What was the lowpoint of British journalism at the Vancouver Olympics?
 

During the Vancouver Olympics, British media outlets were intent on smearing the Winter Games - and by extension their hosts in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Canada. For many, the low point may have been when the Guardian's Lawrence Donegan referred to them as the "Worst Games Ever." But a downpour of other insults and attacks became the calling card of the UK press.

Didn't he proclaim this before the games even really started :P?

The British media has been despicable, not that that is much different from business as usual.

At least the Russians had good reason to be bitter!

this is typical of the british press so don't really care

lets break off from the brits and join the usa... they like us!

As much as the Brit press was bang out of order, to use a Britisism, I do agree with the view of Vancouver being able to learn how to be a true city by looking at London, with night life, culture, better transit and dare I say it, fun. These same sentiments are echoed here in the Metro:

http://www.metronews.ca/vancouver/commen...-learn-from-london-s-world-class-insight

It is of course a matter of perspective and not really a fair comparison. 2,000 year old former Roman trading town with a city proper population of 7 million vs 130 year old former logging town of 600,000. Moreover, you'd be hard pressed to find parks, beaches and mountains and the breadth of outdoor pursuits, that we enjoy here, in London.

But, we do need to loosen up. We will never be London, but the city's natural setting has allowed the place to get lazy as far as creating a true world class city.

hmm to me the low point of the British articles is the fact that some people are still dwelling on them a week after the best winter games have ended.
Let's move past it and wish London all the success in the world, same with Sochi.

This. Who cares.

I vote for all of the above.


Anyone remember the Russian "news" clip with that anchor interviewing a "journalist" through a webcam from his kitchen?

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Frankly the fact so many people focus on this is embarrassing. Any truly world-class city, and it's citizens, would have thick enough skins to shrug off negativity because they already know themselves that they are above that.

And any World class city shouldn't feel the need to tear others down, to prove its superiority :P

It works both ways. And they're both equally as full of it.

Anyways, I don't think many people REALLY are up in arms caring about it. Not more so than anything else...

Someone looking to start a business in Vancouver won't be worried that we are a little upset that the British press had bad things to say.

"Why, I thought Vancouver was a nice city... UNTIL THAT!"

There seems to be a lot of concern with the people in Vancouver about being a "World class" city and what a "World class" city and its residents would do. More than enough to probably prove we aren't :P

There were too many to mention.

It really drove home for me how silly it is for us to be tied to such a declining nation, with the strings in the form of the monarchy. I encourage everyone to weigh in on that here:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=175673

Maybe I need to start a Facebook group, but then I'd have to join Facebook first :P

Well, at least the British didn't call Canada a Nazi Nation, like Gil LeBreton did:

http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/02/28/2003874/in-these-olympics-canadians-only.html

And then try to pull a lame 'apology' like this:

http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/03/01/2006364/dont-let-the-games-message-be.html

Followed up by a real apology by the publisher:

http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/03/05/2017793/star-telegram-publisher-apologizes.html

I know this article has been mentioned elsewhere on the board. As usual, the comment sections of these articles really bring the controversy to life.

Ohh yes, I quite enjoyed that article :P And his apology, saying he didn't mean to compare us to the Nazi's, you know, politically... ;)

I still chuckle at the fact an American was seemingly startled by our Canadian patriotism. I mean, in the Southern USA with a flag on every porch, a bible in every drawer, a gun in every closet...

I wish London 2012 all the success in the world, but when the UK press continues to publish hostile and factually incorrect articles about our Games, we have every right to defend ourselves.

Apparently the hacks on Fleet Street never got the memo telling them that Canada is no longer comprised of apologists, monarchists, and those whose dream for Canada is to be a lapdog for Britain.

Gil Lebreton deserved a rebuttal from the Cdn public, and so does the UK press.

Heil Crosby!

These are my thoughts. Vancouver put on the Olympics to have a good time, not to prove to London that we are a world class city. Vancouver did not go out of their way before the games started to say "Hey london! We are better than you!" Yet, that is how the British Press has reacted to our games and they feel the need to keep pointing out that, "NO Vancouver! You are not better than us!" and feel they need to criticize Canada in as many ways as possible. IMO, they just sound like the jealous angry kid from school who puts down the new kid in class because he is more popular than him, if you get my idea.

And the North American papers are so saintly and above the British.

BTW, you'll note that one of the UK articles (Vancouver's Olympics are heading for disaster) was written by none other than a Vancouverite.

Back to reading my Economist and Guardian.

^Which begs the question - can anyone write for The Guardian these days?

It seems like most of their articles are from a loose network of fresh-out-journalism school bloggers, and half of those are East Van activist wannabes of the "what are we protesting today" variety.

indeed. What is silly is for a very grown up city like London to smirk and look down it's nose at a fledgling city like Vancouver. The reality is, as anyone knows who lives anywhere else in the UK, London looks down at everyone there too - I used to detest hearing about London when I lived there. And if Vancouver is compared to most other cities in the UK, such as Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, etc, we truly shine and the UK knows it.

Moreover, what we lack in history and culture we make up for in bountiful surroundings. We will get more culture eventually, we'll develop transit, we will loosen up and allow for a more 'organic' night life. But London will never have skiing, lakes, beaches and Mountains.

Where are the links to all these articles?

The British may just be negative by nature, when Edmonton was in the world spotlight, you would think the reporters were like kids on Christmas Day with so many negatives to report on that they could hardly contain themselves. We got glowing reviews from everywhere else. As far as I'm concerned the British are just jealous... Canadians have healthier and better looking teeth.