Vantastic Voyage

One of the biggest logistical issues for Americans at these Olympics might have been where to watch Sunday's U.S.- Canada hockey game. Granted, Canadians are a friendly bunch, but when it comes to hockey, they are as passionate as Pakistanis are about cricket. So it was no small task deciding where we were going to watch "The Game."

We didn't want to be the only group in the place cheering for the Americans. But we also didn't want to be in an Americans-only crowd. Our choices were further limited because we weren't able to look for a place to watch the game until about 20 minutes before the puck dropped. At that point, we figured any good venue would be more crowded than our hostel rooms with two weeks worth of laundry scattered about the -20 square feet of floor space.

In a moment of genius, someone suggested we head back to the main media center, where we had previously been with our class on a tour. With credentials still in hand, we jetted back to the Vancouver Convention Center, found the media bar and sidled up.

Not only did we have a large flat-screen TV to ourselves, but we had access to a relatively cheap bar and the well wishes of some Swedish media members.

After the game, we cautiously walked back to our hostel, keeping an eye out for spontaneous riots. As we expected, however, Canadians took the loss rather well. But if Canada falls short of a medal, the streets may not be as calm.

--- IAN CROPP.