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Vancouver Games could be one of best ever

Vancouver Games, the best ever?

Have the Vancouver Olympics gone from "worst" to first?

OK, first is stretching it - nobody is making claims to these being the best Olympics ever. But they're certainly not the "worst" as some foreign hacks have alleged.

In fact, the opposite may prove to be true: that the Vancouver Olympics are eventually ranked among the best Winter Games ever staged.

From monster TV ratings and unprecedented Internet buzz, to the most anticipated hockey tournament in history, all set in a beautiful sunlit city by the sea, these Games rank right up there. Consider:

SMASH TV RATINGS: Forget the glitches for a minute, and try to remember the Olympics is primarily a global television event. And the TV ratings are huge.

Let's start at home: the opening ceremony was the most-watched TV show in Canadian history. The Games themselves are on track to be the most-watched sporting event ever in Canada.TV

ratings for the opening ceremony blew away previous rivals. Ratings in the U.S., the most crucial TV market, were 47-per-cent higher than the previous Winter Olympics in Turin. The 67.5 million total U.S. viewers was the biggest audience ever for a Winter Olympics staged outside the States.

VANCOUVER RULES THE INTERNET: The Vancouver Games are poised to become the biggest Winter Olympics ever in terms of Internet and new media.

Visits to NBC's website - nearly five million unique users on Day 1 - are 469-per-cent higher than Turin. The network's mobile Olympics app is the No. 1 free app on iTunes.

The total number of Vancouver Olympics Facebook fans has topped one million - three times bigger than the Beijing Olympics. Sunday's hottest topic on Google was "U.S. Canada hockey."

A Nielsen Company study of online chat and blogosphere buzz showed a huge upsurge in posts about the Olympics and the city of Vancouver itself. "The increase in exposure and buzz is perhaps one reason cities compete so intensely to secure the Olympics," Nielsen said.

BIGGEST PUCK TILT EVER: Vancouver is the first NHL city to host a Winter Olympics since pro players were allowed to participate, intensifying the excitement for a men's hockey tournament already dubbed the greatest shinny scrimmage ever staged.

With the most NHL stars, packed rinks game after game, massive TV and online interest and a fiercely competitive lineup of teams, the tournament is set to smash all previous records. And it could be the last one. In a dispute over money and risk of injury, the NHL is refusing to commit to future Olympics. Vancouver may set the bar for years to come.

SHINING CITY IN THE SUN: The glorious warm weather is a curse in some ways, but an even bigger blessing in others. Despite the weather challenges, all the outdoor events have been staged. And the city itself is bathed in sparkling sunlight, creating spectacular TV images and a sublime street party. Vancouver is the largest and most culturally diverse city ever to hold a Winter Olympics. It's increasingly being hailed as the most beautiful, too.

The bottom line: ignore the haters and be proud, Vancouver. You are throwing one of the best parties ever.

msmyth@theprovince.com

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• Posted 04/03/2010