The last time a United States Olympic hockey team played a meaningful medal game against Finland, the Americans on the ice included such names as Mike Eruzione, Jim Craig and Ken Morrow.[ep
That's right, the Americans beat Finland for the 1980 gold medal in men's hockey at Lake Placid. Call it the game most Americans, when asked about their memories of that Olympics, are likely to forget. Beating the Russians in the semifinals was the glory game --- and rightfully so --- but it was a defeat of Finland that enabled the U.S. to complete its gold-medal miracle.[ep
On Monday at Palasport Olimpico in Torino, Italy, another U.S. hockey team, this time the women, completed their 2006 Olympics run with a 4-0 bronze medal victory over Finland.[ep
A forgettable victory? Perhaps. The experts, looking at statistics and history leading up to the 2006 Games, had already predicted a third consecutive United States-Canada gold medal final. If there was one sure thing for these Olympics, that was it.[ep
Why then was the first row of spectators in front of me filled with Sweden fans? Did they not know their team was to play later Monday night in the gold medal final against Canada? Or maybe they too believed the hype about U.S. and Canada and instead hoped the Swedes would reach the "others' final", also known as the bronze game.[ep
Sweden, owners of an 0-25 record against the Americans heading into last Friday's semifinal game, pulled off a 3-2 shocker in a shootout. The victory not only got the Swedes on the all-time scoreboard against the U.S., but its ramifications sent the sport into a slight state of disarray.[ep
One American woman, standing in line for Monday's bronze-medal game, said she had bought her tickets for this game and the gold-medal contest back in October.[ep
Her attitude, though, about seeing the Americans play for the bronze instead of gold was mixed.[ep
"I'm disappointed in the U.S. team," said the woman who is from Anchorage, Alaska and has played nearly two decades in the city's women's hockey league. "These are the only games I've been to and all I know is from what I've read about them, but they cut their captain (Cammi Granato) from the past and it's apparently not the same team.
"But it's also nice to see another team make it to the final because maybe it will help accelerate the quality of women's hockey and improve the game. I had also heard talk of wanting to eliminate women's hockey as an Olympic sport because the Americans and Canada were seen as being too good. For that reason it's nice to see other countries step up."[ep
Indeed, any kind of change at the top --- Canada and the U.S. played in the gold medal game in 1998 and 2002 with each team winning once --- is progress for the women's game.[ep
But leaving the arena Monday after watching Katie King, whose hat trick enabled the U.S. women to claim their third medal in three Olympics, and her teammates play, some of the 5,150 fans in attendance were overheard saying it was better for the U.S. to win bronze than nothing at all.[ep
When the U.S. team won its gold in Nagano, beating Canada provided a nice story for women's athletics. The only problem is that it wasn't nearly the attention-grabbing, watershed moment as the 1999 U.S. women's soccer team's World Cup championship and the infamous on-the-field Brandi Chastain sports bra celebration.[ep
In terms of Olympic moments, Summer Games gold medal victories for women's softball and women's basketball each likely meant more to an American culture that still finds hockey puzzling.[ep
Add to U.S. women's hockey woes that you followed up the 1998 gold with a silver in 2002, in your home country, losing any momentum from 1998 by giving it back to Canada. Sorry, that just isn't how you keep people's attention.[ep
Taking another step down in 2006 with a bronze medal might give three-time U.S. Olympians King, Angela Ruggiero, Tricia Dunn-Luoma and Jenny Potter a complete set of medals to impress their children and grandchildren, but these players might also be left with an unsettling feeling.[ep
Can people forget about beating Finland for a bronze when every player on that 2006 roster knows they should have been preparing for a gold-medal rubber match with Canada later Monday night?[ep
I don't claim to be an expert on women's hockey, but I think I know the answer for each one of those Americans as they now stare at a bronze medal they never imagined they'd have played 60 minutes to win on Monday afternoon.[ep
Ryan T. Blystone is a staff writer, editor and columnist for the World of Wonder web blog.[ep
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2 comments:
Hooray for Swedish Silver!
While I'm glad for the credibility that teams USA and Canada have given to women's ice hockey, it is fantastic to see another country up the ante in this area - and in other winter sports as well. As I watch the events, I have become increasingly annoyed by how the Olympic television media have emphasized the "tragedies" the American athletes have suffered during these Games - as if the Olympics were ours and ours alone to take the glory. Sure, we have made some pretty impressive headlines - Shani Davis, anyone? Vonetta Flowers? The coverage gives us our fill of all things American (that's what we want; it's our team battling for victory, after all). But our so-called "losses" are nothing compared to the athletes from tiny, war-torn countries who have shown phenomenal tenacity and have earned gold medals. Those competitors who have overcome political, financial, physical and other extreme hardships just to represent their homeland truly represent the heart, soul and spirit of the Olympics. Watching the Croatian (?) brother-sister skiers earn medals thrilled me much more than an American speed skater racking up another award with ease. I'll take the memory of an unknown Latvian standing on the gold-medal podium any day over a freestyle American snowboarder who lost out on a top award for messing up on a small stylistic trick. Bode who??
I hope that women's hockey remains in the Winter Olympic lineup. It should, and it is fascinating to watch, regardless of which countries compete. As much as I love it when we are victorious in the Games, I enjoy watching other nations begin to make their own cultural history by earning medals and establishing a presence to be respected by other dominant nations.
Ryan, your blogs are fantastic. Cappuccino and Pinot Grigio seem to agree with you as well! Keep those fantastic details coming!
Jerre
Dear Ryan,
As I was sitting in the stands watching the game I was thinking about the interview and your question to the effect of What have I taken away from hockey? My answer of teamwork is kind of the classic answer however there is something even bigger in my mind and that is consequence and responsibility. Your responsibility is to your team,
the opposing team and to the game. Consequence is what happens when
something gets the best of your emotions be it frustration and anger or plain stupidity and you trip, check, hook a player on the other team and by committing this penalty you have forced your teammates to play harder, given the other team an advantage and most of all run the risk of inflicting bodily harm on a player from the other team. I have chased other players down the ice and it would have been really easy to trip them to stop the break away however by tripping them I also run the risk of them sliding head first into the goal post, boards or injuring a body part. Is the risk worth it or do you let the goalie do her job and trust that that is why she is there. I was in the ER one time with a friend and on the way out was one of the women from the league I play in, still in full gear and a hockey skate. I stopped to inquire as to what had happened and she said that another player had tripped her and in the process of going down she heard her ankle snap.
This little accident cost her quite a bit of money between medical bills and time off from work. She was out the rest of the season and will live the rest of her life with the pain that follows broken bones.
All this due to a cheap shot ... was it worth it???
I know the nature of hockey and that we all accept some risk when we step out on that ice and I know that accidents happen. I also believe that with taking these cheap shots consequences can happen. I have to get up in the morning and be happy with what I see in the mirror, I can do that knowing that I played a good, hard, clean game. I also believe
that this feeling carries over to every day life. Which risk is worth taking and what may that risk cost myself or others. Accepting responsibility for our own actions!
Take care and I hope your article turns out great and you had a good time at the games.
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