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Post by Lori on May 2, 2008 20:49:43 GMT -5
OMG, wags - your husband sounds like a hoot!  - and from what I know of YOU, I'd say this is a 'match made in heaven'!  |
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Post by lilyover76 on Jun 9, 2008 13:19:32 GMT -5
(I want to bring this thread back to the first page... so I'm copying here the same post from the American Idol thread:)
I found the following article at a fansite for Archie:****************************************** The Golden Dream: To Sing at the Olympic Games According to MSNBC, there are four different ways NBC has used music for the Olympics in the past: ”network campaigns in advance of the Games; co-branding opportunities; features and interstitial footage broadcast during the athletic events; and the nightly concerts.” Performing for the Olympics offers artists valuable exposure and an opportunity to reach an international audience of millions, particularly if an artist’s song is chosen to spotlight specific teams or selected as the Games’ anthem. Listen to a few past Olympic themes songs here and watch a video for the 2008 Olympic theme song here. The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing will take place while David is on tour, so perhaps he could set his sights on the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, where one of his idols Celine Dion is set to perform. Incidentally, David Foster and Bryan Adams composed the 2010 Olympic Bid theme song entitled “Our Time to Shine.” Foster and Adams both know David Archuleta: it cannot be out of the realm of possibility that if they collaborate on the official Olympic anthem (Foster apparently wants to write it), they would think of a certain young singer with soaring, inspirational vocals and international appeal.
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Post by number1fan on Jul 27, 2008 18:59:03 GMT -5
ok...this is for you long-track enthusiasts! ...the canadians sure have their stuff together  ...GO SHANI!!!
blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/olympics/2008/07/heres_your_publicly_financed_a.html
July 11, 2008 11:33 AM
Here's your publicly financed arena: Check out the new Richmond Oval
Posted by Ron Judd
Non-editor's note: This is the first of an occasional series of glimpses at 2010 Olympic venues. Look for more when we get around to it.
Whoa.
That's your first reaction when you drive up the Richmond Oval, the new speedskating (long-track) venue for the Vancouver 2010 Games.
It's immense. Looks like you could park three or four 747s in there, wing to wing. Actually, you could, according to the stats sheet. The thing is 361,281 square feet. Its roof is 6.5 acres. It seats 6,832 lucky spectators and houses, of course, one 400-meter ice track, for the Games -- and lots more, after them (read on).
The $178 million building, on the banks of the Fraser River in Richmond, likely will become the signature venue for the Vancouver Games simply by nature of its enormity -- and its proximity to Vancouver Intergalactic Airport, which sits right across the river. Everyone flying into YVR is going to see this baby. And it's an impressive sight.
The roof, shaped in the general form of a wave, is supported by massive beams of B.C. timber -- a purposeful attempt to showcase that fine (dwindling) building material to the world. Nice stroke of PRism, that. But not one without its problems: Some of the wood apparently wasn't dried properly, and surrounding insulation had to be replaced because of fungus that formed inside the structure. That was a construction hiccup of $2 million and change.
The roof itself is quite the engineering feat: Its 15 "glulam" support beams are almost 100 meters (328 feet) long. The roof, with arched trusses and rafters to give it a rippled appearance, utilizes a million board feet of B.C. lumber, primarily milled in Williams Lake, and mostly harvested from trees killed by pine beetles, the Games green-thinking organizers are quick to point out (another unadvertised benefit of global warming!)
It looks like construction crews will deliver this monster venue on schedule, this fall, in time for speedskating test events in the single winter remaining leading up to the Games of February, 2010.
We're anxious to see how the ice performs here. Building managers of the last major North American structure of this size, the oval in Kearns, Utah, built for the 2002 Games, made a lot of the fact that it contained "the World's Fastest Ice," because the building sits at 4,500 feet in elevation. And in fact it has proved to be that, with many world records set there.
Does that mean that the Richmond Oval, the first such facility to sit essentially at sea level, will be the world's slowest ice? Only time will tell.
Meantime, if you want to see the building for yourself, it's easy to find. The Oval sits on River Road, between the No. 2 Road and Dinsmore bridges, just north of downtown Richmond. It's so large, you can also see it from many high places in the area, including several bridges leading into and out of Vancouver.
It's one of only two Vancouver competition venues still under construction. (A non-competition venue, the massive, glassy, waterfront exhibition centre near Canada Place, which will serve as the International Broadcast Centre for the Games, is still being finished up, as well.)
Organizers, with a $580 million budget, pledged to bring all the sport venues online by this fall, to allow a full winter's testing before the Games. They appear to be meeting that goal. The impressive Thunderbird Winter Sports Centre, a remodeled hockey rink on the University of British Columbia campus on the city's west side, opened its doors on Monday. That building will stage most of the early rounds of ice hockey (more on this soon.)
That leaves only the Oval and the curling venue, which sits next to Nat Bailey Stadium, home of the Vancouver Candians (a Class-A Northwest League affiliate of the Oakland A's) adjacent to Queen Elizabeth Park, still under construction. With just a cursory look, it appears Vancouver will boast facilities on par with, and in many ways superior to, many that we've seen at other recent, successful Winter Games.
Note: That's assuming, of course, they roll up their sleeves and spiff up the outdated B.C. Place domed stadium, home of the opening and closing ceremonies, AND give some kind of an external makeover to the figure-skating venue, Pacific Coliseum, which at present still looks distinctively like a water-storage tank. Bottom line: So far, so good for VANOC.
Since you asked: After the Games, the Richmond Oval will be a community "sports and wellness" center, and all that space will be put to good use. In fact, this is one Olympic venue that's likely to shine more brightly after the Games than druing them. The impressive future sports fieldhouse will be divided into three areas, housing two Olympic-sized ice rinks, a massive hardwood floor capable of hosting eight (!) multiple court sports, such as basketball games, simultaneously, a rubberized turf field for soccer and other sports, a walking track, a 320-meter walking track and a 200-meter indoor running track. All at once. And, of course, the space can be reconfigured for speedskating, when called for.
Parking? Plenty, all underground. The entire lower floor is parking garage.
The building also will be home to various community health programs, sports medicine training, a fitness center, retail space and other amenities. It will even have a paddling center, with ergo machines and current-equipped pools. In other words: Massive amounts of dry, indoor space for all the stuff you don't want to do outside in a soggy Vancouver winter.
Some of you may recall an earlier plan to build a speedskating oval at Simon Fraser University. That one went by-by when construction estimates kept increasing, and VANOC didn't want to foot the entire, escalating bill. Richmond stepped in with a bigger, more expensive package. VANOC's contribution was capped, and the remaining $118 million or so came from casino revenues, developer fees for adjacent projects along the city's riverfront, and other non-tax sources.
Here's an idea: How about scooping up the various taxes proposed for a new arena for lazy, rich NBA players on a non-existing Seattle basketball team and use them to build something useful, like this, at Seattle Center instead? It's a bargain at half the price, and something ordinary taxpayers might actually use.
More data on the Richmond Oval can be found on the city of Richmond's Web site:
www.richmond.ca/discover/events/oval/oval.htm
Construction photos: Ron Judd/Seattle Times
Conceptual drawings: City of Richmond, B.C.
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Post by number1fan on Jul 27, 2008 19:13:01 GMT -5
Figure Skating and Short Track Speedskating Venue
www.vancouver2010.com/en/WinterGames/2010GamesVenues/Competition/PC
Pacific Coliseum
Location: Hastings Park, Vancouver
Distance from Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Village: 6.2 km
Venue Capacity: 14,239
Elevation: 26
Venue Description
The Pacific Coliseum at Hastings Park is at the core of one of the city’s major event sites, only 15 minutes from the Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Village. As home to an annual fair that attracts up to 60,000 people a day, this site is very well-served by public transport.
Construction Update
The upgrades to Hastings Park are part of long-term restoration plans that began in 1994. Structural and cosmetic renovations will revitalize the Pacific Coliseum to address Games and community needs. The replacement of nearly 16,000 seats at the Coliseum and the expansion of the ice surface to international size have been completed. The balance of the building and technical changes for the Coliseum include ice plant improvements and upgrades to washroom facilities, concession space, building heating ventilation air conditioning (HVAC) and dehumidification systems. All upgrades are scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2008.
Post-Games Use
As the largest building within the Hastings Park complex, the Pacific Coliseum will continue to serve as a venue for diverse events such as ice shows, boxing, basketball, hockey, concerts, large assemblies, and trade and consumer shows.
Virtual Tour (before 2010 construction updates)
www.pne.ca/venuerental/tours/fullscreen1/click.htm
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Post by number1fan on Aug 2, 2008 3:54:51 GMT -5
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Post by number1fan on Aug 25, 2008 3:38:19 GMT -5
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Post by mtnme on Aug 25, 2008 3:47:01 GMT -5
Great article on Vancouver's jammin' to get the venues done before 2010. Below is a mention of the 'test drive' for the ST venue for World Cup in October! And of course, an Apolo mention. (and I corrected the mispell of his name....again! LOL) Woohoo! "a matter of weeks!" ____________________________________________________ seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/ronjudd/2008136178_olyjudd25.html.... As promised when Vancouver won the Games bid in 2005, every venue will be available for a full year of winter-sports testing at a world-class level in advance of the Games.
That winter actually begins in just a matter of weeks, when a short-track speedskating test race is scheduled for the remodeled Pacific Coliseum and could include Seattle's Apolo Ohno. No other Olympic host city has ever had such a work-out-the-bugs opportunity..... |
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Post by toehold4 on Aug 25, 2008 21:27:27 GMT -5
You can vote on this site for which Winter Olympic sport you want to watch in 2010...We need to vote up Speedskating to hopefully get more TV coverage! |
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Post by *^padfoot^* on Aug 27, 2008 2:45:48 GMT -5
After my mother asked for Michael Phelps...she was like...what happend to the cute skater? I started to laugh...she obviously forgot he was on dwts...then she remembered! she's adorable...i told her i'd keep her updated! I can't wait to get some speed sktr eye candy!
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Post by number1fan on Aug 28, 2008 2:01:02 GMT -5
mtnme...dem canadians sho' got their stuff together don't they?
toehold...good idea! we should all cast our numerous votes for speedskating!
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Post by aaosmts19 on Aug 28, 2008 19:02:52 GMT -5
I just voted. Current results are:
What event are you looking forward to in Vancouver in 2010?
1. Figure skating 32%
2. Men's hockey 17%
3. Speed skating 16%
4. Snowboarding 15%
5. Bobsled 9%
6. Alpine skiing 7%
7. Skeleton 3%
Thanks for voting!
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Post by number1fan on Aug 28, 2008 19:08:36 GMT -5
great!
speedskating has gone up 2% ...14 -> 16% in 2 days!
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Post by number1fan on Aug 30, 2008 15:45:40 GMT -5
WOW! 
i just went to vote for speedskating and here's what i found:
Poll
What event are you looking forward to in Vancouver in 2010?
1. Speed skating 30%
2. Figure skating 27%
3. Men's hockey 14%
4. Snowboarding 13%
5. Bobsled 8%
6. Alpine skiing 6%
7. Skeleton 2%
i know the aj.com'ers are voting like crazy...thank you!
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Post by aaosmts19 on Sept 9, 2008 11:50:33 GMT -5
uss is getting the word out. I just received this email from pkinder@usspeedskating.org: Okay Speedskaters, We have been challenged (see below)! NBC has a poll on their Olympic website that won't be up long asking what events you are looking forward to viewing from the 2010 Olympic Games. The answer is speedskating. Let's get everyone out to vote on the NBC website. Forward this to your family and friends to vote today. Do not delay! www.nbcolympics.com/vancouver2010/news/newsid=161427.html Bob Crowley Executive Director US Speedskating bcrowley@usspeedskating.org 801-417-5360 From: U.S. Figure Skating Sent: Monday, September 08, 2008 5:59 PM Subject: Vote for Figure Skating Dear U.S. Figure Skating Member: NBC currently has a poll up on their Olympic sports page asking fans to vote on what sport they are looking forward to watching most during the 2010 Games. We (U.S. Figure Skating) would love to be on top when this poll has concluded. The poll will not be up for long, so if you want to support the sport of figure skating, click on the link below and place your vote today. www.nbcolympics.com/vancouver2010/news/newsid=161427.html Make sure to tell all of your skating friends to get out and vote.let's see if we can catch speed skating which is currently in the lead! Thanks in advance for your support, U.S. Figure Skating --------------------------------------- BUT HOLY COW!!!! WHAT HAPPENED? LOOK AT THESE RESULTS.It makes you wonder if someone isn't stuffing the ballot box with an automatic software that just keeps pushing the snowboarding button. What event are you looking forward to in Vancouver in 2010? 1. Snowboarding 79% 2. Figure skating 13% 3. Speed skating 6% 4. Men's hockey 1% 5. Bobsled 1% 6. Alpine skiing 0% 7. Skeleton 0% |
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Post by avln546 on Sept 9, 2008 12:53:39 GMT -5
Hmmm, looks a little lopsided doesn't it? Cmon Apolo sistas! Start voting for the most important Olympic sport!  |
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~Lori
