Unmoved

that’s okay, peter. it’s only because you have no heart.

While I take it you stand apart from the twin this emotinal immunity to national pride in matters of hockey at the Olympics, I, by comparison, take no national pride in the closing of an export contract won by a firm like Bombardier or an Oscar for a Canadian director (such as Cameron for Titanic). If you do not care personally for sports, it seems entirely logical that success in that field by a fellow countryperson would not touch your national pride. If you do not have much national pride that is your own business as well. As I get older and having worked overseas, I become a little less a Maritimer and a little more a Canadian and as such do find myself caring more for these things whereas, say, in 1976 I was very impressed with fellow Nova Scotian Nancy Garapic’s silver medals but unmoved after the silver in the high jump. Also, and for me most validly, given the fascist and corrupt practices and themes still existing in the Olympics, should you reject national sporting pride in this forum but recognize it elsewhere, that would be reasonable, too.

Well, this is really the nub of it. When Doug Waite (sp?) poke checked the puck and sent one of his team mates flying and Canada got scored upon, I thought “godd play”. I did not think “drag for Canada”. I am a hockey fan rather than a Leafs, Habs or Bruins fan. I am not an Olympics fan but a luge fan so I only get to see it in the context of the Olympics. Don’t give a rodent’s posterior as to whether someone with a SIN number did well. I would not entirely agree with you, however, on “builds character, builds health” as many teen knees I have known were destroyed by high school basketball and football and as many jerks have had their self-confirmed personal importance to the world sadly supported by early and local athletic achievement. I would agree that it can build character, health and fun.

International Hockey is a Canadian metaphor for war. Given that there are far more hockey sticks (to say nothing of ice) than guns in Canada, we take our nationalistic highs where we can get them.

Think of Joe Sakic and Haley Wichenheiser as David and all those nasty non-Canadian hockey players (male and female) as Goliath, invaders trying to capture our national essence by beating us on the field of honour. Little, insecure Canada gave the world bullys a bloody nose and we can all settle back into our nationalist torpor for four years.

It is kind of weird, but that is the closest I can come to explaining the public response to a child’s game. Can you imagine if we could get this aroused about child poverty or the destruction of the ozone layer.

I’ve never understood the pride people take in the victories of their big-urban mass-spectator sports teams either. Or even in their college team. I can imagine that people who helped in selling tickets or running the bake sale or with car pooling or coaching the little league team might take pride in the kids good behavior toward competitors or perhaps even in a good sports performance, but that’s about it. Seriously: When a person’s team wins, what is one supposed to feel? Happy that one’s neighbors (in a wealthy enclave of a city of 1 million?) are doing so well? Glorification, because something connected to oneself by locale or by institution has outshined or squashed an organization associated with another locale? (what if two thirds of your family lives in the city of the competing team?).

Hmm. Maybe it’s a matter of which winner’s joy you can most easily imagine you understand. When I see the smile of a rural Kenyan as she crosses the finish line first, I feel more distant from the event than when I see a fellow from my home town cross the line beaming. That latter person’s joy I get into (simply because I imagine I understand it), so I’m happier when that person wins, and perhaps I even root for him. If I realised everybody is different or that everybody is the same, I wouldn’t care who won.

Interestingly, when I think of it I do have a significant stake in the Olympic team through my tax support of them as well as through the advertising component of prices I pay for products from their corporate sponsors. Knowing that a share of each dollar from my pocket goes to the old fascist Samaranches in the IOC, the Canada House free bars, the pre-selecting by committee of “hopefuls” (and the concurrent pre-selecting out of athletes like Susan Auchs) and the cost of the dope where dope is used, I realize I am not disinterested but really mad for being taken for a ride. That bit that gets to the real prize athlete who is clean, does well and goes on to live a life without the post-fame crash, well I’d like to just write that person a cheque directly. Probably a luger. On the bright side, it is a better situation than a buddy of mine faces in England knowing a part of his tax dollar supports the Royals. All except the Queen Mum. I’d cover a small percent of her wine bill willingly. On the dual allegence issue Oliver raised, we McLeod’s cheered the UK womens curlers who were from Mom’s Scottish county of Ayrshire. What we care we for Ms. Law - who probably lives farther as the crow flies from here than Scotland? [Rhona, the Scots skip looked like she knows how to head butt so best to keep on her good side just in case!]

While I am not an avid hockey fan, or sports for that matter(except NASCAR), I do feel a great sens of pride in our country’s athelets. Sure, one could argue that money would be better spent on supporting the arts or creativity in Canada, but why??? A sports enthusist could say that supporting art, social programs, and health is merely supporting those who take away from things like civic improvements and increasing economic activities.
Even if you do not support the olympics or sports, I hope that all canadians will take time to feel pride at being a citizen of this great country. Many people live in countries with terrible conditions.
I can say with pride that I am canadian, and like it or not we are #1 in the world.

Could not help but pop in with a comment. I have thoroughly enjoyed all the ups and downs of this winter’s Olympic Games. I don’t think events like these are perfect by any stretch and I am disheartened and frustrated as the next person about the negative aspects of competitions such as these (from the cheating to the doping to the whining). I am not always one for overdoing it on the patriotism either. For that matter, I dislike the focus that many put on winning at all costs. However….I do not think that the Olympics represent any of the above. I think that the true spirit of the Olympics is that -in the face of all of these unsavoury things- a group of people from all sorts of different cultures and backgrounds can still manage to converge and engage in fair and spirited competition in sporting events that they love, to the best of their abilities. To me, this is what makes the event so special. I can live with all the flag waving, cheating and such. The fact that people give a crap enough to try in spite of all this makes me very happy. Any patriotic feelings I have surrounding the Olympics have more to do with the manner in which Canadians are known for engaging in this competition in a fair and sporting manner. Yes, there are exceptions (Ben Johnson???), but that is AOK with me. Call me naive, but that is why I have enjoyed, and will continue to enjoy the Olympic Games. Does none of this mean anything to you Pete??

Joey wrote:I can say with pride that I am canadian, and like it or not we are #1 in the world.

Agree. Disagree. I am proud to be Canadian. This is a great country but why are we encouraged to say we are “number one.” The netherlands is a pretty great place, too. Better roads, more pride in tolerance, good speed skating and soccer team named after a character in greek mythology. We have a skill military in the face of underfunding and limited scale but Air Canada sucks and we have witnessed poisoned water and blood over the last 15 years. Swenden has practically solved homelessness. Guys freeze to death on Bay Street. Sports competitions like the Olympics have been perverted from the idea of a gathering of common interest to a beating out the neighbour, a proof of “victory” shoving other problems under the table for a while. You can bet Art Eglington was happy to see the Olympics. Why can’t we just admire athleticism. I am happy when I see a Jamacian Bobsleigh try and the Germans win. Think about it. If we are pleased (made vain) by our wealth as a nation, it has much to do with our trading partners and a legacy of a powerful colonial ruler in the past which treated us benevolently as we became a nation. Compare africa’s treatment. Why is it where we are has to also be “the best” as opposed to “pretty good but could learn alot if we looked around”…and, just to top of this rant, why the heck did the Port Hood Catholic Church pray that Al McInnis would win gold? Are we to believe that even God is a blind homie booster? [And yes, God is a Cape Bretoner.]

The most beautiful goal ever scored on an televised hockey game was the 2nd goal in the women’s gold medal game.

It has nothing to do with national pride for me but it sure warmed the cockles of my heart to see a great Canadian game played exceptionally well by great Canadians while stomping the last jingoistic scintilla of pride right out of those darn flag-waiving, referee-as-sixth-player-cheating American team.

Alright, I admit it… it’s national pride and I’m, well…, sorry~ (see, it’s REAL Canadian national pride

Woops, 2nd goal for Canada. Third goal of the game

IM LOVE DA BULLYS ECPESSIALLY THE ONES THAT HIT FOLK

Hello from Ukraine.
By looking at my friends, I have come to a conclusion, that all modern men only get married because they need to, or the age has come.

Excuse me, but what about love?

They come to us with flowers and a proposal, ask us to merry them, and yet the night before the ceremony they make a -boys party- as if they are loosing each other forever.

I want to find a smart, clever and also romantic man, I decided to try my luck and search the Internet.

I have posted my profile on the web www.mylady.info May be I will be fortunate to find my love here. My profile is 4046.

Irina.

Good afternoon to all of you!
Will you be so kind to give me the address of some internet shop where I can buy cigarettes Marlboro?

How do you like the events in Ukraine? I’m an ethnical and of course I can’t leave it without attention all these battles. I will persecute them maybe:)) The reason is that I gave up smoking ten years ago and recently following all these scandalous events on TV I took a cigarette. But that’s not all. Imagine my surprise when I buy one carton of cigarettes Marlboro in the Internet www.smokeandshop.com and discover that these cigarettes are produced in Ukraine, my motherland. Thus, there can be such paradoxes in our lives. Now I smoke.