Fast Break

Olympics

Games will get a flying start

Ski jumping at Whistler Olympic Park will open the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, while the men’s hockey gold medal final at GM Place will wrap up the 17 days of competition. The schedule for the 2010 Olympics was released this week.

The opening ceremonies will be Feb. 12 at B.C. Place Stadium, with ski jump qualifying the only event scheduled for Day 1.

The men’s hockey final, the 50K men’s cross-country ski race and the closing ceremonies, also at B.C. Place Stadium, will conclude the events on Feb. 28.

The first medals will be awarded on Day 2 in men’s downhill, men’s 10K biathlon, men’s individual ski jump finals, women’s moguls, men’s 1,500 short-track speedskating and the men’s 5,000 long-track race.

The first figure skating medals will be awarded on Day 4 in pairs, with the women’s singles wrapping up the competition at the Pacific Coliseum on Day 14.

NFL

Heckava big kick returner

From emergency starting center last year to starting right guard late this year, Geoff Hangartner has become a valuable utility man on the Carolina offensive line.

Only the 6-foot-5, 301-pound Hangartner can’t walk through the locker room these days without catching grief about his kickoff returns.

“I think we’re averaging pretty good field position,” Hangartner said Wednesday of his three returns this season. “My return average – you guys should write about this in the paper – it went up 1 yard last week, from 13 to 14 yards.”

The same week Hangartner made his second straight start at right guard ahead of Jeremy Bridges, a botched, short kickoff somehow bounced his way again. Hangartner picked it up, wrapped both mammoth hands around it, and rumbled straight ahead 16 yards to the Panthers 39.

The good starting field position led to John Kasay’s go-ahead field goal in the Panthers’ surprising 13-10 win over Seattle.

“I don’t know why teams don’t start kicking away from him every time,” center Justin Hartwig said, dripping with sarcasm. “He’s the obvious lethal weapon back there.”

NBA

Sounds familiar: Build it or else

Oklahoma City made its first major move toward permanently attracting an NBA franchise Thursday when Mayor Mick Cornett called for the public to support a proposal to spend more than $100 million to overhaul the Ford Center and build a practice facility.

Cornett accelerated plans for the vote by several months so it could be held prior to an April date when NBA owners are expected to consider a request by Seattle SuperSonics owner Clay Bennett to move his team to Oklahoma City.