ANTIPASTI
A Banner Day Before the Games
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Yesterday afternoon's medal ceremony was going perfectly. The majestic Russian national anthem played over the loudspeakers at Piazza Castello. Spectators gathered around the perimeter to watch. Teams of solemn workers, all clad in white, slowly raised the flags: Peru and Spain on the ends, China in the middle.
"STOP!" screamed the master of ceremonies. "Stop! Grazie."
The flags went down, and further instructions were given. Then, " http:/
Meantime, final preparations were being made at the plaza, home of Turin's Palazzo Madama, a centuries-old building whose temporary neighbor looks like a hollowed-out replica of Epcot Center's Spaceship Earth.
The stage will host its first medal ceremony on Saturday for the men's 20-kilometer biathlon. No word yet if the Russians are favored.
-- Dan Steinberg
American Pastime, Past Bedtime
They did not understand our urgency come 11:30 on Sunday night as a Super Bowl kickoff loomed in less than an hour. Super Bowl? American football? Our questions drew blank stares and helpless shrugs. Where to watch? No one knew.
Phones were dialed, volunteers begged, hotel lobbies scoured. Nothing. Finally, an address of a sports bar. Alas, we walked through the door moments before kickoff to discover a bar filled with Canadians. But in the international spirit, we struck a truce. They gave up drop kicks and 55-yard lines and we promised to give them back Doug Flutie. Mike Wise led the bar in a rousing rendition of "O Canada."
Then came the game, and when Antwaan Randle El heaved a touchdown pass there rose a screech from our star Olympic writer Amy Shipley and super-tech Aimee Sanders -- both Steelers fans -- that brought the bartender racing across the room, waving his arms. There are people upstairs in the apartments sleeping, he said.
It was, after all, 4 a.m.
