Do They Care? Do We Care?

That was just sweet to watch. The Canadian juniors got revenge for last year's defeat in the gold medal game in Saskatoon by trouncing the host Americans 4-1 in the semi-finals. It means a Canada-Russia showdown for gold on Wednesday. I say the host Americans because the tournament is in Buffalo. Some might question that after seeing the amount of red and white in the stands.

Canadians have flocked en masse to Buffalo the way the Rider Nation goes to Calgary or whoever. They have taken over! Its like Buffalo is now in Ontario. (BTW, that would make three sad football teams in Ontario). You have to wonder how this event was marketed allowing all the Canadians to get tickets. Were Sabres fans not given an option to buy a ticket? If they did, did they sell it to the nearest Canuck? Do the fine people of Buffalo, who sell out the HSBC Arena for Sabres games, not care about the World Juniors. What does USA hockey think about this? What does the IIHF think. Do they even care because the money is trickling in from the Canadians in attendance?

I would think USA hockey is appalled over the lack of fan support their team has been given compared to Canada. When this event was in Boston many years ago, they played it at University schools like Massachusetts instead of the new Boston Garden (corporate name of place fails me right now) and even then attendance was sparse. When the event was in Grand Forks a few years ago, many Canadians made the trip from Winnipeg but being a university town and home to the North Dakota Fighting Sioux, there was a solid fanbase for the U-S. Not so this time around. When the tournament is held in Sweden or wherever, you don't see the fanaticism that we in Canada have. Does that mean we are the only people in the world that care about this tournament. Would we care about it as much if TSN turned its back on it or simply decided to never broadcast it in the first place. Whatever it is, it would seem as if Canadians are the only ones that gives a rats-ass about this event. That's sad in one way, but quite refreshing in another.
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What's the one thing about the 2011 championships in Buffalo that's better than the 2010 event in Saskatchewan? As many people have Twittered and Facebooked in the last hour, no one has tried to force-feed that inane Pepsi chant from last year. Remember that "EH OH CANADA GO" mantra that we were supposed to use at the juniors and the Olympics. I remember the idiot trying to get the crowd going at the Brandt Centre during a Canadian exhibition game last year and failing miserably. That whole ad campaign was just a mess---one of the worst ever. It just faded away into oblivion much like Poochie on the Simpsons.
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I'd like to know why Hockey Canada didn't invite Sweden to the Under 17 challenge in Winnipeg. I'm guessing their hockey lineage means they would be better than Germany or Slovakia, but those two teams went in along with the US, Finland and Czechs. Whatever the reason, people in Saskatchewan were the beneficiaries as the Swedish Under 17 team treated SJHL fans in Flin Flon, La Ronge, Humboldt and the Battlefords to a different brand of hockey. The Swedes swept the four game series with a 5-2 win over the Battlefords Stars Monday night. Swedish goalie Oscar Dansk was magnificent in recording the win. Watch for the names on that Swedish team and see where they are in 3 years time.
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We patiently await official confirmation of Greg Marshall. It looks now like it will happen Wednesday, but no one is really sure.
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There was a story in the LP's online site about a couple in Calgary that got married at a Tim Hortons. Just when you think the human race couldn't get any lower. Why on earth would anyone want to get married at a Tim Hortons? Was Burger King not available? Was Wal-Mart not suitable? Puh-leeze!
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The small numbers on a dartboard are next to the larger numbers to minimize the possibility of high scores from lucky throws. Who knew????