This story is ridiculous.
The International Olympic Committee will investigate the actions of Canadian women's hockey players who celebrated their gold medal victory Thursday night by swigging beer and smoking cigars on the ice in Vancouver.
A number of players, including 18-year-old superstar Marie-Philip Poulin, were drinking alcohol on the ice following the team's 2-0 defeat of the United States. (The legal drinking age in British Columbia is 19.) Players lingered for more than 70 minutes after the awards ceremony reveling in the arena, which was empty except for media and arena staff.
Gilbert Felli, the IOC's executive director of the Olympic Games, said that drinking in public was "not what we want to see" from athletes at an Olympic venue. The organization will investigate the actions and will speak with the international hockey federation and Canadian Olympic Committee and ask them to "act accordingly."
Horrors! Beer and cigars! By women! And one is 12 months underage! We can't have that! Apparently, some are calling for punishment, but what would be appropriate? Spanking?
I'm all for enforcing the law, but this sort of heavy-handed scolding doesn't protect anyone or help anyone. Eighteen-year-olds watching the Canadian women's hockey team celebrate are no more or less likely to drink just because a peer drank a beer.
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