Yesterday evening, I really paid attention to the Olympics for the first time since the 2002 version started. It was an enjoyable night. I cheered the Canadian Women’s hockey team winning gold against the heavily favoured U.S. team, and I cheered American Sarah Hughes as she put on the figure skating performance of her life to jump from fourth place to the gold medal podium. It was the first time I’ve ever followed figure skating. Go, Sarah!
And, yes, Erin cheered Canada, even though she’s American. Truthfully, we were cheering for a good game, and we got it. The Americans kept it close, and although I’m sure they’re disappointed, they should not be ashamed of their performance. The Canadian/American women’s hockey rivalry is one for the ages.
The Women’s hockey gold means more to me than any Men’s hockey medal, if you want my opinion. The Women’s team has always been just that: a team. The Men’s team is a cobbled together collection of hockey stars, and thus for some reason, they mean less to me. If I had my way, I’d cut the links between NHL hockey and the Olympic games, and go back to before 1998, when real teams competed for this event. Still, we still have our women…