I was so excited I didn't proof read. LOL!!

That should have been congratulations to our women's hockey team.

And congratulations go to the US for taking the Silver.

Ann

Congratulations!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS on a medal well deserved.

Lee

Congrats to both teams. O Canada and Oh Say Can You See.

I thought the cigars and beer were funny and it's too bad the team is being criticized for it.

Congrats, to the CA girls for the win...what was with all the drinking and cigars, though?

If the team gets disqualified because of the partying, I sure would like to see what the deciding officials get to go through as they leave Canada....can anyone say 'full and thorough cavity search'?

LOL! It is called "CELEBRATING".

Ann

It might be called "CELEBRATING", but there was an underage player...the "CELEBRATING" would have been in better taste had it been where cameras weren't teeming and the world looking on.

Sour grapes Marigene?

Does anyone care when Champagne is being sprayed all over the place by the winners of the Stanley Cup, or the Super Bowl or the World Series? I think not.

Was it a mistake in judgement yes, but big deal. They won a gold medal. Cut them some slack.

And just for clarification - the drinking age in Canada is 18 or 19 depending on the Province.

The player that was 18 is one month away from legal drinking age in BC but was of legal drinking age in Quebec.

Ann

Those women played an outstanding game. They had every right to celebrate and I wish the world was celebrating with them instead of critisizing. You don't get to be a world class athlete of olympic calliber while drinking and smoking, so clearly they were just taking a break from their insane training regime to celebrate a well fought win. I was in tears watching them sing "O, Canada", they are such tremendous women.

Way to go, Team Canada - you and all the olympic women athletes are amazing!

(and look out men's Team Canada - the USA will win the gold!) ...although as a Pittsburgh girl, I do love Sidney...

AM

We watched the game which ended after 2 am our time and thought it was really exciting. The Canadian girls played well, especially in the last period and that goalie was amazing!

I didn't see any of the aftermath or celebrations or even the medal ceremony but perhaps I can pick it up on my computer podcasts from Eurovision, which are pretty complete.

SharonCb

It was an outstanding game and series. They played well and deserved that medal.

However I am disappointed in their shenanigans after the medal presentation. Yes ,they deserve to celebrate but take the booze and cigars into the locker room....especially the cigars.

But regardless they are an amazing team . Three golds in a row is quite an accomplishment.

Congrats to all my Canadian friends. The girls played fabulously and deserved the win. Beer, cigars? So what.

My only complaint was with the US team's demeanor before and during the presentation of the silver medals. Nobody "lost" the gold. The US team won the silver. They should have been proud of that acheivement. Many other teams would have gladly traded places with them.

I had not heard of this controversy, I must live under a rock, lol...

I had heard about the win , not the cigars; granted, they should have been more discreet. They must all be from Quebec, lol.........

No, Ann, this isn't sour grapes...I am very happy they won, they certainly deserved to...I think when you are representing your country you should do it with dignity and these girls were not very dignified once the game was over...a beer in one hand and a cigar in another...is that being dignified in your eyes? I wonder what their parents, grandparents, friends, teachers, employers thought when the pictures are being flashed throughout the world.

The blurb I heard on the radio today indicated the team 'celebrated' in an empty building, two hours after the end of the game, the fans all gone, unaware that there were IOC officials and cameras up in the boxes by the ceiling. I'm not disputing if they broke IOC rules, though, just that this was probably better judgement than taking it to the streets.

15 minutes of googling gave me the facts ! lol...
tempest in a beer can, I say.

There was press left in the arena, no public, it was 40 minutes after the medal ceremony, yes they should have stayed in the locker room but I guess they threw all caution to the wind.

I think most people would smile and shrug at these antics, not be offended.
But I respect your right to be.

Would anyone have said a single word if it were pictures of the MEN'S hockey team with beers and cigars??

just wondering...

L

Lori, it may be that nothing much would have been said had the men acted in this manner, but that doesn't mean something shouldn't be said.

These women are amazing athletes that accomplished something special. Young people do dumb things, and I understand that is all this is, just young people doing dumb things, doesn't mean we say it's OK.

This is not a mortal sin, we just say, not bright ladies....and everyone moves on.

Exactly Lori.

As Hayley Wickenheiser, our well respected team captain put it.... "All I have to say is, get real. Really get real," .

Unlike most celebrations of this sort, which are played out in front of millions of people, these girls were celebrating more than an hour after the audience had left and the TV cameras had been turned off.

I love this quote - "My only comment would be, I wish it was the Americans who had been in a position to do that," U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun told the Associated Press."

well put, Ann. It hardly made any a stir in Montreal.

The men's hockey is different in that they are pro players used to the fame and glory, for the girls it was more exciting hence they got carried away.

First, congratulations to Canada for their very gracious hosting of the Olympics and their ability to take many glitches in stride.

As for those girls, I think it was bad judgment to celebrate there, the beer and cigars should have been left in the locker room and then there would be no contention. However, girls that age very often display poor judgment, as do girls/women/boys/men of all ages.

Of all the things that happen in the Olympics, that's one of the issues that didn't cause me to do any more than shake my head and think that Ashley probably would have done the same thing. And then I'd have busted her for it, LOL.

Annie

Well said Ann T !!! Diana55

Cigars! Beer!!!

The world is wound up a tad too tight. They were celebrating after probably years of hard work and training. They deserved a cigar and a beer.

Who did they hurt by this?

First, I agree...much ado about nothing.

Playing Devil's Advocate...I suppose it could make it more difficult to tell your 12 year old daughter that she shouldn't drink or smoke. "But Mom, if a Gold Medal winning Olympic champion can...why can't I?"

/tricia

Beer and cigars are pretty tame when you think of all the other more dangerous things that are out there tempting young people.

I would say to my daughter...'Dear, when you've trained so hard for years and won an Olympic gold medal I'll buy you the beer and cigar to celebrate.'

It's not as though they were going around continually drinking and smoking in public. Serious athletes don't smoke.

They were letting off steam, doing something silly after so much training and then winning.

And it's important to teach kids the difference between one situation and the other.

SharonCb

Sharon, perfect answer.
Ann

Shaun......A Tad too tight is right.........for heavens sakes lets relax a little. Life is just too short to be worrying about this. I'm sure they were just caught up in the moment. Diana55