Brian Price at Loyalist

While the Advisory Committee to the Sport Journalism program (on which I serve) was meeting, the Co-ordinator of the program had teed-up an Olympian to speak to students at Loyalist. Well, actually, apparently it was coincidental, as November 10th was the only day that 2004 and 2008 rowing OLYMPIAN BRIAN PRICE was able to give a talk at the college.

I'd never heard Brian speak, so was very interested to hear his perspective on the Olympic Games, as well as many other facets of his life, his involvement in sport, and his role as the cox for the Mens 8s . Having been involved in the Olympic Movement for almost 15 years, I am interested in the athletes, for whom the Games are intended. The road to an Olympics is a long expensive road; it takes years to get there, and few actually make it.

As I sat there with my notebook, I was surprised that there were so few students present to hear him speak. No, he's not one of the "big name" Olympians, and his physical stature (essential for his position!) would never make him stand out in a crowd.

Students from the BJ program as well as Sports Journalism programs had been told that he would be on campus to speak. One would think that every breathing, interested student in BOTH those programs would have gone to hear him speak. But no, there were few students in Alumni Hall when he started to speak, and fewer when he finished. Perhaps 25 people were there when he was introduced.

Price spoke about his role as a cox, the team's approach to the Olympic village, their routine in the months leading up to the Games, distractions, the future. Toward the end of his talk, a few questions were asked from the audience, particularly about his future as an elite rower. He is 32, he said, and London is 4 years away. That is a long time, he has a child, and he would have to live in Victoria where the rowing team is centralized.

I loved his "It's fun to beat people" comment. So true. It's more fun to win than lose. Somehow, we can't get this idea in balance in this country, but that's another story.

There was a planned "media scrum" after the talk, so that students in the two programs could participate in one of the most common aspects of journalism. But, by my count, there were 4 scholars in the scrum: two had tape recorders, one female seemed to be with radio, and one seemed to be with print. But it was hard to really tell from my location. The point is that as a media "scrum' it sure was a bomb. Four questionners? Ridiculous, considering that Price would have appealed to two Loyalist programs, having 45 students or more???

In retrospect, it would have been interesting to participate in it. One of the things that would have been interesting to hear his views on, is "Money for Medals" that media so often spoke of when in November 2007, the COC rolled out its plan to give money to Canadian medallists.

Giving money to medallists is the most significant turn-on-position that the COC has done since it introduced its unpopular (but executed) Team Selection Criteria of 'top 16' in the early 1990s. Debate on money for medals inside the COC was heated, but in the end, those who acknowledged the time and finances that it takes to get to the Olympics, and then to be in the top three in the world, prevailed. Finally, Canadian athletes would be rewarded as Spanish and American Olympians would be.

No one should think that $20,000 to a gold medallist will cover the cost of living and training and competing in this day and age.

The COC reportedly handed out $515.000 in Toronto on October 11, 2008. Some medallists were present to receive their cheques; of the 34 athletes who were to get cheques, just over 20 were there.

Only the Toronto Sun reported on the smiling faces of our Bejing medalists. It also reported on the pending visit of Canada Revenue Agency (formerly Revenue Canada).
http://www.torontosun.com/sports/columnists/alison_korn/2008/10/10/7037681-sun.html
(As an aside, the reporter who ran with this story, including the tax aspect, is herself an Olympian, 1996 & 2000)

So it would have been interesting to har Price's perspective on his "windfall." With a family, training expenses, competition (including travel) expenses, and no job Price's viewpoint would have been pretty typical of a Canadian Olympian.

Let's hope that the few students who took advantage of the opportunity to meet and interview an Olympian, appreciated that what they had won't be repeated often in their lives. Even if they think it will.

If there IS a next time, they will have to create it, and given their apparent attitude on Monday, don't bet your house on it.