I tend to doubt that NBC will send quotage for the primetime Closing Ceremony, although if it comes, I’ll put it in this post, although I have a feeling that I’ll be getting the final thoughts from Bob Costas and Al Michaels. Just a hunch.
Here’s the Daytime quotage.
DAY 18 DAYTIME HIGHLIGHTS OF NBC WINTER OLYMPICS COVERAGETeam Canada Defeated USA 3-2 in Overtime in the Men’s Gold Medal Hockey Game
“If you’re in this building, it feels like the most important game in the history of hockey. Certainly, to this country.” – NBC’s Al Michaels
VANCOUVER - February 28, 2010 - NBC Olympics daytime coverage concluded with the much-anticipated men’s gold medal hockey game with Canada defeating USA 3-2 in overtime seen live across the country.
NBC’s Mary Carillo hosted the daytime show from the studio and Al Michaels hosted from the site of the gold medal hockey game at Canada Hockey Place.
Joining Michaels for analysis were Mike Milbury and Jeremy Roenick. Mike “Doc” Emrick provided play-by-play, Eddie Olczyk provided game analysis and Pierre McGuire reported from “Inside the Glass.”
NBC’s Jimmy Roberts recapped Vancouver’s Olympic moments.
NBC
CARILLO ON THE FINAL DAY OF COMPETITION: “It’s the final day of the Vancouver Winter Games. One of skill, endurance, and passion.”
ROBERTS ON THIS OLYMPICS: “In the final analysis, like always, these games are about so much more than just the medal count.”
“Sometimes its not just about the gold, it’s about the person you get to share it with.”
“At these games, one athlete after another showed their artistry and power and genius. We were surprised, thrilled, and moved.”
ROBERTS ON CANADA’S JOANNIE ROCHETTE: “In the end, the most amazing performance was turned in by a brave young woman who couldn’t share it, at least not with the one person she most wanted to.”
“I always think that the Olympic Games are about two different things. They are about this hard-boiled competition and they are about these amazing stories. Forever, as long as I cover sports, I’m never going to forget what Joannie Rochette did. That was just remarkable.”
“Joannie Rochette skated with enough heart to fill an entire arena.”
MEN’S ICE HOCKEY GOLD MEDAL GAME: USA vs. CANADA
Al Michaels (Host), Bill Patrick (Host), Mike Milbury (Analyst), Jeremy Roenick (Analyst), Mike “Doc” Emrick (Play-By-Play), Eddie Olczyk (Game Analyst)
Canada: 3 USA: 2
CARILLO ON CANADA IN THE GOLD MEDAL GAME: “Today is the day all of Canada has been anticipating. What may be a once in a lifetime event. The U.S. vs. Canada in the gold medal hockey game at an Olympics being held in hockey mad Canada.
“No sport brings Canadians together quite like hockey. Every graceful thrill of connecting stick to puck to the back of the net is cause for communal celebration.”
“Here this isn’t the Super Bowl, it’s bigger than the Super Bowl.”
MICHAELS ON THE GOLD MEDAL GAME: “Before this day is done the roof could come off at Canada Hockey Place in Vancouver. This will be riveting.”
OLCZYK: “This is about motivation. This is about an opportunity at the highest level to win a gold medal and a little hockey respect.”
FIRST PERIOD
EMRICK: “The hockey culture, the language. The only difference is passports.”
MICHAELS: “If you’re in this building, it feels like the most important game in the history of hockey. Certainly, to this country.”
MILBURY: “Team Canada knows just how hard they have to work to out muscle Team USA.”
SECOND PERIOD
MICHAELS: “It’s hockey at its best.”
ROENICK: “Team USA got on the board late in that period and that’s giving them a lot of momentum going in. They’re starting to see chinks in the Canadians armor. They obviously see that Luongo’s a little bit shaky. They are feeling good. They’re saying, ‘Let’s keep the pressure on the golden boys and the Canadians are sitting in their room saying, ‘Guys we cannot sit back. We did it the other day against the Slovaks, they almost came back and beat us. We’ve got keep the hammer down, keep the pressure going on them.’”
THIRD PERIOD
EMRICK ON CANADA HITTING THE POST TWICE: “Do you believe in omens?”
EMRICK ON THIS OLYMPICS HOCKEY TOURNAMENT: “One year ago there were players from Finland and Russia and Sweden all talking about how they were going to be a part of, in their minds, the greatest hockey tournament in history. We have seen that.”
OLCZYK ON THE TOURNAMENT: “It’s been high quality. Entertaining. Just a privilege to be a very small part of it.”
EMRICK ON THE BROADCAST CREW: “I should make mention of this, it’s not about us. It is about our crew. They have been in Vancouver here for 13 days. They have done 42 games. We hope you’ve enjoyed them. Eddie and I have been involved in about half of them, but there are some who have done all 42 - the equivalent of half an NHL season in two weeks time. They will sleep well tonight.”
OLCZYK ON THE BROADCAST CREW: “I tip my hockey helmet to them. A gold medal winning performance by our great cre w behind the scenes. It sure helps when you have unbelievable hockey.”
MCGUIRE ON USA’S ZACH PARISE’S GAME TYING GOAL: “Zach Parise almost jumps over the glass here at Canada Hockey Place.”
OVERTIME
PATRICK: “17,000 people in this building. Their hearts stopping and starting with every shot.”
“Sweaty palms filling this building. I can’t imagine what the players are feeling.”
MILBURY: “If you didn’t like that period, you don’t like hockey. It’s a turf war out there. They’re fighting for every inch they can get.”
ROENICK: “Do you understand what we’re going to get right now? We’re going to get the most exciting things in all of sports - sudden death overtime. Someone tonight is going to be a national hero. Tonight, someone is going to make dreams come true for lots and lots of kids in their country. I can’t believe it.”
MILBURY ON USA’S PARISE: “This guy has been the most persistent player on the ice for both squads today. He just won’t quit on it.”
EMRICK: “It is about the team, that’s for sure. Somebody has to get the winner. If it is a Canadian, they will be equivalent to Paul Henderson who scored in ’72 against the Soviets. If it is an American, Mike Eruzione will have company as a hero”
OLCZYK: “An unbelievable tournament. And why expect anything other than overtime in the gold medal game.”
EMRICK: “The hockey fans here in Vancouver saluting and respecting the unbelievable job of that man right there, Ryan Miller.”
EMRICK ON HOCKEY IN CANADA: “How big is this for Sidney Crosby and for the nation of Canada? When they announced the team, 4 million watched on television just to hear who was going to be on the team.”
EMRICK ON CANADA’S SIDNEY CROSBY: “He didn’t have any points for two complete games coming into this game. He didn’t have any for the sixty minutes. Got the winner.”
POSTGAME INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS
CANADA’S SIDNEY CROSBY ON WINNING GOLD: “This is a dream come true. I’ve always dreamed of playing for Team Canada and obviously winning a gold medal. This was a lot closer than we would’ve expected. An unbelievable feeling.”
CROSBY ON STARTING OFF THE TOURNAMENT SLOWLY: “We dropped that game to the U.S. and had a close against the Swiss. Our goal was to continue to get better and I think we did that. That was our motivation to get better each and every game. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. There is a lot of great teams here. I though tonight it took a lot of work and extra to do it.”
CROSBY ON WHAT THIS GAME MEANS TO NORTH AMERICA: “It means a lot. Even outside of that. Hockey all over the world is incredible. Year after year, everybody’s getting better. The teams are so competitive. A perfect example is this tournament here. Hockey’s in really good shape. Whether we would have won today, or somebody else, I think everyone saw a pretty amazing display of skill and the way the game should be played here the last couple of weeks.”
USA’S GOALTENDER RYAN MILLER ON WINNING SILVER: “It’s not quite what we wanted, but I think we gained a lot of respect. Our guys came here as an after thought to a lot of people. I think we started a new trend with USA Hockey.”
If the quotage from the disjointed Closing Ceremony comes, I’ll post it here.
UPDATE, 1:44 p.m.: I knew I jumped the gun when I posted this. Sure enough, NBC sent out a press release from the Closing Ceremony. So here is the quotage.
“Nothing but admiration and good wishes go her way.” –Costas on Joannie Rochette as Canada’s flag bearer
“They distinguished themselves. All of it with a quintessential touch of what it means to be Canadian. Friendly, welcoming, a sense of humor.”- NBC’s Bob Costas on the Vancouver Games
“Hearts are glowing all over this country tonight.” – NBC’s Al Michaels
VANCOUVER - Feb. 28, 2010 - NBC's 2010 Winter Olympics coverage concluded tonight with the Closing Ceremony, where the torch was passed to Sochi Russia for the 2014 Winter Games. Bob Costas hosted the primetime coverage from BC Place in Vancouver alongside co-host Al Michaels. In addition to the Closing Ceremony, Costas and Michaels recapped the highlights of the Olympics including the USA-Canada gold medal hockey game, Vancouver gold medal moments and an interview with the most decorated U.S. Winter Olympian in history Apolo Ohno.
COSTAS AND MICHAELS ON THE USA-CANADA HOCKEY GAME
MICHAELS ON THE ENERGY AFTER THE GAME: “You could light the entire province of British Columbia with the energy in that building.”
“You could not have written a better script for this country.”
COSTAS ON THE POST GAME CELEBRATION: “Times Square on New Year’s Eve couldn’t be more packed than the streets of Vancouver.”
“This place has already reached a crescendo. By this place, I don’t mean BC Place, I don’t mean just Vancouver, I meant the entire country after the hockey game.”
COSTAS ON THE GAME: “A script so classic that if it were a movie, they would send it back because it was unrealistic.”
“With all do respect, this can never be repeated. On home soil, for Canada, in the sport that matters most, against the America ns - this can never be repeated. This can never be approached, let alone equaled.”
“That’s one of the greatest sports events I have ever seen.”
MICHAELS ON SIDNEY CROSBY’S GAME WINNING GOAL: “The goal that will resonate throughout history in Canada.”
“Crosby is the 21st century equivalent of what Wayne Gretzky is to Canada.”
CLOSING CEREMONY HIGHLIGHTS
MICHAELS ON THE CLOSING CEREMONY: “It’s a big party and it will go long into the Vancouver night after what happened about two and a half hours ago.”
COSTAS ON CROSS COUNTRY SKIING AS THEY HANDED OUT MEDALS FROM THE MEN’S 50KM EVENT THIS AFTERNOON: “This is a sport that demands a level of fitness that is almost impossible to conceive. Power, strength and aerobic fitness. Just extraordinary.”
COSTAS ON THE RAISING OF THE FINAL PILLAR OF THE OLYMPIC CAULDRON THAT MALFUNCTIONED AT THE OPENING CEREMONY: “Canadians have always shown a fine ability to laugh at themselves.”
COSTAS ON THE SYMBOLIC RAISING OF THE FINAL PILLAR: “Just a perfect response.”
MICHAELS ON THE SINGING OF THE CANADIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM:“Hearts are glowing all over this country tonight.”
COSTAS ON JOANNIE ROCHETTE AS THE CANADIAN FLAG BEARER: “Nothing but admiration and good wishes go her way.”
COSTAS AND MICHAELS CLOSING THOUGHTS
COSTAS: Canada may have started slowly and glitched at the end of the Opening Ceremony and they had some weather problems. Boy did they come on with a rush in the second half.”
MICHAELS: “It was funny too because that first expected gold medal didn’t materialize and everybody thought, ‘Oh no, not again.’ No gold medals in Montreal, no gold medals in Calgary. All of a sudden they won 13 and then that 14th. Of course, we talked about tonight during the ceremony, the place just went wild for three or four minutes.”
COSTAS ON CANADA AS A HOST CITY: “Steve Iserman had a great quote about Sidney Crosby. He said just like Gretzky, he’s got a little destiny in him. I guess most people in Canada thought it was their destiny, not only to win all the gold medals that they did- maybe they didn’t even expect that 14- but they wanted the last one most of all and they got it. The Canadians also distinguished themselves as hosts. There are always going to be criticisms, some of them valid, about the Olympic Games and the way they’re put on. They’re such a massive undertaking, and all things considered, I think they distinguished themselves. All of it with a quintessential touch of what it means to be Canadian. Friendly, welcoming, a sense of humor.”
MICHAELS ON TEAM USA: “In Norway and Sweden and Finland, they’re going ‘Oh wait a minute, we have competition now in Nordic skiing?’ The U.S. distinguished itself there. Bobsledding, you name it. Shaun White, of course a megastar right now in the sports world. In a sport that didn’t even exist in the Olympic Games two decades ago.”
COSTAS ON THE ATHLETES: “Joannie Rochette with a bronze. Some of these bronzes were as good as gold. Clara Hughes, age 37, Summer and Winter Olympian. Their flag-bearer at these Games. She takes a speed skating bronze. Joannie Rochette won hearts not just throughout Canada but also throughout the world. We also have to think about all the international athletes, Simon Amaann, double gold in ski jumping. The Norwegians come out of here with 23 medals. There are less than five million people in the country. Peter Northug with four. Marit Bjorgen with five. Just astonishing the way they have done in cross country skiing and these sports matter deeply to them.”
COSTAS ON SOUTH KOREA’S KIM YU-NA: “Lest we forget, just for pure excellence and mastery of the discipline, South Korea’s Kim Yu-Na. There was a performance, not just for a single Olympics, but of all time.”
MICHAELS ON KIM YU-NA: “I was there that night. You just kind of sat there with your mouth open. That was as close to perfection as anything you’ll ever see.”
COSTAS ON WORKING WITH MICHAELS: “One of the things I’ll remember about the Olympics, among everything else, working with you, finally after all these years.”
HIGHLIGHTS FROM BOB COSTAS’ INTERVIEW WITH APOLO OHNO
APOLO OHNO ON BEING THE FACE OF SHORT TRACK: “After a third time of being in these Olympic Games and showing this sport to the world, I think people back home have realized that it’s probably the most unpredictable sport out there. It’s been a pleasure for me in this sport to compete and medal every time.”
OHNO ON BEING DISQUALIFIED FROM THE 500M: “The 500 meters is 40 seconds of mayhem. You have no time to make any fast decisions. I was in fourth the whole race. I had so much speed going into the last corner and I was going to try and cut the side on the inside of the pack to actually try to get a medal. The Canadian in front of me slipped a little bit. I had my hand up as protection, not to be aggressive, but just to make sure we didn’t bump. He ended up falling and the referee decided to disqualify me. That’s short track and that’s the Olympic Games and like life, it’s unpredictable. I left every single thing I had on the ice. My heart and my soul. I came into these Games with no real expectation other than that. I’ve come here prepared and I was going to represent my country the best I could do and I am all smiles. I have absolutely no regrets.”
“I’ve trained my whole life for this. Every single time, I’ve been treated so well by the Olympic Game s. It’s given me so much insight and I’ve been blessed and lucky enough to be my best. This is an opportunity for me to shine. I’ve had such an incredible career, I’ve been so happy to be able to share it with so many friends and family. It’s just been an amazing experience. To be able to go out there and give it my all, that’s all I ask for.”
OHNO ON COMPETING IN SOCHI RUSSIA 2014: “Sochi is definitely in my mind, whether I have my skates with me or not, that’ll be the question. For me, I’ll make the decision when the time is right. For now, there are many, many other things I want to pursue. You’ll definitely see me in Sochi, it’s just whether I’ll have my ice blades with me or not.”
Ok, there will be a few more Olympic press release posts and by Tuesday, they should be wrapped up.
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