Let The Winter Games Begin

The XXI Winter Olympics begin tonight in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada, with the first indoor Olympic opening ceremony in history. I'm looking for Vancouver's own Bryan Adams to perform there, as has been rumored.

A good deal of media attention has been placed on skier Lindsey Vonn, who recently injured her shin in practice and is hoping to compete in her first event, the women's combined downhill. Scheduled for Sunday, the same weather that's given Vancouver mild, springlike temperatures and also made the slopes outside town too wet for skiing has caused it to be delayed. This is good news for Vonn, who is still nursing her injury and now gets more time to recovery.

The Games are also under a pall more troubling then the rainclouds after the accidental death of Georgian luge sledder Nodar Kumaritashvili, who was killed in a practice run on what is considered the fastest luge track in the world and has caused concern among other lugers. This is a very regrettable turn of events.

There'll be plenty of time for me to offer my usual mix of criticism, complaint, satire and abuse in my Olympic commentary over the next sixteen days. But not now. Not today.

I'll be commenting on other news and events in addition to the Winter Olympics for the rest of the month. But I look forward to the competition ahead.