In DC, Mike Wise writes Russian hockey LW ALEX OVECHKIN arrived in Sochi yesterday "tasked with the modest responsibility of making 143 million people happy." Wise writes, "I'm rooting for Ovechkin because of the perception he has to win. For my money, any elite athlete that overcomes that kind of pressure and expectation to succeed deserves more support than scrutiny." Ovechkin yesterday said, "The pressure is going to come 100 percent. But right now we just have a jet lag" (WASHINGTON POST, 2/11). The GLOBE & MAIL's Eric Duhatschek writes other Russian players "may be more integral to the final outcome," but Ovechkin is "the player who captivates the audiences." One could "convincingly argue no single individual had a greater impact on NHL participation in these Olympics than Ovechkin." Meanwhile, the three-time NHL MVP is a "ubiquitous presence" in Sochi, his "smiling, gap-toothed grin plastered all over everything, from Coca-Cola cans to luggage tags to billboards all over town" (GLOBE & MAIL, 2/11).
STAYING HOME: U.S. men's hockey GM DAVID POILE "will not join" the U.S. team in Sochi "because of injuries that resulted from being hit in the face by a puck last week" at a Predators practice. Poile is the Predators' GM. Penguins GM RAY SHERO, who had been an Associate GM for the U.S. team, "will take the place of Poile" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 2/11).
A LITTLE ANNOYING: Several U.S. lugers said that they were "irritated by a popular Canadian video celebrating diversity that pokes fun at their sport." The Canadian Institute of Diversity & Inclusion recently released a video showing doubles luge with the tagline, "The Games have always been a little gay. Let's fight to keep it that way." U.S. luger CHRISTIAN NICCUM said, "They're making fun of our sport for their cause and it doesn't really make a lot of sense to me." But U.S. luger PRESTON GRIFFALL noted, "We're two dudes, laying on top of each other in spandex. Of course people are going to make fun of it." Griffall added, "In sports, what we're doing is a completely different issue than what they're talking about. We're competing here. I'm not going to look too deeply into it" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/11).
POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK? Russia Deputy Prime Minister DMITRY KOZAK said that he is "outraged at the mud-slinging Western press for reporting that surveillance cameras have been placed in the hotel bathrooms where journalists are housed." Kozak on Sunday said, "Russia is a modern country, we are not so insane that we do such things. This is a totally made-up story." However, in DC, Will Englund noted Kozak himself seemed to suggest the possibility last Thursday (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 2/10).
