Winter Olympics

As the world tunes in to Salt Lake City for the start of the Winter Olympics, it will be serenaded by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir while the spires of the Salt Lake Temple will dominate the backdrop. But there are a few things it won't see: volunteers distributing copies of the Book of Mormon, missionaries in white shirts and dark ties proselytizing visitors, slickly produced television ads promoting Mormon values. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is doing its best to ensure the spectacle isn't the Mormon Olympics.

SALT LAKE CITY -- Last game, the oldest member of the U.S. women's hockey team scored the hat trick. This time, it was its second-youngest member. Natalie Darwitz, the 18-year-old finishing high school by correspondence course, scored three goals in the first two periods yesterday to lead the U.S. team to a 5-0 win over Finland. "It's just amazing," said Darwitz, who leads the team with six goals in Olympic play. "You dream of scoring a goal in the Olympics. To get three goals in one game, it's surreal."

Wake up Baltimore Sun. The Winter Olympics are almost over, and if The Sun were our only news source, we'd hardly know they were happening. In both the print and online editions the coverage has been abysmal. I guess that if Baltimore's own Michael Phelps isn't competing they are a non-event. Don Ruthig, Glen Arm Send letters to the editor to talkback@baltimoresun.com.

NEW YORK -- One month after losing the TV rights to pro football to the Fox Network, CBS will announce today its victory over Fox in securing the rights to the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, for an estimated $375 million.Winning the Nagano rights provides a crucial jolt of adrenaline and good news to CBS Sports by providing a major event to look forward to so quickly after its failed football negotiations. And last year, CBS lost a last-ditch bid to renew its deal with Major League Baseball and was greatly outbid by NBC for the rights to the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

If you don't have a hotel reservation for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, it's probably too late. Perhaps time your visit for just before or just after the games begin Feb. 12. You can also fly to Seattle and drive to Vancouver. $219 Continental Seattle $455 Northwest Vancouver $469 United Vancouver Restricted roundtrip fees as researched online Tuesday, the day before the Travel section goes to press.

Good morning -- South Carroll High -- Who do you root for today when UConn's Josh Boone plays Indiana's Marshall Strickland on national TV? Question of the day NEXT QUESTION Which Winter Olympics sport is your favorite? Selected responses to today's question will be printed Monday on The Kickoff page. Please e-mail your answer (about 25 words) to sports@baltsun.com by 3 p.m. tomorrow. Include your name, address and a daytime telephone number for verification purposes. THEY SAID IT "I like the sound of it. It's a combination of two of my favorite places, Toronto and Reno.

Are you satisfied with the U.S. medal total at the Winter Olympics? Let's face it, we've been spoiled in recent years by some great moments. But these Games were a real stinker. When "The Flying Tomato" is the best part of the Olympics, you know you're in trouble. And how 'bout Bode? Jeffrey Mariner Phoenix When are the Winter Olympics? I've been watching so much college basketball, golf, and all right, I admit it, American Idol, I've lost track. Let me know, I'd really like to see our own Kimmie Meisner skate.

Figure skating in the Winter Olympics was one of the most popular events, receiving prime-time television coverage and propelling CBS to top ratings over the other networks. However, some of the world's best figure skaters, including Brian Boitano, Katarina Witt and Scott Hamilton, could not compete because Olympic skating still isn't open to professionals who receive money from events not sanctioned by the International Skating Union. In contrast, professional players in basketball, tennis and hockey can be involved in their sports in the games.

Days until opening ceremonies: 3.Snowfall: No new snow. Current blanket is 6.3 inches in Nagano city and 85 inches on men's downhill course.Update: Athletes and officials from 72 nations will take part in the upcoming games, making it the biggest winter Olympics. In the 1994 Lillehammer Games, 67 countries participated. The total number of athletes and officials will be announced this week.Going for the gold: Wayne Gretzky and Martin Brodeaur were nowhere in sight. Still, Olympic hockey teams clashed on Japanese ice in a warm-up for the Winter Games.

When the U.S. Olympic bobsled team went looking for a few good men, Bob Weissenfels decided to enlist.Playing football and competing in track and field at the Naval Academy provided Weissenfels with the perfect profile to become a bobsled pusher. He was strong, fast and accustomed to taking orders.But his Olympic dream is becoming a legal nightmare.Weissenfels, who earned one of eight Olympic berths during a July trial, must qualify for the bobsled team again this week in Altenberg, Germany.