Free speech at risk during 2010 Olympics, group says

lessons being taught by the Chinese no doubt.

Makes you wonder how much the corporate sponsors paid the university to add that little clause, eh?

What I would like to know is: Most universities have exclusive contracts with either Pepsi or Coke. So, if UBC is say, a Coke university, do students have to sign waivers promising not to post Pepsi signs in their dormroom windows?

If they can advertise the other soft-drink brand without penalty during the full school year, then screw the corporate sponsors...that's too damn bad. It's not like somebody will be sitting at an Olympic event, dying of thirst and then, on their way to the concession stand, be convinced to leave the event to head offsite to get a Pepsi because they say a tiny sign in a window when they squinted.

They'll be so many damn Coke signs smeared all over Vancouver people will think they crashed in Atlanta.

(If this topic were posted 5 months ago: They'll be so much coke all over the place people will think they're auditioning for the Barenaked Ladies! Overdue Ba-Zing!)

The World Games start here on the 16th and everywhere you look there are Coke banners. The big news here is that the Taiwanese will be allowed to fly their own flag for the event.

Agreed. More than likely either the school was paid to put the clause in or some power-that-be that has nothing else better to do than worry about the "what if's" in the world decided that there was a 0.00000014856% chance that the school might get sued by a sponsor that felt like their sales was decreased by the same percentage amount, decided to take the George W Bush approach and use a hatchet to remove a splinter.

Rediculous.

I've never been influenced by any kind of advertising at that kind of venue. Usually I am more worried about trying to find the closest vendor with the shortest line that has something semi-edible for less than $10 as I'm rushing to the next event.

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to ban corporate sponsorship and take the games back to the way it was years ago when it was all about the competition? Wait, don't say it, I admit it... that's crazy talk.

Can't we all just get along?