It was a great day that left me smiling and proud to be a Canadian. Now, 21 years later, the Olympic flame is about to return to Canada and pass through my little corner of the world again.
Last week, I couldn’t help but smile when the flame arrived in Canada from Greece, following its official lighting in the historic city of Olympia.
On Dec. 29, Olympic fever will be high in Midland when the flame makes a short stop by the shores of Georgian Bay.
While the pride is still there, I wonder if the spirit of the Olympics has been lost, swallowed up by corporations throwing millions of dollars behind the world gathering of athletes.
I’m still proud that Canada will host the Olympics in February, but I can’t help but think Canadians are being made unwilling participants in a giant, public-relations campaign.
Recently, the CTV Olympic media consortium sent out a press release trumpeting the fact that TV personalities including Brian Williams, Jennifer Hedger and Michael Landsberg, as well as Globe and Mail sports columnist Stephen Brunt, had been chosen to carry the torch during its cross-country journey to Vancouver.
These people will be covering the Olympics for CTV and TSN as broadcasters and reporters, so they are already receiving a reward for their work.
Sounds like a bending – or fracturing – of ethics to me.
During the last six months, Olympic organizers conducted a lottery to select people to carry the torch during its journey across Canada.
I say these average people should get a chance to carry the torch ahead of the media types specifically chosen by CTV.
I guess if you lay out millions for the broadcast rights to the Olympics, it must give you the right to jump the line.
Total bull cookies.
There’s no doubt Olympic fever will have swept across Canada by the time the torch reaches Vancouver. I’ll be happy to welcome the torch to Canada, and applaud when it passes by my front door.
As for Landsberg, Hedger and the rest of the media torchbearers, I hope they sleep well at night. They have been given special treatment by their employers.
While none of us expects Canadian broadcasters to be anything but cheerleaders at the Olympics, it would be nice to throw some ethics and balance into the mix.
mdodd@simcoe.com
