"Requiring the United States to beat favored Canada two times in eight days was a monumental task; under Olympic formats used until the 1990s, when there wasn't a true gold-medal game, the earlier victory and the Americans' unbeaten record would have been enough for gold.
So there you have it, over the rules in place since the inception of ice hockey in the winter Olympics, in the true spirit of international sports competition without the crass commercial big dollar interference of ego-capitalism, the US Hockey team did indeed deserve and did win the Gold Medal in one of the most stunning upsets in 30 years. Only instead, we will throw a bone to the under-achiever goons of Oh Canada, who barely beat three of the seven teams it faced, including the Swiss and Slovakia, who were outscored by one goal in the two games played against the Americans and who should have waltzed to a Gold Medal without the drama or flick of anyone's wrist.
Sigh, what else is there to write about on a Sunday night? Bitter? No I am not bitter at all. The Americans winning Silver and taking the big, bad burly Canadians to overtime, where they took a skater off of each team, letting them play four on four, just to get the damn thing over with, well, kudos to those boys, the most inexperienced team in the tournament with only three players having played in any prior Olympics.
If ever there was victory in coming in second, honor in losing, a reason to celebrate the short end of a 3-2 score, this was it. Say what you will about how wonderful it is for Canada to bring home the Gold, it was America bringing home the Silver that is the story of this day, of this Olympics, of International Hockey at its best.
That's what there is write about on a Sunday night.
Now on to Big Love.
A
