My Parents Getting Their Olympic On

Making History

Has anything been bigger? Not only is it Canada vs USA in the highest profile sport of the games, but it’s Most Golds vs Most Medals. The potential headlines are amazing. If Canada wins, we will have set a new record for the most golds by one country in the Olympics. Here’s what we need to do:

Continue Being ‘Gorillas’: A Russian player noted that the Canadians looked like gorillas stepping out of a cage looking for blood. Canada needs to pound USA and pound them early. Get physical.

Miller isn’t Immortal: First of all, all props to him and his performance this tournement. But we forget that Canada put 3 goals on him last week in a generally lackluster performance. Make him move left to right all game, put the shots high, and crashing the net will let some goals squeak by. We can respect him after the game.

Luongo Needs To Get Personal: He’s got the weight of an entire nation resting on his Reebok shoulders and the fact this situation of him playing in his own house is too much for any human. Luckily for the Canadians, Patty Kane helped us out. Luongo needs to put a personal vendetta against Kane and shut him up for good. Forget Vancouver, Canada, gold, and history, just shut him up. period.

Its go time.

patriotic.

sammiex:

i’m feeling unusually patriotic today. maybe because i’ve been spending far too much time downtown with my friends watching hockey and soaking up what is left of the olympic games. i’m more than than sad to see the olympic games ending. i could have done so much more with my two week break; but i didn’t. and now it pains me to see this wonderful city go back to the way it used to be. without the wonderful people downtown to give you highfives and cheer you on for no good reason. to chant ridiculous things like “LG” down robson and granville. this is a once in a lifetime moment and i’m so glad to have been able to experience it with all my friends, vancouver and the world.

/smiles

—-

this is an excerpt from “We are More” by Shane Koyczan.

When defining Canada
We are the home of the Rocket and the Great One
Inspirers of little number nines
And little number ninety-nines
But we’re more than hockey and fishing lines
Off the rocky coast of the Maritimes
Some say what defines us
Is something as simple as please and thank you
And as for you’re welcome
Well we say that too

But we are more
Than genteel or civilized
We are an idea in the process
Of being realized
We are young
We are cultures strung together
Then woven into a tapestry
And the design
Is what makes us more
Than the sum total of our history

We are an experiment going right for a change
With influences that range from a to zed
(yes we say zed instead of zee)
We are the colours of Chinatown and the coffee of Little Italy
We dream so big that there are those
Who would call our ambition an industry
We are vineyards of good year after good year
Because we believe in generations beyond our own
Knowing now that so many of us
Have grown past what used to be

We can stand here today
Filled with all the hope people have
When they say things like, someday
Because we are more
Than a laundry list of things to do and places to see
We are more than hills to ski
Or countryside ponds to skate
We are the abandoned hesitation of all those who can’t wait
We are first-rate greasy spoon diners and healthy living cafés
A country that is all the ways you choose to live
A nation that can give you variety
Because we are choices

We are millions upon millions of voices shouting
“Keep exploring”
We are the surprise the world has in store for you
It’s true
Canada is the “what” in “what’s new?”

But don’t let your luggage define your travels
Each life unravels differently
And experiences are what make up
The colours of our tapestry
We are the True North
Strong and free
And what’s more
Is that we didn’t just say it,
We made it be.

As our games draw to a close, what impacts has it made for you?

Team Canada vs Team Slovakia

I’d be lying if I didn’t think that this was an easier match for Canada than Sweden. But at the same time, Slovakia has been my dark horse team the whole tournament. In my opinion, they have been the hardest working team in this tourney (USA is a close second). Some things of note about Slovakia:

- They like to keep the pace slow, and the score small. If Canada can take command of the tone of game early, it’s a good sign to keep your sunday free.

- Much like Russia, they have a couple of gunners. Call them Russia lite or what not, but a team with Marian Gaborik and two Hossa’s should hardly be dis-regarded (not to mention a Pavol Demitria that forgot he’s supposed to fade into oblivion).

- They have beat two of the four “top ranked” teams in Sweden and Russia. In comparison, Canada has only beat one. Canada needs to take them seriously.

- Their goaltender, Jaroslav Halak has been hot. Team Canada needs to realize that he’s HALAK, and not HASEK. Halak is the guy that couldn’t even beat out Corey Price for a starting job, a Canadian who was never even considered for our team.
All in all, if Team Canada plays with the grit, desire, and heart that killed Russia, I have no worries, but Slovakia shouldn’t be underrated at all.