So I'll be the first one to admit that I don't really watch that much hockey if the Flyers aren't involved. When it comes to the "big four" in American pro sports, my rankings are baseball and football at 1 and 1a, followed in a distant third by hockey, and then basketball. I still enjoy watching hockey, but if something else is on, I'll watch that instead.
That wasn't the case last night in the Winter Olympics. After stunning Canada in the preliminary rounds, the United States had one last shot at their hosts, and this time, it was for the gold medal. No one expected the U.S. to make it to the gold medal game. Hell, the team even booked plane tickets for the morning of the game before the Olympics started, so that lets you know how much faith everyone had in this team. Yesterday, the U.S. Men's hockey team put out a great effort, but Canada seemed to have a little bit more. With just a minute left in the game, the Canadians were up 2-1, and the U.S. had pulled Ryan Miller. It looked like it was over.
Then, the improbable happened. Zach Parise scored with just 25 seconds left, making this the only time that I have ever cheered for a member of the New Jersey Devils. Now, the crowd was quiet, and it seemed like destiny was on the side of Team U.S.A. I for one didn't want to see a shootout decide who was going to win the gold, so I was hoping for an end in overtime, hopefully with a quick goal by the Americans. Instead, I got the worst possible scenario. Ryan Miller had done everything possible during the Olympics, short of standing on his head to stop the puck a few times, but he ran out of miracles last night. As I was sitting on my couch, saying "if Canada wins, don't let it be Crosby...don't let it be Crosby..." this happened:
Yep, that's Sidney Crosby, celebrating his gold medal winning goal in overtime, to beat Team U.S.A. It's bad enough to watch your country lose in the gold medal game, but to watch my least favorite player in the entire NHL score the final goal of the Olympics and make himself into a Canadian hero...that's too much. It's not that Crosby isn't a great player: he is. I, and just about every other Philadelphia fan, just hate the way that he plays the game. He is the torch bearer for the "new generation" of the NHL, which features less physicality and more diving and whining to the refs. I don't mind less fighting in hockey, but when players like Crosby, who is extremely talented, but plays like a punk, end up winning a Stanley Cup and a gold medal within a year...I can't take it.
With that being said, hockey should enjoy a bit of a bounce back following the Olympics. The entire tournament was great, and the finals brought a lot of extra attention to the game, and that should carry over into the remainder of the NHL season. I don't think that hockey is going to catch football or baseball any time soon, but it's got a shot at passing basketball, at least. Congrats to Mike Richards and Chris Pronger, too. At least two of the Flyers are coming home with gold, even if they did play for Canada.
Picture thanks to ESPN.com via Harry How/Getty Images
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