Welcome! This is an unapologetic, agenda-free zone. Just commentaries on current events that’ll move you to think, laugh, rage, and even cry.
Putin lords over a kleptocracy that has fleeced public funds on such an unprecedented scale, it makes the kleptocracies African despots lord over seem petty. (“Ukraine’s (Peaceful) Orange Revolution Turns Red … with Blood,” The iPINIONS Journal, February 25, 2014) President Vladimir Putin sold the Russian people on the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi as… Read more.
It would be remiss of me to begin commenting on the Closing Ceremony without first acknowledging that Canada triumphed today in the last event of these Games, Men’s Hockey. By defeating Sweden (3-0), it repeated its Vancouver feat of winning gold in Women’s and Men’s Hockey, affirming my claim that, when it comes to Hockey,… Read more.
Men’s Hockey It seems those pesky Finns arrived in Sochi hell-bent on being giant slayers: after humiliating the mighty Russians by eliminating them from medal contention on Day 12 (3-1), they humiliated the even mightier Americans by denying them even a consolation bronze medal today (5-0). Surely, if any team can boast of having the best… Read more.
Women’s Figure Skating As consolation prizes go, this is one for the history books. Recall that Russians were in mourning yesterday after Finland eliminated their celebrated Men’s Hockey team from medal contention. In fact, watching Russians burst into tears gave credence to journalist Vladimir Posner’s prediction that, if Russia fails to win gold in Men’s… Read more.
Men’s Hockey ‘If Russia wins gold in Hockey, nothing else matters. If Russia loses, nothing else matters.’ (NBC, February 15, 2014) This was how acclaimed Russian journalist and talk-show host Vladimir Posner reacted to this loss, making the extraordinary admission that, no matter how many other gold medals Russians win, unless Team Russia avenges [the… Read more.
Figure Skating Pairs Ice Dance The fix was in. In fact, this suspicion hovered over all events in Pairs Figure Skating even before competition began. According to L’Équipe, which quoted an unnamed Russian coach, the United States intended to help Russia win the overall team event and the pairs competition. In return, Russia would make… Read more.
Jamaican Bobsledders slide from novelty to farce As a native of the Caribbean, I find nothing endearing about the way the Jamaican Bobsled team is providing tabloid fodder for amusement worldwide. Let me hasten to clarify that I fully appreciated the novelty of having a team from one of our tropical islands participate in the… Read more.
Women’s Snowboard Cross Snowboard Cross, like short-track Speedskating, seems like little more than roller derby on ice. Only instead of on skates around an oval, they compete in this sport on snowboards down a mountain. But the real drama was in watching to see if Lindsey Jacobellis of the United States would finally exorcise her… Read more.
Men’s Hockey Given all of the media hype, you could be forgiven for thinking that today’s qualifying game between Russia and the USA was for the gold medal. And the way the U.S. media and few Americans in Sochi celebrated after the USA won (3-2) only added to this mistaken impression. To be sure, it… Read more.
Men’s Super-Combined Upsets continued to abound…. Not only is Bode Miller America’s most decorated Alpine skier, he’s the defending Olympic champion in this event. What’s more, after finishing out of the medals in the Downhill, there were great expectations that he would vindicate his skill and fame by capturing one here. He finished 6th. Remarkably,… Read more.
