Small town Canadian boy calls out nation’s hockey team.
I've been pretty hardcore during this year's olympics. In the past, I've done my best to watch key sports, mainly hockey, but this year I've been all over the olympics. Last night I had hockey up on the big-screen, while watching men's curling and arial skiing online in HD, all at the same time. I've been bleeding maple flavoured red and white this year, and my team, my country has delivered.
Last night, just as our Canadian women's hockey team brought home their third straight gold medal, I found my self embarrassed to be Canadian, and embarrassed to be a hockey fan, due to what I am calling the "douchebaggery" of the Canadian men's olympic hockey team.
CTV did a great job of covering the game, and moreover, did a great job of capturing the atmosphere of the arena last night as Canada supported their gold medalists. All of Canada that is, except the Canadian men's hockey team.
At least half a dozen times during during the game and post-game celebration, the camera crew panned up to show many members of the men's hockey team up in the press boxes, and not once.. not one single time did I even see a smile. Not after a goal. Not after two goals. Not after the buzzer ending the game, or during the on-ice celebration. Not once.
What the hell?
Are you overpaid monkey's too good to throw up your hands and cheer for your nation's best hockey team? Yes, I said your nations best hockey team. You know, the ones that haven't buckled under the pressure; the ones that have delivered on their promises and brought home top honors in "Canada's Game" for 3 straight olympics. Or are you intimidated by their success? Maybe awestruck by their skill? That's entirely possible, I suppose. Women's hockey lacks the physicality that I enjoy in the masculine brand of the game, but you can't argue that there was just as much skill (if not more) on the ice last night than we'll see tonight during the men's semifinals.
So what was it? What made you so much better than the rest of us that it was beneath you to even throw out a half-assed fist pump last night?
I'm in an awkward spot now. Because of my passion for the sport and my want to support our athletes, I'm still going to cheer on this team stoic douchebags that call themselves Canadian. Deep down though, there's a part of me that'd love to see you (the team) get stopped into the ice. That's right, I said it. I'd also wager my pay-check against yours (most of you made more money while I typed this rant out than I made all last year) that you'll find most of our women's hockey team in the stands, probably not in press boxes, cheering you on every step of the way.
GO CANADA GO!
- Tagged in: culture, pride, news, hockey, canada, olympics
- Category: General
