Did the Canadian Hockeycelebration go too far?

This is the title of an article posted on NBC that reports how the Women’s Canadian hockey team is receiving a lot of criticism on how they chose to celebrate after winning the gold. Apparently, a half-hour after the team won the match against the U.S. and became Olympic Champions, the team decided to go back onto the ice and celebrate by smoking cigars and drinking champagne and beer. There was also reports and criticism about under-age drinking (Poulin, age 19), even though there are a lot of Canadian cities that allow minors 18 years or older to drink. Their actions have prompted the Hockey Association of Canada to issue a quick apology stating that they regret causing any embarrassment. An investigation will be in progress by the IOC on the situation.

While reading this article, I was completely shocked and upset. I was shocked that this situation caused such a big scandal and provoked media attention, and I was angered at how the team was made to feel embarrassed by their actions and apologize. Why should they have to apologize? They just won the Olympics and became the three-time winning champions. Are Olympic winners not allowed to celebrate afterwards or just women? Is this what we believe in as a society? If so then they need to put that into the Olympic clause so that we can be clear: Men are allowed to celebrate, women cannot. I think this whole idea is utterly ridiculous and a clear example of the type of patriarchal society we live in. Had this whole situation happened to men, this would not have been a big deal. Also, the matter with Poulin, the 19 year-old drinker, I think it is silly as well. Where she comes from, she is of the drinking age! Who cares if Vancouver has different rules about such things? She was not in a bar buying beer which can be considered illegal, but on the ice with the rest of her teammates. This is an international competition where everyone comes from different countries and cities and in hers, it’s perfectly accepted. I would like to re-state my main point about this article, it is an outrage.

If you would like to see a link about this article its: http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-features/news/newsid=448672.html

Devyne Dawson, Kin338I TuTh:9:30-10:45

Celebration Criticism

More controversy at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics when the Canadian women's hockey team began celebrating their win in the gold medal match vs. the USA by swigging beer and smoking cigars on the ice. Reports say the girls lingered on the ice for more than 70 minutes after the game. The drinking age in British Columbia is 19 and some of the girls participating in the celebration were only 18. 

Here is the article:  http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/IOC-to-investigate-Canadian-women-s-hockey-team-;_ylt=Aneo_digkJ.vioZE7O5WbM1otLV_?urn=oly,224338

When I first read the headline for the article I was a little angry and it brought back memories of when Brandi Chastain was scolded in the media for her post game celebration after winning the world cup. I thought this was another article about how the celebration of these women was not appropriate for their gender. Then I took a look at the slideshow provided in the article and as the famous saying goes... A picture is worth a thousand words. 

The girls are all over the place and it just looks like a sorority party on ice. I know that champaign and cigars are common celebratory means but maybe I'm just used to seeing them in the locker room after the game and not directly on the ice. Im all for an outright celebration after accomplishing something so monumental especially under their circumstances of being on home ice, playing the sport their country invented, I just think they could have do so with more tact. 

Anyone else with thoughts on the subject?