Steamboat Pilot & Today

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It's Monday morning and I’ve spent the past couple of hours trying to get in touch with Johnny Spillane to find out what the past 12 hours have been like. I’m starting to think I have a better chance of winning the lottery - but the difficulty is very understandable. Johnny’s mom, Nancy, says that since winning a silver medal yesterday - the first Nordic combined medal for the U.S. in Winter Olympic history - her son has been in high demand. That's something most Nordic combined skiers know little about. Johnny has appeared on the Today show, Access Hollywood and ESPN’s Mike & Mike, just to name a few. Those appearances are in addition to all the demands from the print media, other radio requests and of course, his own training schedule. He called his wife at 6 a.m. today and had not been to bed. I’m one of the lucky ones. He finally called me today, shortly before 10 a.m., but was boarding a plane for Park City, Utah, where the Americans will continue to train for next week’s team event. He said he will call me when he gets there. Then he can add the Steamboat Pilot & Today to the long list of people who are hoping to tell his story.

Enjoying Whistler

Over the weekend, before Spillane made history and things got hectic, I had a chance to get a taste of the Olympic atmosphere here in Whistler. On Saturday evening I strolled downtown, picked up some pins for my kids and soaked up a little bit of Whistler nightlife. I didn’t actually go into any bars, but I passed a few happening spots while walking through a steady stream of rain.
What can I say — I guess I’ve always been a party animal. Whistler Village seems to have a great vibe and there seems to be a bar, restaurant or something going on around just about every corner. The Olympic spirit seems to be alive and well in British Columbia, at least in the early days of these Olympic Games. I’m sorry to say the nightlife has been wasted on me, but if I hang around these Canucks long enough I might just to head out onto the town for a beer, eh.