of the IBC, so couldn't help but strike a pose with it. My producer pal, Jay, joined in on the photo op.

The weather early on was rainy, but the past few days have been sunny, providing nice views of English Bay which is next to the International Broadcast Center where I work.

As I'm writing this, the USA men's hockey team has just defeated Canada. Go USA!

The Olympic Games are underway in Vancouver

2010-02-14T22:01:00.000-08:00

Well, the 2010 Winter Olympics are finally underway in Vancouver! I arrived on Feb. 4th and began my orientation with the editing equipment on the 5th. Fortunately, the first 3 or 4 days were not too crazy, so I had a chance to catch a quick ski trip to nearby Grouse Mountain with fellow editors April and Brian. I worked with both of them in Beijing.

So far I've seen Bob Costas, Al Michaels, Chris Collinsworth and Kristi Yamaguchi, and I've edited stories hosted by Lester Holt, weekend news anchor for NBC.

The night of Opening Ceremonies I found a great vantage point to view the outside lighting of the torch by the great one, Wayne Gretzky. The next day I had the opportunity to edit a story that aired during prime time.

Other stories I've cut so far span a wide variety of topics: mittens, medals, gondolas spanning mountain peaks at Whistler, snow limos and snowshoes, to name a few.

We're definitely in full stride now cranking out stories from the Sport's Desk (the department I edit for). I'll let you know in a few what else is new.