Sure, now you start scoring big goals.
WORLD BEATER
Zhamnov, the erstwhile Blackhawks whipping boy, scored a go-ahead goal late in the second period of Russia’s 7-4 victory over Finland on Friday and assisted on the first of Pavel Bure’s five goals as the Russians advanced to a gold-medal showdown against the Czech Republic.
Earlier in the Olympic tournament, Zhamnov had a game-winning goal against, of all people, Dominik Hasek.
If we were Hawks coach Craig Hartsburg, we would put Zhamnov on a diet of sushi and rice the minute he gets home.
REMOTE CONTROL
Nobody in North America can be too thrilled with the debut of U.S. and Canadian NHL players in the Olympics. Maybe it was a good thing that nearly all of the action took place while most people were sleeping.
CBS gets Russia-Czech Republic in its last remaining Olympic showcase event, Canada has to settle for a chance at a bronze medal and the U.S. can only hope that the 50-meter fire-extinguisher toss becomes a medal sport in the next Olympics.
YANKEE GO HOME
How much trouble are visitors having with the Japanese language in Nagano? Well, one member of the press who was trying to catch a bus to the Yamaginachi Media Village asked the driver if he was going to the “Don Ameche Village.”
THE NICE ITEM
Chicago’s Nicole Bobek endured a nightmarish performance in Friday’s women’s free skate, falling or stepping out of most of her jumps and winding up in 17th place.
But she handled the disaster with a dignity you wouldn’t expect to find in a 20-year-old whose dreams had just been shattered on the world’s biggest stage. Bobek might consider changing her musical selection to that Chumbawamba song–she got knocked down, she got up again, and you’re never gonna keep her down.
After meeting with the media, she had a request: “Write something nice.”
OK, fine. So here it is: Holding your head high in failure is in many ways the biggest victory of all. Nice job, Nicole.
