It’s a phenomenon of nature, like moths drawn to the heat and brilliance of a light bulb. Moths are silent. Olympic crowds are not.
As we take to the streets with our nightly newscast at 5, the public reaction has been enthusiastic to the extreme. I have been anchoring live from the plaza outside our beautiful new studios at Georgia and Hamilton, right in the middle of the party zone. I’m in a relatively protected area, with some security guards (who didn’t catch the pair who jumped into the shot with their "9-11 Conspiracy" placards and then ran off) and some polite waving fans in the background.
By contrast, our meteorologist Claire Martin and sportscaster Shane Foxman are in the thick of the high-traffic area along Georgia Street. As soon as they appear on the screen, the crowds in the shot behind them go crazy. The forecast is drowned out by whoops and hollers and people straining to put on their best TV smiles as they see themselves on the screen. Cellphones at the ready, they call friends and family to announce "Look, look… I’m on CBC!" Their 15 seconds of fame have been realized. A few of our reporters who have been doing live reports from the busy Granville strip or Robson Square have had a challenging time of it to say the least. Even the most sensitive microphone can’t discern the content of the actual report, from the overwhelming exuberance of the crowds.
In some cases, as viewers struggle to lip read what the helpless reporter is intending to convey, the screaming mass of humanity swallows them up. Is it a magic moment in broadcasting? Probably not. At worst, it’s distracting, but at best it’s an honest reflection of the energy and excitement exuding from the streets of Vancouver. The city is electric and I’ve honestly never seen anything like it. I can draw remote comparisons to what I experienced as a radio reporter during Expo ’86, but the two events really are different beasts. Expo certainly had its share of crowds, lineups, pavilions, parties, performers and nightly fireworks, but it didn’t provoke the spontaneous outbursts of patriotism that have become the hallmark of these games.
It’s as if Canadians have turned the corner in blowing their own horns, not in an "I’m better than you" sort of way, but with an "I’m proud to host such a world class event" air. We’re suddenly seeing our familiar surroundings through the eyes of the world media and the tens of thousands of visitors. Their verdict is clear. This is a special place and we’re lucky to live here. So, we puff out our chests, don our red and white, cheer on our athletes, and seek out the bright lights of the television cameras, screaming loud and proud… "Look… I’m on CBC!"
