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Gretzky gets peppered in first week at Olympics
By Charlie O February 16, 2006 |
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The highlights from the 2006 Winter Olympics from Turin, Italy seems be focused on not just the games, but also the events away from the games. Earlier in the week, it was the bowing out of skater Michelle Quan due to a recurring injury, and then turned down an analyst job offer from NBC, which originated from NBC President Dick Ebersol, due to her feeling that her work with NBC would be a distraction for the US Skating team. Then of course is the Canadian contingency and hockey head coach Wayne Gretzky who’s wife has been implicated in a gambling ring before the Olympics, and the question of if he was involved in the ring, or even had knowledge of his wife’s involvement has been in question. Gretzky has been hit with questions every other day about the case and investigation and looks exasperated and wants to focus on ice hockey but the questions seems to be a distraction to Gretzky about it. First of all if Gretzky himself is not involved in it what kind of strain is this going to put on his marriage? Oh yeah by the way Wayne your wife has been putting half million dollar bets on the Super Bowl. What? How bored is she? This shouldn't have any effect on Gretzky himself if he wasn't involved in it as long as Gretzky wasn't laying down bets and she was off laying off bets. This shouldn't have any long term effects on Gretzky if he's clean but in turn unfortunately for Gretzky he has become the story of this gambling ring situation. Gretzky has become the story in Turino instead of the Canadian hockey team. There shouldn’t be any long term effects on Gretzky if he’s clean, but unfortunately he has become part of the story of this gambling ring situation only by association since it is his wife has been implicated. Gretzky has become the story in Turino, instead of the Canadian hockey team. The Phoenix Coyotes of the NHL have also been distracted by all this, and Wayne went though losing his mother this season and god bless him. Losing your mom is a touch thing to go through, and Gretzky had to take some time then, and the Coyotes are in the cellar now in the NHL Western Conference Pacific Division. The Coyotes are not just a bad hockey team right now and they're beginning to rebuild. The main story is still going to be about Gretzky and his controversies circling around him which doesn't make that much difference to those hockey players. Gretzky's situation is going to be a big distraction to the NHL and at the Olympics for a while. I do feel bad for the fact that he is Wayne Gretzky and there should be some of the teflon effect. Even Pete Rose, who has been banned by baseball for god sakes, you still have people who bleed red and believe the name of Rose including this reporter who grew up watching Rose play ball, and who still have seven of Rose’s rookie cards and we still love this guy. The other thing is to quoting sports anchor from KRON 4 Sports, Gary Radnich, “did any one die?” If not, then get over it. Charlie O comments on the top sports stories and co-hosts Sportstalk on 1110 KLIB Sacramento and is heard Saturdays 10-1PM on Sports Fanatics on KSAC Sacramento. |
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