Oh, I'm not finished yet...
It's the day after Canada's elimination from the Olympic hockey tournament. Across the country fans are asking one question: Why? News headlines abound with buzzwords like "heartbreaking" and "unbelievable".
It's heartbreaking alright, although it's anything but unbelievable.
The reason why we lost is simple. They. Didn't. Want. It. Badly. Enough.
Back in 2002 in the Salt Lake City games, Canada was hungry. Starving for a gold medal which had eluded us for 50 years. And Hockey Canada did what had to be done: they enlisted Wayne Gretzky to put together a team. Not just any team, of course, but A Dream Team. And for months we watched and followed as he narrowed his list, we openly speculated and argued about who his choices should be. And we listened and watched live when the final team was announced. They went into the Olympics as the underdog, and they clawed their way to the top.
Now, four years later, it was a streamlined process. Call Wayne, have him select his picks, and we're off. And Wayne delivered, putting together Dream Team 2. And this team which he unleashed into the Games swaggered onto the ice with the full expectation they would win. We're the defending champions, right? Of course we'll do it again! It'll be easy! Why bother trying?
People, we were shut out by Switzerland at one point in the tournament. A team with only two NHL-calibre players, one of whom is retired. But you know what? Even though they too were eliminated, I respect them because they wanted it.
Russia wanted it. Sweden wanted it. The Czechs wanted it. The Finns wanted it. And one of them will win the gold.
Rosi DiManno writes that if you think we feel sad about this, then we should consider how bad the players feel. Poor ol' Joe Sakic, y'know, as team captain will have to live with this loss on his chest for the next four years. Well, Joe: Boo-fuckin'-hoo. Where the hell were you? Where was your leadership? You're one of the most gifted players in the NHL...why weren't you crashing through the Russian defence and scoring? Why didn't you guys just go out there and do it?
Team Canada got exactly what it deserves.
I think the great experiment of having rich NHL players compete in the Olympics is dead. Let's get back to the hungry amateur athletes. Let's start fielding teams comprised of garbage collectors, teachers, bank tellers, exterminators and disc jockeys. Someone who will want it.
Anyways, I just heard that Canada has won the bronze in curling. Yay. Maybe one day I could learn to give a shit about curling. But not today.
It's heartbreaking alright, although it's anything but unbelievable.
The reason why we lost is simple. They. Didn't. Want. It. Badly. Enough.
Back in 2002 in the Salt Lake City games, Canada was hungry. Starving for a gold medal which had eluded us for 50 years. And Hockey Canada did what had to be done: they enlisted Wayne Gretzky to put together a team. Not just any team, of course, but A Dream Team. And for months we watched and followed as he narrowed his list, we openly speculated and argued about who his choices should be. And we listened and watched live when the final team was announced. They went into the Olympics as the underdog, and they clawed their way to the top.
Now, four years later, it was a streamlined process. Call Wayne, have him select his picks, and we're off. And Wayne delivered, putting together Dream Team 2. And this team which he unleashed into the Games swaggered onto the ice with the full expectation they would win. We're the defending champions, right? Of course we'll do it again! It'll be easy! Why bother trying?
People, we were shut out by Switzerland at one point in the tournament. A team with only two NHL-calibre players, one of whom is retired. But you know what? Even though they too were eliminated, I respect them because they wanted it.
Russia wanted it. Sweden wanted it. The Czechs wanted it. The Finns wanted it. And one of them will win the gold.
Rosi DiManno writes that if you think we feel sad about this, then we should consider how bad the players feel. Poor ol' Joe Sakic, y'know, as team captain will have to live with this loss on his chest for the next four years. Well, Joe: Boo-fuckin'-hoo. Where the hell were you? Where was your leadership? You're one of the most gifted players in the NHL...why weren't you crashing through the Russian defence and scoring? Why didn't you guys just go out there and do it?
Team Canada got exactly what it deserves.
I think the great experiment of having rich NHL players compete in the Olympics is dead. Let's get back to the hungry amateur athletes. Let's start fielding teams comprised of garbage collectors, teachers, bank tellers, exterminators and disc jockeys. Someone who will want it.
Anyways, I just heard that Canada has won the bronze in curling. Yay. Maybe one day I could learn to give a shit about curling. But not today.
1 Comments:
nice rant deaner
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