As Whistler, B.C. prepares to celebrate its one-year Olympic anniversary this weekend, the mood in the resort is less than celebratory, despite assurances from the Resort Municipality of Whistler that, "it's time to re-live the magic and embrace the Olympic and Paralympic spirit."

Last year, Whistler couldn't get enough of the world's media, and now it wishes that most of the camera crews would go home, especially in light of the sled dog massacre and VANOC's luge track irregularities.

It doesn't help that hotel room nights are down, luxury real estate has taken a downward spiral, retail stores are closing and Whistler has been in the news for all the wrong reasons.

Rumour has it that Vancouver and Whistler may need to step in for Sochi during the 2014 Olympics. The mere suggestion of hosting the Olympics twice in four years is being met with shudders by local residents.

AssociatedContent.com writes how the IOC may have to move the 2014 Sochi Olympics to another city for the first time in history or cancel them for the first time since WWII and Kootenay Mountain Culture Magazine reports that the Russian host city is having challenges in meetings its timelines and obligations.

As millions of Canadians and Americans (and others worldwide) sat down last night to watch the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, CTV and NBC seem to have made a barbaric and Machiavellian ratings decision to broadcast the Olympic equivalent of a snuff-film.

While CTV and NBC have made attempts to justify their decision to broadcast the death of a Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, one really needs to wonder (little) if the nationality of Kumaritashvili had been Canadian or American, would the network executives have made a different decision.

I wanted to share VANOC's manifesto for non-rights holding broadcast organizations during the 2010 Games. Very thorough and interesting reading for those of you who are into the "fine details" and will be watching the two-week extravaganza on either CTV or NBC.

Straight from VANOC's press release:

TELEVISION NEWS ACCESS RULES APPLICABLE
TO NON-RIGHTS HOLDING BROADCAST ORGANISATIONS
AT THE VANCOUVER 2010 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES

For a colossal event that is centered around "the Olympic and Paralympic journey and creating everyday champions," there's plenty of falsification occurring behind the opulence of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.

Who can forget the fake fireworks and child lip-syncher during the opening ceremonies of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics, along with fake cheer squads and fake blue skies? It appears that the "fake" factor is alive and well in Vancouver and Whistler.

I was a World Cup "virgin" until this year, but after attending four different World Cup events this winter, I feel much more enlightened.

Between January and March, Vanoc (Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games) successfully hosted nine World Cup events in Whistler.

Spectators had the chance to watch Olympic and Paralympic athletes compete at test events on the downhill runs, cross-country trails, the track at the Whistler Sliding Centre and new biathlon range in Whistler. In Vancouver, athletes tested the new skating ovals and curling and sledge hockey arenas prior to 2010.

These will be the first ever Winter Paralympics held in Canada.

On Feb. 12, the new 2010 torch and torchbearer uniforms were unveiled in Whistler to commemorate the one-year countdown to the 2010 Games.

You could tell that VANOC put a great deal of time and strategy into planning the event. No public events were held in Vancouver, even though the bulk of the events will be held there. Were organizers were afraid of anti-Olympic protestors spoiling their million-dollar photo opps?

Whistler was a much better choice since its plazas and squares can be easily secured for an international event. By all accounts, there were more media and security than spectators at the event. You would never know if you were watching the live telecast on CTV or Global TV.