The Nuclear Winter Olympics, Day 14: Yeah, I was able to skip a day or two...

• But the American flag-wavers had a banner day yesterday:  2 in the men's halfpipe, silver in the women's combined, silver in women's big air, gold in the women's hockey, and Canada beaten in men's curling semis -- by the United States!
• The Russian situation hasn't abated.  The $15,000,000 fine has finally been paid, and Dick Pound is getting battered left, right and center.  Pound has apologized for calling other IOC members "old farts", but the IOC has gone so far as to demand Pound's resignation if that's how he feels about the group.  If the Russian flag flies Sunday at the Closing Ceremonies (and no determination has yet been made), they may get it!  (Three different Inside the Games stories over the last couple days.)

Let's get something straight right now:  If the Russian flag flies Sunday, it's because of the United States Olympic Committee of Sexual Assault.

The bottom line is that there is enough in the reports to demand the USOC be disqualified and thrown out of the Olympic movement, and it's also clear that the Russians should remain disqualified.  Unfortunately for those of us who care about fair play, it's clear that both are going to have to be gone.  And since it's pretty clear, for money reasons, the USOC is going to stay, it's also pretty clear that the Russian flag will have to fly going forward.

• Add to this fact that the Russian mixed-doubles curling team has, now, been disqualified for the male using meladonin, as previously reported.  (Inside the Games)
• Medal Count:  Norway is probably going to win the total table, as they have 35 medals to Germany's 25.  The Olympic standard table, on golds first, etc., is less clear, as both have 13 gold medals.  Canada is third with 9 gold and 24 total.  The ship finally came in for the USA, as they are now a solid fourth on the table with 8 gold and 21 total.  The Netherlands has 7 gold and 17 total for fifth.
• Jocelyne Larocque caught criticism last night -- the Canadian women's hockey player cast off her silver medal the instant it was put around her neck, on camera!!

OK, people...  Stop.

She's pissed and disappointed -- and, frankly, she should be.  Canada let off the accelerator and was dominated for 40 minutes of the Grand Final last night and the USA, as much as it makes me groan sometimes, deserved the victory in the shootout.

Call me in two weeks or a month and we'll see if Larocque makes peace.  I think it was a gesture made in a moment of extreme disappointment, and that, to me, is the end of it.

As I said last night -- even with the most fixed result in Olympic history, it's far more disrespectful to the process about some other silver medals -- which still lay in a Berlin vault...  since 1972.