Colbert Nation steps up as countdown clock strikes 100 days

Sometime on Wednesday, the official countdown clock in downtown Vancouver will strike 100 days.

Just wanted to alert any anti-Games forces reading online so they can stock up on vegetables, eggs, etc.

We KID the Canadians...

At any rate: The 100-day mark is a significant date mostly only to editors and producers, who like even numbers as excuses to look into things and issue updates. And there's some validity to that. So here goes, the latest news, by keyword topic:

COLBERT NATION: You probably heard this, and it's true. Stephen Colbert is stepping in to help the U.S. Speedskating Team replace a $300,000 sponsorship deal it lost when a DSB bank ("Deposit Savings in Bong," Colbert says), the previous prime sponsor for U.S. Speedskating, went upside down.

In a bit of genius through which he hopes to solicit donations, Colbert has bought ad space in the best place imaginable: right on those thunder thighs of the skin-tight speedsuits worn by racers. They'll be worn in World Cup competition leading up to the Games, beginning this weekend, but not for the Olympics -- unless Colbert opens up the really big, eight-digit checkbook and becomes an official Olympic sponsor.

A reliable source (OK, it's his Mom) says our own J.R. Celski, still recouping from having one of his razor-sharp skateblades slice open one leg like a big cotto salami, will be modeling one of the new suits on Wednesday morning's Today Show on -- where else -- NBC, which pretty much owns and runs the Olympics.

Seriously, sponsorship is a serious issue for sorts like speedskating. Some of the nation's top competitors struggle to make a living while training.

You can donate to Operation Colbert Nation's speedskating effort online here. You can see the clip of Colbert's sponsorship announcement from Monday night here.

And yes, we agree Colbert Nation should get its own spot in the (Endless) Parade of Nations in the opening ceremony. Right after St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

THE TORCH: As we speak, it is in Whitehorse, Yukon territories. By Thursday: Yellowknife, NWT. Friday: Cold Lake, Alberta. We would hate to say those places are remote, but in issuing the schedule, torchies noted that, due to the nether regions involved, they won't even be able to issue the usual video feeds on a daily basis.

So there you have it: There absolutely ARE still places in North America that are completely off the grid. Most of them are in Canada. And the torch will warm the cockles of the hearts of all 12 of those residents up there, who likely will set a new Torch Record for miles covered in Sorels.

COMCAST "LOCAL HEROES": Confession: I can count the number of nice things I've said about Comcast on the stump of one finger. But I always give credit where due. And the cable company has done its own notable solid deed for Olympians -- better yet, local Olympians -- with its own "Local Heroes" sponsorship program. The company hopes to raise $80,000 to be split between Washington's prospective Winter Olympic athletes (except Apolo Ohno, who declined to participate) and state Special Olympians.

The effort, headed up by former alpine ski great Phil Mahre of Yakima, will provide badly needed training funds for Celski, skier Scott Macartney of Kirkland; bobsled driver Bree Schaaf of Bremerton; cross-country skier Torin Koos of Leavenworth (we hope this doesn't conflict with his exclusive USA Pears sponsor deal); hockey player Karen Thatcher of Blaine, freestyle skier Patrick Deneen of Cle Elum and adaptive Nordic skier Sean Halsted of Spokane. Also on the Local Heroes team are Special Olympic athletes Kenneth Larson of Tukwila and Shelby Corno of Sammamish.

The commemorative pins fueling the fund drive are for sale for $10 at www.comcastlocalheroes.com. Take it from a pin collector: It's a cool pin. And it's a great cause. Can't think of a similar program that's ever stepped up to provide some training funds for Washington state prospective Olympians, right when they need it most. Kudos to Comcast for the effort. Although they really SHOULD be giving them all deluxe free cable as part of the deal.

A TV GLIMPSE FORWARD: Universal Sports will mark the 100-day's out mark (proving they, too, have editors and producers) Wednesday with a TV special that airs at 5 p.m. and again at 8 p.m. here in the Disadvantaged Time Zone. The show previews the winter seasons of prospective U.S. Olympians, including skiers Lindsey Vonn and Bode Miller; Ohno and Celski, snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis and World Champion four-man bobsled driver (and all-around good guy) Steve Holcomb of Park City.

Starting Dec. 1, Uni Sports also will devote a nightly show, Countdown to Vancouver, at 5 p.m. DTZ. It'll run through Feb. 12, when Bob Costas is awakened from his hermetically sealed sleeping chamber, and The Big Network takes over.

Did we mention that Uni Sports is available locally on over-the-air digital TV channel 5.2, and also COMCAST CABLE channel 115? (Inquiring minds want to know: If Comcast winds up acquiring GE/NBC, does that mean DirecTV customers will never get Uni Sports?)

That's enough Olympic fever for one night. Someone please send Tamiflu.