The Olympics So Far

This won't be a deep analysis of the past week. No one comes here--hello! is anyone out there?--for anything close to deep analysis. All you will ever get is my point of view--maybe. I'm feeling a bit ambiguous today--a little out of sorts.

Coming into these Olympics, I knew I wouldn't watch anything else but curling and hockey. And NBC hasn't disappointed with the curling coverage. I have watched more matches this last week than I have watched the entire rest of my life! Now, I enjoy curling--I don't know why, I just do--but this seems to be getting a little ridiculous. Did the US Curling Association--is there such an animal?--pay a bribe to NBC to try and grow interest in the game? Or is NBC just being the screwed-up network that we have come to know and loathe? Quite puzzling, this is.

I started watching women's hockey--and still catch a game now and then--but lost interest very quickly when Canada and USA showed such dominance against the other teams. If Canada and USA meet in the final, I may watch to see if USA wins, but other than that, I don't care too much.

Before the Olympics began, my choices for men's hockey gold were this: Finland, Sweden, USA. The rest of the teams I couldn't care less about. I would NEVER back a team with Crosby on it--and add Getzlaf and Perry and the team is poison--so Canada was completely dead to me. And I don't care how many from the Red Wing organization are part of Team Canada. I loathe Ovechkin and hate Malkin, so I wouldn't want Russia to do well. (Sorry, Pavel.) Brian Burke is an assclown and I was very disappointed that the USA allowed Kane to be on the team, so that is why they are so far down my list. Sweden winning again could be great--after all, this is probably Lidstrom's last hurrah. But in my heart of heart's, I want Finland to win. In many, many ways, my heart belongs to the 'old country.' And then last night happened.

Watching the game between Canada and USA, I found my old patriotic self come through big time. I completely forgot everything but wanting the US to crush Canada. I don't know the last time I have been that excited about a game--the Wings haven't made it easy this year--and can't wait for the next one. It is the one after that where I MAY have my problem. The US and Finland could possibly meet in the semi-finals. And that will be a big dilemma for me. Maybe.

If the Finnish players can't pull their heads out of their asses long enough to play like they did the first two games, then I probably won't have any problems in the semi-finals, cause they won't be there. Last night it looked as if the entire roster had been changed out--they couldn't pass, they couldn't do thing one during the power play, they just played very, very poorly. I certainly hope they can do better in the next game.

And that is about it for my Olympic coverage, except:

I am really enjoying the melt-down happening with some (most?) Canadian fans after last night's loss. There are two reasons, in their mind, for the loss: Brodeur and Babcock. I agree that Brodeur didn't play a great game, but could some credit be given to the USA for playing a good game? Quite a concept. The one who is being blamed the most is Babcock, however. First, for not putting Luongo in net and second, for not playing Crosby enough. Once again, Crosby is looked at as the savior--not surprising. Oh, and the reason Babcock isn't playing Crosby? Babcock is getting back at him for the Wings losing the Cup last year. Some people need to get lives.