Postcards Home
Reports from Belo Interactive contributors at the Olympics in Sydney, AustraliaJohn Miller: Daily from Down Under 09/22/2000 By John Miller / KTVB.com, Boise, Idaho If sheep-shearing were an olympic event, I'd have some pretty awesome coverage for you.
It happens just about every day in the "kiddie corner" of the Olympic park.
Lots of people gather to watch the large fluffy Australian barnyard animals succumb to the excitement. The event begins when the official olympic sheerer (not pictured at the opening ceremonies) selects his prey. And there they go! A lightning quick roll-tackle, and the crowd is going wild! "Aussie Aussie Aussie!! Oi! Oi! Oi!!!"
It's a battle royale - man versus beast. I push my lens dangerously close to the furious blaze of wool and Norelco and raucous cheering when I realize - these fans aren't fans - they're journalists with "C" passes.
A "C" pass is sort of like the Olympic version of a "C" in math. It's average, sort of like 74% on a midterm. It's nothing to write home about (oh wait, apparently it is).
My "C" pass will get me into the broadcasting center where we work, and another building where the newspaper people work, though I'm not exactly sure why. They're generally not very exciting. Anyway, the more places you can go, the merrier, which is precisely why we with the "C" passes suffer from an olympic condition that's become known as "credential envy."
Now a "B" pass, that's something. I ran into Tom Brokaw today by the salad bar, and shot a quick look at his "B" pass. It includes the markings on my pass, and among the others - the black "infinity" symbol - the Olympic "carte blanche" which gives Tom and the lucky other "B" passers unlimited access and warm welcome to every single Olympic event going on in and around Sydney.
You want to see baseball? You're in.
Venus Williams is on the court today? Head on over.
You"ve got a "B" pass? Ian Thorpe is golden, and so are you.
Oh, wait, you say you have a "C" pass? Sheep show's over there.
It's sort of the Olympic equivalent of that steerage scene in Titanic. And in their infinite wisdom, the pass passer-outers at NBC have granted Mark Johnson access to the luxury suites. Mark's "B" pass entitles him unlimited access to every media section of every venue. Believe me. He reminds me every hour. So I remind HIM every hour that I have the camera. (neener neener neener)
We're still having a great time in Sydney, especially when Mark pops his head out of the gymnastics venue to say hello. He tells me Stacy Dragila is going to be very exciting. Anyway, I'm back to the sheep show, with my camera and my "C" pass compadres. It won't make medal ceremonies, but you may see it on a Foster's Lager commercial. Stay tuned.
|
•
Track star 
1996
swimming gold medalist Ryan Berube 
