They had a party, should they have? Well, seriously, wouldn’t you? They just won the Gold Medal Three Times In A Row For Canada!!! But sadly the girls ended up having to defend themselves for a party that started in the dressing room and ended up on the ice after the fans had left. Drinks with prop cigars, and it makes headline news, come on now, let the girls celebrate!
So who are the critics? My guess is it is simply the media, desperately looking for something to cause some controversy. You be the judge. The following is copied from the CTV News Website
'Get real' says Wickenheiser as critics slam party
The Globe and Mail
By Mark Hume, The Globe and Mail Posted Friday, February 26, 2010 6:24 PM ET
They had gold medals hanging around their necks, but members of Canada's women's hockey team were doing damage control on Friday after a controversial postgame celebration involving alcohol and cigars.
The morning after their stirring gold-medal win over the United States, captain Hayley Wickenheiser and other players found themselves both defending their actions and apologizing for the way they celebrated at the rink.
A party that started in the dressing room spilled out onto the ice, long after the fans had left the building, when several team members posed for photos with beer cans in hand and big cigars in their mouths.
Wickenheiser acknowledged the pictures splashed in the media on Friday were not the best image for Olympians to project. But she said it was just harmless fun, and everyone should get over it.
"All I have to say is get real. Get real because you know, we were enjoying the moment," she said with a laugh. "It probably was not the right thing to be on the ice doing that, but in the moment you get caught up and things happen. And trust me, there's lots worse things that go on at the Olympics, so everybody just take a big breath and chill out because it's not a big deal."
Wickenheiser said the cigars were really nothing more than props.
"Nobody [on the team] smokes. Of course we are aware that's not the image you want to portray, especially if there's young kids and people watching ... [but] it is a tradition in hockey that when you win they have cigars and usually have champagne in the dressing room."
Meghan Agosta said the controversy hadn't taken the edge off the joy of victory, but she did regret that the team, which gritted out a 2-0 win over the U.S., had been forced to explain itself.
"It's something we didn't really think about. We just wanted to go out there and take pictures and savour the moment. We were proud and happy. We're sorry. We are responsible for our actions and we didn't mean to offend anybody," she said.
"None of us are alcoholics or anything. We were just having fun and enjoying the moment."
John Furlong, CEO of VANOC, said too much was being made of the incident.
"I honestly thought it was young kids who were happy. They had a good time, they let their hair down a little bit and yes a few things happened on the ice that probably were a bit inappropriate - and then they said they are sorry," he said.
"They are great ambassadors for the country and, you know what, they poured everything they had into being gold-medal champions at the Olympic Games and we shouldn't diminish what they did for a moment."
Mark Adams, spokesman for the International Olympic Committee, said the Canadian Olympic Committee would be given a formal letter asking for details about the incident, but he didn't think it would go any further than that.
"I would say to characterize it as an investigation would be wrong. I mean to start with, the athletes came out very quickly yesterday and said that they were sorry for what they'd done and said their behaviour was inappropriate," he said.
Michael Chambers, president of the COC, also didn't see it as a significant incident.
"They are going to be sending me a letter asking for details. I'll give the details, that a couple of the women in the excitement of the moment went out on to the ice, took some fun pictures, had cans of beer in their hands," Chambers said.
He said it is not unusual for adult athletes to have a drink after winning a big game, but he did acknowledge some of the players were not yet 19, which is the legal drinking age in British Columbia.
Neither the Vancouver Police Department nor the RCMP Integrated Security Unit has plans to investigate the matter.
With a report from Paul Waldie
PS…I have to say, this has got to be one of the best winter olympics I can ever remember! Proudly Canadian our athletes are doing amazing! I am eager to see the closing ceremonies after such great job at the opening ceremonies – but first – Hockey!!!
Gold 8 Silver 12 Bronze 12 Total 32
Gold 9 Silver 11 Bronze 7 Total 27
Gold 8 Silver 6 Bronze 6 Total 20
Gold 8 Silver 8 Bronze 3 Total 19
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