Thursday, February 21, 2002

Remote Control

By ROB BRODIE -- Ottawa Sun
 As the clock wound down on the biggest Olympic hockey upset in years, Harry Neale offered up a rather timely thought.

 "Do you believe in miracles?" Neale asked his broadcast partner, Chris Cuthbert, as lowly Belarus closed in on a shocking win over powerful Sweden that wrapped up on CBC and TSN yesterday.

 "Didn't someone once say that at the Olympics?"

 Twenty-two years ago in tiny Lake Placid, N.Y., to be exact, when an upstart group of Americans stunned the powerful Soviet hockey machine in a game that became known as the 'Miracle On Ice.'

 ABC's Al Michaels became associated with the moment forever with his famous game-ending call: "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!"

 Ironic, wasn't it, that the 'Miracle of Minsk' -- as Cuthbert proclaimed yesterday's shocker -- would also happen on U.S. soil.

 At a Winter Games led off by the 1980 U.S. gang lighting the Olympic torch.

 Funny, too, considering all of that, how a lot of commentators immediately rushed to proclaim the Belarus victory perhaps the greatest Olympic hockey upset of all time.

 In Minsk and Stockholm, maybe so.

 But on this side of the world ... let's just say some folks' memories came up just a little bit short.

 HIGHS: Neale helped out many a headline writer yesterday with this play off the Belarus hero's last name: "He's A-Mezin." ... Didn't know whether to marvel or cringe by the end of Don Wittman's post-match interview with Canadian curler Kelley Law after her startling semi-final loss to Great Britain. Law sounded on the verge of tears by the end of the brief session. "Mercifully, that's over," said CBC daytime host Ron MacLean ... You watch Ottawa freestyle skier Jeff Bean show not a hint of whine as he discussed barely missing out on an aerials medal with CBC's Terry Leibel late Tuesday night, and one thought rushes to mind: Total class act. He can be on my Olympic team any time.

 LOWS: After rolling in the ratings with Team Canada hockey so far, CBC drew two not-so-appealing cards: A 10:15 p.m. quarter-final last night, and a potential semi-final with Belarus on a Friday afternoon. All will be forgotten, though, if Canada gets to the gold-medal game Sunday afternoon. That would be huge.

 QUOTABLE: "Get (Mezin) up on your shoulders. He won the game for you." -- CBC's Neale, to Belarus players after their huge win

 TODAY'S BEST BET: Women's hockey, gold-medal game, Canada vs. U.S. Finally, the only game that matters has arrived.

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2002 Games News Coverage