~STORY OF THE WEEK~CANADA TAKES HOCKEY GOLD

There was no chance that the Very Rev. Glenn Dion would change the time of his 12:30 Sunday Mass at Holy Rosary Cathedral, a couple of blocks from the site of Sunday’s Olympic gold medal hockey game between Canada and the United States. Well aware of the game’s 12:15 start time, Father Dion said: “We have seven Masses on Sunday, and we don’t cancel any of them. Not even for a hockey game.” Then he made a confession. The 11 o’clock Mass would be shorter than usual, he told a full congregation, some wearing Team Canada clothes and one boy wrapped in a Canadian flag. “I’ll try to get you out of here so you can get yourself in front of a TV,” Father Dion said, before offering a prayer for “the good fellows soon to start playing for the gold.” The depth and breadth of hockey’s place in Canadian culture can be hard to fathom beyond the borders. But it now might be heard, echoing from the north, thanks to a 3-2 overtime victory over the United States in the final event of the 2010 Winter Olympics. (NY Times)

BOBSLEDDING GOLD

The sports switch did not worry Steve Holcomb. When his son, Steven, changed winter sports allegiances from Alpine skiing to bobsled, he knew both were inherently dangerous and vastly time consuming and offered little return. It was the timing that irked Steve Holcomb. Holcomb had just sent a tuition check to the University of Utah shortly before Steven made the decision. With a shrug, Steven told his father he was leaving for Europe the next day to fuel a passion and chase a dream. Then, Steve Holcomb fumed. Now? “Probably a good investment,” Holcomb said, watching his son compete from near the finish line at the Whistler Sliding Centre. “It was money well spent, poorly.” On Saturday, long after bequeathing what turned out to be a friendly donation to the college, Steven Holcomb can offer a refund in gold. Holcomb piloted USA-1 to the first gold medal for the United States in the four-man competition in 62 years. Patrick Henry Martin last won gold for the United States, at the St. Moritz Games in 1948. Martin’s win capped an American run of three gold medals in four Olympics, a feat unmatched until USA-1 revitalized itself and reappeared on Saturday. The medal, and another from the men’s hockey final, means the United States will leave with 37, the most by a country at a single Winter Olympics. (NY Times)

OHNO DISQUALIFIED, BLAMES REF

Over the past two weeks, Apolo Ohno danced with danger, evading crashes, employing strategy and adding two Winter Olympics medals to the most expansive collection in United States history. Sometimes he seemed forever fortunate. That ended Friday night at Pacific Coliseum with Ohno’s disqualification in short-track speedskating’s 500-meter race. On the final turn, Ohno bumped the Canadian Francois-Louis Tremblay, sending him skidding into the padding. For this, Ohno earned a DQ instead of his eighth Olympic medal. As Ohno practically sprinted through the mixed zone, he reminded reporters he had “one chance left.” It came in the 5,000-meter relay, a race that Ohno later anchored and helped the United States to bronze. At the end of his third and most likely final Winter Olympics, Ohno’s tally was complete: one silver and two bronze here, eight medals, his lucky number, over all. Afterward, he lingered on the ice, toting an American flag. He hugged his coach and pointed to the stands. Ohno’s improbable ride, one that started in Salt Lake City in 2002 and continued in Turin four years later, had the full-circle ending he had long envisioned, even if the medals were not exactly the color for which he hoped. “This has been the best experience of my life,” Ohno said. In classic fashion, his final individual race was tinged with controversy. In a postrace interview on NBC, Ohno indicated that a Canadian judge had ruled in favor of Canadian skaters (besides Tremblay, Charles Hamelin, who was not involved in the crash, won gold). In later interviews, Ohno tried to be a good sportsman, but occasionally he revealed his feelings. He said that “the judge saw something we didn’t see,” that “I thought I had the sliver” and that the contact was “nothing like they were saying.” But Ohno also kept coming back to a central point. “It doesn’t matter what I think,” he said. “It’s out of my control.” (NY Times)

CANADA DEFEATS AMERICA TO TAKE WOMAN'S GOLD ON THE RINK

he U.S. women's hockey team was hoping the pressure of playing at home would weigh too heavily on its Canadian opponents in Thursday's gold-medal game. Instead, a capacity crowd at Canada Hockey Place that included Wayne Gretzky and actor Michael J. Fox, paired with a superhuman effort by Canadian goaltender Shannon Szabados, lifted Team Canada to its third consecutive Olympic gold medal. Canada's 2-0 victory gave the hockey-crazed Olympic host country its most treasured medal to date in this Games. That precious gold came at the expense of a U.S. women's team looking to reverse its Olympic fortunes. (USA Today)

BUCKS SURGING TOWARDS PLAYOFFS

John Salmons scored 20 points, and Brandon Jennings had 18 points and seven assists to help the Milwaukee Bucks win their fifth straight game, 112-110 over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night. Andrew Bogut added 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks, 29-28 overall and 3-0 against the Pacers this season. Danny Granger had 21 points, and T.J. Ford added 17 for Indiana. The Pacers have dropped three straight and seven of eight to fall to 19-39. Milwaukee had a 16-point lead in the third quarter, but Troy Murphy's 3-pointer cut it to 103-97 with 4 minutes left in the game. Following Jennings' 3, the Pacers got six straight points from Ford and Murphy to pull to 106-103. Earl Watson's basket for Indiana made it 108-106 with 31 seconds left, but Salmons answered with a pair of free throws to push the lead back to four. Granger converted two free throws with 10 seconds left, and Jennings made a pair for Milwaukee. Ford was fouled shooting a 3 with 1.5 seconds left. He made the first two and intentionally missed the third. The first half featured nine ties and seven lead changes and neither team led by more than seven points. (San Luis Obispo)

SWITZERLAND STAYS IN RACE
SWISS TEAM TO REMATCH AMERICA AFTER OVERTIME WIN OVER BELARUS
After Switzerland beat Belarus, 3-2, in a shootout Tuesday, the Swiss quickly turned their attention to a quarterfinal match against the United States on Wednesday. “We’re going to have to play perfect,” Switzerland forward Hnat Domenichelli said, looking ahead to the rematch of last week’s tough 3-1 American victory. The Swiss goalie Jonas Hiller, who stopped 20 shots and then two shooters in the shootout, said: “We have shown that we can play with the Americans. We’re going to have to play the same way against them.” In a later match Canada overwhelmed Germany, 8-2, to advance to a quarterfinal meeting with Russia on Wednesday. Belarus’s loss was a cruel way to go out of the tournament. After 60 minutes of regulation and 10 minutes of overtime, the first two Swiss shooters, Thomas Deruns and Romano Lemm, beat Belarus goalie Andrei Mezin, who stopped 40 shots. Dmitri Meleshko got one back by scoring on Hiller. But when Hiller stopped Sergei Kostitsyn on the final shot, Switzerland went through to the quarterfinals. Domenichelli laid out tactical pointers for his team against the United States. “We’ll need three guys back every time,” he said. “The first 10 or 15 minutes, they’re going to try to push us out of the rink. I’m going to encourage our guys to fight and hang in there.” (NY Times)

CANADA TAKES ICE SKATING GOLD IN MOMENT TO REMEMBER

In front of a packed Pacific Coliseum, filled with thousands of their countrymen and hundreds of Canadian flags, it took about four minutes Monday for the ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir to make history. With breathtaking, seamless moves that made them appear to be floating, Virtue, 20, and Moir, 22, won the free dance to clinch the first gold medal in ice dancing for a non-European team. As they waited for the scores, cheers of “Can-a-da!” filled the arena. And when their scores appeared, both crowd and the couple were pleased. Virtue and Moir received 110.42 points for their effort, more than 6 points better than their season’s best. Their final score was 221.57. Coming into this event, Russians had won all but two Olympic gold medals in this sport since its Winter Games debut in 1976. But on Monday, the North Americans took over. The American team of Meryl Davis and Charlie White, two juniors at the University of Michigan, won the silver, with 107.19 points in the free dance and 215.74 points over all. (NY Times)

~STORY OF THE WEEK~TEAM USA STUNS CANADA!

It is one thing to beat Canada at women's moguls, and to dominate the medals table while collecting snowboard and short-track baubles. It is quite another to manage what the U.S. hockey team accomplished Sunday night, to defeat Canada for the first time in half a century at the Olympics, in their own backyard, at the one thing they hold dearer than their public health system. This is heresy, which makes it all the more delicious. "I wish every game was like this," U.S. defenseman Jack Johnson said after the undefeated, Group-A champions from America had upset Canada, 5-3 - sending the home guys spiraling down into a qualifying play-in game against Germany and into unpleasant brackets from which they may never emerge. (NY Daily News)

OHNO BREAKS MEDAL RECORD

As Apolo Ohno skated slowly around the rink at Pacific Coliseum, he held both the American flag and seven fingers above his head. The fingers represented the seven medals Ohno has now won in three Olympics, the most of any American winter athlete. He secured his latest medal late Saturday, capturing the bronze in short -track speedskating’s 1,000-meter race. It marked Ohno’s second medal of these Olympics and made him what the United States Olympic Committee described as the “most decorated” American Winter Olympian of all time. (The bedazzled figure skater Johnny Weir might disagree.) “It feels amazing,” Ohno said. “In our sport, it’s crazy to win one medal, for any athlete.” In the first row sat someone who knows something about medals, about racing and winning and thrusting both arms skyward after the finish. That someone was Michael Phelps, the swimming sensation, and he applauded Ohno’s historic finish. (NY Times)

DURANT SPOILS T-MAC'S DEBUT

Old legs or not, Tracy McGrady did everything possible to carry the new-look New York Knicks in the debut for his new team, but Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant ruined T-Mac’s return to the NBA as the Thunder won in overtime, 121-118. Former Longhorn Durant drained a three-pointer with six second remaining in regulation, helping to lift the Thunder to a three-point OT victory with 36 points, five rebounds and three assists. “We knew there was going to be a lot of energy in the building with Tracy McGrady coming in,” Durant told ESPN following Saturday’s victory for the Thunder. “He played phenomenal. He’s back. He played well, but I’ll take the win.”

LYSACEK STUNS WORLD; WINS GOLD MEDAL AFTER LONG WAIT

On what was perhaps the longest night of his life, Evan Lysacek had to wait. He had to wait for his scores in the men’s figure skating long program on Thursday at the Vancouver Games. Then he had to wait for five other skaters — including two former world champions — to compete. In the end, nearly 60 minutes ticked by until Lysacek would learn if the Olympic gold medal was his. And, as it turned out, that wait was worth it. Lysacek, 24, from Naperville, Ill., edged Russia’s Yevgeny Plushenko — the defending Olympic champion — to win the Winter Games gold medal, becoming the first American man to win the Olympic title in 22 years. The last American man to do so was Brian Boitano in 1988. Lysacek broke an 18-year streak of Russian domination in this event, winning with a score of 257.67 points overall. Plushenko, who had come out of retirement to compete at these Games, had 256.36 points, which was good enough for the silver. Japan’s Daisuke Takahashi, the four-time Japanese national champion, won the bronze, with 247.23. (NY Times)

LINDSAY VONN TAKES GOLD
Despite a bruised shin that almost took her out of the running, American skier Lindsey Vonn took home the gold last night in the women’s downhill competition at the Winter Olympic games. “I gave up everything for this. It means everything to me … It’s awesome,” she said. (Buzz Gloss)

SCOTTISH TERRIER TAKES TITLE

A Scottish terrier named Sadie, the overwhelming favorite, was chosen the best in show Tuesday night at the 134th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. She became the eighth Scottie to win the championship. Sadie, who is 4 years old, emerged from a seven-dog field that also featured a Brittany, a toy poodle, a whippet, a French bulldog, a puli and a Doberman pinscher. No choice could have been as surprising as last year’s. Stump, a 10-year-old Sussex spaniel, had retired four years earlier after a serious illness nearly killed him. His handler decided to bring him to New York at nearly the last minute. Sadie won the terrier group earlier Tuesday evening — she was the last group winner chosen during the two-day show — and returned to the stage a few minutes later for the final. After Sadie won her group, her handler, Gabriel Rangel, said, “She was with me all the time.” (New York Times)

US STUNS SWITZERLAND

It was convincing but hardly a blowout, and proof that a team composed mostly of players from European hockey leagues is more than a challenge for a group of elite N.H.L. players and that Team USA is a real contender for an Olympic medal. The United States had its hands full for much of the men’s tournament opener Tuesday but finally emerged a 3-1 winner over Switzerland, a team usually ranked as the sixth best in Europe. “The first 10 minutes, they came hard and we had to gut-check,” said David Backes of the St. Louis Blues, who scored the second American goal on a brilliant rush while playing most of the game with a bloody nose. “These guys aren’t going to roll over for anyone.” United States Coach Ron Wilson added: “It was a good start. Some of the younger players seemed a little tight and nervous.” The first 27 minutes were evenly matched, and the Americans led by 2-0 only because of great individual-effort goals from Bobby Ryan of Anaheim and Backes. Ryan scored unassisted with 1 minute 1 second left in the first period after cleverly outdueling the Swiss defenseman Thierry Paterlini from his knees for a loose puck along the boards. The puck bounced off a group of players in front and fell to Ryan in the high slot. He snapped a shot over the right shoulder of goalie Jonas Hiller, an Anaheim teammate of Ryan’s, to put the Americans in front. Backes scored in the second period, also unassisted, on a Bobby Orr-like rink-length dash. Picking up a rebound near his net, Backes accelerated down the left-wing boards and went right around defenseman Yannick Weber, beating Hiller as he cut across the goal mouth. Weber is not a player in the Swiss National League A, as 17 of his Olympic teammates are. He is a Montreal Canadien, one of three N.H.L. players on the Swiss team. Ralph Krueger, the Swiss coach, said he was pleased with his team’s playing “eye to eye” with the Americans. The players from the Swiss league were strong, led by forwards Julien Sprunger of Fribourg-Gotteron and Ivo Ruthemann of S.C. Bern. (NY Times)

EAST WINS ALL STAR BATTLE

Everything's not just bigger in Texas -- it's gigantic, colossal, and don't forget -- humongous. The NBA All-Star Game came to the Lone Star State and a basketball nation broke out as a world-record crowd of 108,713 filled up the futuristic edifice that is Cowboys Stadium to see the East squeeze out a 141-139 win over the West. This was part playground for the planet's most imaginative athletes, part two-man theater for MVP Dwyane Wade and his co-conspirator LeBron James and mostly marvel for the massive, mind-blowing setting. "It was a spectacle," said Hall of Famer Magic Johnson. Indeed, the ancient Romans and their Coliseum had nothing on what Jerry Jones and Mark Cuban served up to a world-wide television audience. "It's a remarkable milestone and a testament to the popularity of our players, to Jerry Jones' tenacity and vision and to Mark Cuban's imagination," said NBA Commissioner David Stern. It was a night to hear a percussion line of dropping jaws hitting the floor at the parade of fancy passes, high-flying dunks and the in-your-face, seven-story close-ups of the celebrities shown on the 160 x 72 foot enormous video screens. "We were doing it the whole game," said Denver's Carmelo Anthony. "When we were on the bench we were just looking around, talking about how many people there were and how excited we were just to be a part of the situation. "We were on the court during free throws, waiting to come back from time-outs, we were looking and we were amazed by everything that was going on." (NBA.com)

GREAT START FOR AMERICA

In a dismal, drizzly evening at Cypress Mountain, Canada failed to pry loose the monkey clinging to the back of its Olympic fortunes. Jennifer Heil, who had been favored to win the women’s mogul skiing competition and become the first Canadian to claim a gold medal on home soil, finished second, behind the American Hannah Kearney. Shannon Bahrke, another American, was third. Kearney’s victory came as a tremendous disappointment to the Canadian fans huddled under umbrellas and shivering in ponchos at the base of the mogul run Saturday, the first full day of competition. It deepened the gloom hovering over the mountain here, where the sun has not shone for days, where the weather has been unseasonably warm and where there has been much more rain than snow. The moguls had to be fashioned out of snow trucked and helicoptered in from higher elevations, and there was bare, muddy earth on either side of the run. Cypress Mountain felt more like the setting for a Gothic movie, in fact, than for a competition that takes place under the lights and where, in keeping with mogul skiing’s freestyle, hot-dogging origins, it is customary to play rock music as the racers come bouncing down the hill. Depressing toothpaste squiggles of slushy snow lined the sides of the roadways. The trees, dark and dripping, were shrouded in mist. As fog blew across the course, there was some concern early in the day that the judges might not to be able to see the start of the run and that the event would have to be postponed. The skiers carried umbrellas as they rode up in the chairlift. (NY Times)

~STORY OF THE WEEK~SOMBER SHOW

DISASTROUS DAY IN CANADA
LUGER DIES & DULL CEREMONY ENDS IN DISAPPOINTMENT
A dead athlete and a dead pillar. After Georgian Luger Nodar Kumaritashvili died in a tragic accident at the hands of a controversial training course in Vancouver, Canada's opening ceremony aired with high expectations to wound broken hearts. The world watched as Canada's endless sharades finally ended with a disasterous technical malfunction. While Canadian heroes held the four olympic torches, minutes of cheezy music rang throughout the stadium as tension grew awkward for the 100,000 fans present. Three of four pillars subsequently rose out of the ground, leaving an awakward design on fire in the middle of the arena. The three and a half hour ceremony, embellished with over-produced, undeniably random and tremendously confusing songs, was decorated with disorganized and made-up aboriginal dances. Although highlighted by an impressive symphony of tap dancing as well as some neat progetiled effects, the show was a monumental dissapointment in following Bejing's epic ceremony two years ago. While most will forget the ceremony and reflect instead on the loss of luger Kamaritashvili, Canada will be forced to live in its shame for years to come.

VONN CRISIS CHANGING EVERYTHING

Lindsey Vonn, the star of the U.S. ski team, is in crisis again at the Olympics. This time, though, her team within a team, the so-called Vonntourage, is ready to roll. From the time Vonn suffered an excruciatingly painful deep tissue bruise on her right shin in a slalom training crash Feb. 2 in Austria, her team of physical and emotional supporters worked around the clock to try to salvage medal opportunities for Vonn, who has been marketed for months as a major star of the Vancouver Games. "It was instant crisis," says Thomas Vonn, her husband, manager and unofficial coach. "When she got hurt, everything changed." (USA Today- Read Full Article)

LINDSAY VONN INJURY DERAILS USA

That long-awaited Lindsey Vonn medal parade on the slopes of Whistler Peak appears in serious eopardy after the U.S. alpine ski star arrived in Vancouver and announced a serious leg bruise that left her barely able to walk -- and off of skis for a week. Vonn, a medal favorite in three events here and a strong contender in another two, had torn up the World Cup circuit earlier this season, at one point posting five consecutive downhill victories. But she injured her leg during a training run after her last World Cup race and has struggled with it ever since, she said on NBC's "Today" show this morning. Vonn called the injury "excruciatingly painful," and conceded it gives her grave doubts about competing, or at least competing effectively, in the 2010 Winter Games that launch Friday.

SAINTS PARADE NEW ORLEANS

The New Orleans Saints have been given a jubilant reception by tens of thousands of fans during a victory parade to mark the team's first NFL championship. New Orleans Saints Many fans credit the Saints with uniting New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina The players tossed beads into the crowd and signed autographs for screaming fans while owner Tom Benson shouted the team's trademark "Who Dat!" chant into a microphone. "Here's to the best Mardi Gras week in the history of this city," head coach Sean Payton said, raising a glass of champagne during a toast outside the city's historic Gallier Hall. The parade, a week before the city's signature Fat Tuesday celebration, started outside the Saints' home ground, the Louisiana Superdome. "How's the 'Who Dat' nation feel tonight?" Saints quarterback and Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Drew Brees yelled to the crowd. "This toast goes out to you. We love you and we won that championship for you." Drew Brees Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees More than a dozen marching bands joined the team on its route, which passed by the edge of the French Quarter and ended at the city's convention centre. Although no official crowd estimates were released, many fans said the gathering seemed larger than any during Mardi Gras. (Sky News)

DENVER DESTROYS DALLAS

Carmelo Anthony scored 19 points in his return from an ankle injury and the Denver Nuggets had their biggest win of the season, routing the Dallas Mavericks 127-91 on Tuesday night. Anthony, the NBA's second-leading scorer, returned after missing eight consecutive games with a left ankle sprain. However, the Nuggets were without Kenyon Martin, who missed the game because of tendinitis in his left knee. The 36-point victory margin against a Dallas team Denver eliminated in last season's semifinal round of the playoffs surpassed the Nuggets' previous high of 28 points, which they achieved twice in wins against Toronto and New Jersey in November. Nene led Denver with 21 points, Chauncey Billups added 16 and Chris Andersen had 14 points to go with 10 rebounds. The Nuggets won at home for the 23rd time in 27 games. Dallas, losing to Denver for the sixth time in the last seven meetings, was led by Dirk Nowitzki, who had 17 points on 5 of 17 shooting from the floor. Jason Terry had 16 points and Josh Howard 14 for Dallas. Up by 26 at the half, the Nuggets pulled ahead 78-46, connecting on three 3s in a row, two by Arron Afflalo and the third by Anthony. The Mavericks triedto get back in the game with a 14-5 run but Denver answered with a 7-0 burst touched off by a pair of baskets by Anthony, pulling in front 90-60 with 3:13 remaining in the third quarter and taking a 103-70 lead into the final period. At halftime, the Nuggets led 65-39.

~STORY OF THE WEEK~A MIRACLE IN MIAMI

UNDERDOG NEW ORLEANS SAINTS CHAMPIONS OF FOOTBALL
The New Orleans Saints almost left when their city flooded and their stadium had been turned into a shelter, a disaster seeming to provide the perfect escape route for a team in search of a better stadium and a bigger market. Displaced and disheartened, the Saints haltingly returned to a repaired Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. And a team so awful that its fans used to wear bags on their heads came to symbolize and be embraced by a battered but rebuilding community. On Sunday, with a quarterback who had hitched his career to resurrecting the Saints and with a team that played nearly flawlessly, the Saints gave New Orleans a reason to do what it does better than any other American city: celebrate. In the franchise’s first Super Bowl, the Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts, 31-17, sending New Orleanians into the streets for a party. “Who Dat?” Saints fans ask about which opponent might beat their team. Now they have their answer: nobody. The Saints are the N.F.L.’s champions, after 42 seasons of futility. Confetti fell on the Saints here, but back in New Orleans, where Mardi Gras begins in less than two weeks, Bourbon Street erupted in joy, four and a half years after the city was nearly engulfed by despair when the levees broke. “Louisiana, by way of New Orleans, is back,” said the Saints’ owner, Tom Benson, clutching the Lombardi Trophy. “And it shows the whole world.” The play that sealed the victory, a comeback from a 10-0 deficit, came with a little more than three minutes to play at the expense of a New Orleans native. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, a son of the beloved former Saints quarterback Archie Manning, was intercepted by Saints cornerback Tracy Porter — a Louisiana native, too — when the Saints blitzed. Porter jumped in front of the intended receiver and returned the interception 74 yards for a touchdown that gave the Saints their winning margin. “Four years ago, whoever thought this would be happening?” quarterback Drew Brees said. “Eighty-five percent of the city was under water. All of the residents evacuated across the county. Most people not knowing if New Orleans could ever come back or if the organization or team would ever come back.” (NY Times)

STAGE SET FOR SUPER BOWL

The final game of the NFL season could be a wild one as both teams have the firepower to put up major numbers. The Colts are playing with purpose and Peyton Manning is one win away from a second ring, while the Saints are playing for a city in need of a taste of Super Bowl glory. (TSN)

76ERS MAKING A RUN FOR IT
After winning 3 in a row, the Philadelphia 76ers are just 5 1/2 games out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Samuel Dalembert, playing through a back injury, had seven points, 16 rebounds and three blocks in Friday's win over the Hornets. Don't look now, but the Sixers have won three straight games. Rodney Carney, Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young all hit double digits in scoring off the bench, while Andre Iguodala filled the stat sheet in the win. Dalembert isn't a reliable scorer, but doesn't miss games and is playing for a contract. Keep running him out there.

VANCOUVER: POVERTY, CONTROVERSY & OLYMPICS

In this urban oasis widely considered one of the most livable places in the world, the Downtown Eastside is about 15 square blocks of something else. At the corner of Main and Hastings, residents of the poorest postal code in Canada passed a recent Tuesday afternoon. One man lighted a crack pipe, inhaling deeply. Another urinated on a wall. Another burned a book of matches, muttering at the flame. Two men started fighting. One brandished a bicycle seat, the other a salad that spilled onto the sidewalk. “All that over drugs,” a passer-by said. “Welcome to the Downtown Eastside.” That scene unfolded five blocks from the site of the opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics, scheduled for next Friday, and a five-minute drive from the athletes’ village. By bidding for the Olympics, Vancouver invited the world to visit. Now city officials are trying to redirect the international news media spotlight from this blighted neighborhood in the shadows of the picturesque North Shore Mountains. View a slideshow. (NY Times)

SPORTS TAKEN OVER BY POLITICS

IT'S FOCUS ON THE FAMILY VS. PLANNED PARENTHOOD AS COUNTRY CHEERS ON SIDE-LINES
The firestorm has only begun. The hot button issue of the next decade, one that has divided the country year after year, is back. Everyone from evangelicals to feminists are talking again- about abortion. But why? Well, as I'm sure you already know, Tim Tebow is on the cover of nearly every National newspaper for a reason. Focus on the Family, the world's leading anti-abortion group is set to release a 30-second 2.5 million dollar television ad on CBS during this year's Super Bowl between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianappolis Colts. The ad, which is said to feautre Tim Tebow's mom's decision not to abort Tim when he was a fetus, has been praised by conservatives and demoralized by liberals. The world's leading pro-choice non-profit, Planned Parenthod has responded, setting off even more flames with a minute-long ad featuring former NFL player Sean James and Olympic gold medalist Al Joyner. Their ad congratulates Tim's mom on making the choice she felt was best at the time and emphasizes that all women are capable of making this choice. Unlike Focus on the Family, though, Planned Parenthood's ad will not air during the nationally broadcast Super Bowl, set to rack in 102 million viewers. Pick your side.

SUPER BOWL ANTICIPATION GROWS SURROUNDING 'THE WHO'

Once upon a time, a Super Bowl halftime show meant Carol Channing, college marching bands, Up With People and salutes to Louis Armstrong. These days, headliners like the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney happily line up to play a 12-minute set. This year, the Who is headlining the show, a curious choice because the band has not released an album of new songs in four years and its first farewell tour was in 1982, before many people who will be watching the game were born. Bill Curbishley, the Who’s manager for 39 years, jumped at the chance to play. Performing at the Super Bowl, he knows, means reaching about 100 million television viewers, a great way to promote the band’s new greatest hits album, publicize a coming tour and reach fans who might know the Who only because its songs are heard on the “CSI” television shows. “I don’t think it will sell millions and millions of albums, but it will definitely have an impact,” Curbishley said. “If you get into people’s consciousness, it helps.”

A LEGEND CONFIRMED

Kobe Bryant walked off the court quickly and quietly, his head tilted down, an emblem as good as any after the Lakers ended their longest trip of the season with a last-second loss. They faced a variety of conflicts against the Memphis Grizzlies -- Gasol vs. Gasol, Bryant vs. Jerry West, Phil Jackson vs. Pat Riley and themselves vs. the trip that wouldn't end -- but lost them all except Bryant's pursuit of West's franchise scoring record. That Bryant was in a somber mood after getting 44 points and becoming the Lakers' all-time leading scorer set the table for what Jackson would confirm after the team's 95-93 loss to the Grizzles on Monday night at FedExForum: This trip was only "so-so." It was definitely different from their 6-0 swing at about this time last season, a journey that ended with victories in Boston and Cleveland and, four months later, was cited as an impetus to the franchise's 15th NBA championship. (LA Times)