A day after the Lamoureux twins came up just short of winning gold at the Winter Olympics, Herald Publisher/Editor Mike Jacobs brought out our gold medal.
The Pulitzer Prize awards a gold medal, which we won for coverage of the 1997 flood. Our gold medal is significantly smaller than the Olympic medals, which are so gargantuan that they could double as bulletproof vests.
The timing was right for Herald newsroom members to once again touch the medal. For one thing, interest is high in the Winter Olympics with all of the local connections -- Monique and Jocelyne Lamoureux of Grand Forks, Warroad's Gigi Marvin and former UND hockey players Zach Parise and Jonathan Toews.
Second, it was a reminder to gear up for covering this spring's looming flood. Add in that the newspaper business has seen brighter days and that a loaded shotgun recently was found in our building, sending genuine shivers through the office, and the time was ripe to talk about something more pleasant ...
... like winning a gold medal.
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Reminisces included how we celebrated our gold medal. It was basically the same way the Canadian women celebrated their medal, with perhaps some equally inappropriate behavior. The difference was that our party wasn't held at Ralph Engelstad Arena nor along DeMers Avenue. We went to The Hub downtown, a more fitting, private place than the Canadian puckheads chose.
The Canadian Girls Gone Wild, of course, are taking heat for returning to the ice from their locker room with champagne, beer and cigars after defeating the Lamoureux girls and teammates for the gold medal. One Canadian player even tried driving the Zamboni, which undoubtedly left Denny Gunderson aghast.
"I don't think it's a good promotion of sport values," said Gilbert Felli, top dog of the International Olympic Committee. "If they celebrate in the changing room, that's one thing, but not in public."
I'm guessing the USA team wouldn't have celebrated with tea and milkshakes if they had won gold. But if they had partied on the Vancouver ice sheet, they would have been stoned -- with the stones coming from the curling venue.
Joy -- even more than anger -- makes us do stupid things. So, too, does a sense of relief. The Canadian players no doubt felt both after prevailing in their country's top sport on their country's soil. They were under enormous pressure, especially after their male counterparts lost to Team USA and after so much else had gone wrong in Vancouver, from the opening ceremony's flame to the tropical temperatures.
Canada's stated goal was to win the country medal race. "Own the Podium" was the slogan. Well, they own it, but the USA and Germany are leasing most of the space.
So, even though their on-ice partying wasn't smart, forgive them because giddiness dulls the brain.
And if the USA men's team wins gold, here's some advice: Celebrate at The Hub.
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Reach Bakken at (701) 780-1125; (800) 477-6572, ext. 125; or send e-mail to rbakken@gfherald.com .
