Its a little different as I wake up this morning. I think many of you feel the same way. There's a feeling that you only get so many times a year. A nervous anticipation, an excitement. You keep looking at the clock wondering if it can't go any faster. There is only one thing of importance happening on this the last day of February. This country doesn't shut down very often, but you would be hard pressed to find much activity going on around 2 o'clock Saskatchewan time today when the gold medal game for mens hockey hits. Canada versus the USA. Its what I think a lot of us wanted. Even moreso after what happened last Sunday when we were knocked off by what turned out to be a very cocky American squad.
How many of us will be wearing red and white? How many of us will look back to where they were eight years ago when these two teams met in Salt Lake City? How many of us are hoping that we can celebrate today the way we wanted to in late November when that red and white was replaced by green and white?
Leading up to the Olympics, I heard people say Canada could win a record amount of medals, but if they don't win hockey gold, it won't be a success. I heard people say that if there was only one medal that Canada won it had to be hockey gold. That's the way this nation is. We weren't going to let the Russians take our game from us in 72. We weren't very happy when the U-S beat us in 1996 at the World Cup, we have boasted about our hockey brilliance when the Canadian juniors won year after year after year, but the Americans ended that on a cold Monday night in Saskatoon just a few months ago. Its time to grab our game back. We can't let our major rival own the junior and Olympic title. We can't go four years saying the Americans are the defending Olympic champs. I don't care if a win by the U-S today will do wonders for the sport south of the 49th.
History will be made this afternoon. A moment in Canadian sport that will never be forgotten will be made. Leaf fans and Habs fans will unite, Rider fans and Bomber fans will unite, English Canada and French Canada will unite, regardless of your political patronage, you will be there arm and arm. We are all for one cause today.
Our patriotism will be on full display whether it be at Canada Hockey Place, your basement, your buddies basement or sports bars across this country. We will be glued to our televisions. It is going to be a Sunday to remember. DROP THE PUCK, and one other thing. GO CANADA!!
7 comments:
Well said Mitch GO CANADA GO!!!
The only thing you forgot to mention is the giant lump in our throat we will have if its close in the final 5 minutes, and the misty eyes a lot of us will have if they win.
Brian
Win or lose today, Canada's had Olympic success beyond anyone's wildest dreams. The outcome of today's hockey game will not change that.
Drop the Puck.. Game on! Go Canada Go
Cory
I will admit the only thing I wanted to watch before the games started was Olympic hockey. The rest were things I didn't care about because I'm not a curling guy, I'm not a skier, I'm not a speedskater, etc. etc. However, I watched Jennifer Heil win her medal and I was hooked. I have a sense of nationalistic pride that I didn't think I had two weeks ago. The performance of our athletes have been tremendous. The gold medal this afternoon if it happens will just be icing on the cake.
Darren Gardiner
We are a nation that is "hockey-centric". A loss this afternoon and we will bemoan and criticize more than any other loss we experienced. However, the past two weeks should show Canadians that we are more than hockey players. We should be very proud of all those who competed medal or not. The way they represented this country was fantastic!
Shannon
No matter what happens today, it will be talked about for years. It will be talked about more than Bilodeau, Hamelin, Martin, etc. etc. Its because hockey is everything when it comes to Canadians. Its our game and we won't like it if someone takes that away from us.
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