‘For me, the Olympics never got old,’ says CBC’s Scott Russell, as he gets set to cover his final Games

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You could be forgiven, watching Scott Russell chat with Adrienne Arsenault on The National this week in a preview of his coverage of the Paris Games, thinking that he seemed close to choking up. In almost four decades covering sports for CBC, including 16 Olympics and 14 years as a sideline reporter for Hockey Night in Canada, Russell has never been one to hide his sense of awe at the extraordinary feats he’s witnessed, and the thrill of being in his position. But there’s a melancholic air to his current assignment, during which he will anchor six hours of afternoon coverage each day. After this summer’s Olympics and Paralympics, Russell will retire from the host’s chair. But he won’t be still for long: He’s got a new gig as chancellor of Nipissing University in North Bay, Ont., is an honorary board member of the Paralympic Foundation of Canada, and an advisory board member for the International Centre for Olympic Studies at Western University. Also? He’s just built a new sauna at his cottage, and there are some hot rocks calling out for his attention.

You’re heading into your 17th Olympics. Which one was the best?

Athens [2004] was the best, and it’s because it’s where the modern Olympic Games began in 1896. And Athens just felt like the home of the Olympics.

Wait, wasn’t it ungodly hot?

It was ungodly hot. However, that made for great sport, and the sprinting in athletics was fantastic. And I expect heat in the crucible of the Olympics.

WEEKENDS WITH

Is there a characteristic that defines you?

I think that I am full of a sense of wonder. I still have my eyes wide open, and that’s stood me in good stead over the years because, for me, the Olympics never got old.

How do you hold on to that sense of wonder? During the ups and the downs of a four-decade career, I’m sure you’ve seen all kinds of things to make you cynical.

I think that when it comes to the Olympics, I hold on to the sense of wonder because I believe in the Olympics. And people say, ‘Ah, it’s corny, that’s an idealistic point of view,’ but it’s the truth. I believe in the Olympics and the Olympic ideal. The Olympics are about excellence, friendship and respect. And I believe in that.

And you’re able to hold at bay all of the other stuff that compromises that Olympic ideal in 2024?

Yep, because it’s not the Olympics that don’t live up to the ideal. It’s the people that run the Olympics and have the ability to corrupt the Olympic ideal. The Olympic ideal is not assailable: Respect, friendship, excellence. That’s not assailable. And that’s what I believe in. I don’t necessarily believe in, you know, Thomas Bach or the people who run the Olympics, but I believe in the ideal.

Is there a characteristic of yours that you don’t like?

Yeah, I think that I can sometimes be gullible, maybe taken advantage of into believing, sometimes.

When did you fall in love with sports?

As a kid playing road hockey on Cassandra Boulevard in Don Mills, Ont., and I wanted to be Ronnie Ellis, who played for the Leafs and was my favourite player. That’s when I fell in love with sports. When did I fall in love with the Olympics? When I went to summer camp in Haliburton, Ont., and we had the mini-Olympics and I’d never seen anything like it. The pomp and the pageantry and the torch and the lighting of the cauldron and the playing of the national anthem. Summer camp is when I fell in love with the Olympics.

Sports has a reputation in the news business of being a playpen. Did you ever think you should do something ‘Capital I – Important’?

No, I think what I do is important. I think sport is supremely important to the health of every community in this country. And, internationally, sport is the great connector. In this country we certainly meet people in our communities through sport. Often, it’s the first point of contact for newcomers to the country and to any community. I think sport is hugely important and I never wanted to do something that was perceived to be more important than this.

Is there an invitation that you would like to receive?

I would love to be able to meet Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills. I think he is an extraordinary athlete. I have to say that I fell out of love with the NFL a number of years ago, and then he appeared. He is so compelling that he’s my favourite player in any sport currently. He has the ability to relate to the community. And he’s a magnetic personality. He’s full of wonder, that guy. That’s it. He’s full of wonder, his eyes are wide open, and I love that about him.

Is there an historical figure you would like to meet?

I would have liked to have met Nelson Mandela. I was in South Africa in advance of the FIFA World Cup in 2010, and he was not there at the time. But I went to Robben Island where he was in prison, and I saw his cell. I’ve read his biography.

Do you have a favourite author?

F. Scott Fitzgerald. The Great Gatsby is my favourite book of all time. I was forced to read it in high school. I was forced to read it again, first year university in English 101. And I have read it 25 times since. It’s the tale of the ultimate outsider. And there was always to me a sense of longing that was revealed in Gatsby as he stood and looked at the green light. I think I’ve always wanted to be a part of something, and that appealed to me.

Do you have a favourite songwriter?

I’m a country-music fan. I like Eric Church, he’s a great songwriter.

Any favourite concerts?

I went to see Eric Church four times. And I’m really excited because my first trip to see Bruce Springsteen is coming up in August.

Where are you going for that?

Pittsburgh, because apparently the tickets were more accessible there than anywhere else.

What’s your greatest extravagance?

I have just built a sauna at my cottage in Haliburton, and I love it. It’s an extravagance, but I love it.

What kind?

It’s a wood burner, and it’s an old Finnish-style sauna, and I put the water on the rocks, I have an outdoor shower. It is glorious!

Wait, did you say you built it yourself?

I envisioned it! But you know what? I will say that some very nice people from Lakefield, Ont., came, and they worked with me and my wife, and we envisioned it and they built it exactly to our vision.

What’s your greatest fear?

I don’t want to be left alone. And I know that sounds weird, but I don’t want to be left alone and be away from my loved ones.

I’m not sure that sounds weird at all. Is there a sense that leaving your job after all these years will lead to that?

Fortunately, no, because I have other challenges that are coming up. I’m going to be the chancellor at Nipissing University. I’m really excited about that. I’m going to continue my work with the Canadian Paralympic Foundation. I’m going to continue my work with Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, and with the International Centre for Olympic Studies at Western University. So, I won’t be alone. I’ll still be active and engaged, and I will still have a sense of wonder about all of these things.