AUTHOR: Gil Lebreton at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
SUBJECT: Canada's national attitude during the Vancouver Olympics
BENIGN OPENING: "After a spirited torch relay ignited pride in every corner of the country, the Olympic Games began and quickly galvanized the nation."
SURPRISE REVELATION 4 SENTENCES LATER: Lebreton wasn't talking about Vancouver. He was talking about "the 1936 Berlin Olympics"--held while Adolf Hitler was in power.
CANADA'S TRANSGRESSION: "Overwhelming chauvinism"
AS DISPLAYED IN: "Canadian flags," "people in sweatshirts and jerseys adorned with Canadian maple leafs," lusty "cheering for Canadian athletes"
POSSIBLE CAUSES OF CHAUVINISM: "Had the classic Canadian inferiority complex finally decided to bite back? Or was this a dark consequence of the Own the Podium program?"
REFERENCES TO 1936 GERMANY: 3
HOW NON-CANADIANS WERE TREATED AT THE GAMES: Like "drink coasters"
EVIDENCED BY: The fact that "South Korean Kim Yu-Na's dazzling gold-medal performance in women's figure skating" was "overwhelmed here by the attention given to Quebec's Joannie Rochette, whose mother tragically died."
MISLEADING STATISTIC: "China sold 6.8 million tickets to its 2008 Summer Olympics. Vancouver only made 1.6 million available." Beijing '08 had 302 events, while Vancounter '10 had 86.
AND ANOTHER THING: "One thing I never saw: a simple flag or shirt with the five Olympic rings."
WHICH REMINDS HIM: "I didn't attend the '36 Olympics, but I've seen the pictures. Swastikas everywhere."
IT'S OK TO SAY THAT BECAUSE: "No political reference is meant, just an Olympic one."
GRATUITOUS FINAL LINE: "Nice party. But so 1936."

(Hat tip: Gawker)

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