Three Thoughts: Canada Beats USA in Final
In a wonderful matchup that entertained for hours, Canada emerged with the winner in the end – like they often do.
An amazing spectacle and showcase for hockey was played on Thursday Night in the 4-Nations Face-off Final with a massive audience locked in. The intensity and the drama definitely did not disappoint from any level. It was some of the best hockey we have seen in an amazing setting.
And, we lost again.
We – the United States National Hockey Team – gave everything they had and it wasn’t enough. In the end, just like in 2010, the best player in the world scored that goal in overtime and we continue to acknowledge the Canadians as “that much better than us” while holding our thumb and index finger slightly apart.
I care quite a bit, but I guess that is the point. Sports are about making us care on the outcome and making us feel things that are unexpected on a random week after the Super Bowl. And for that, I thank the hockey world for this showcase. Even more importantly, I thank the best hockey players in the world for playing their tails off for our entertainment and not much more.
If I were to offer you three thoughts on the game – and I will – forgive me if I make them all under the umbrella of this overarching thought up top. I cannot believe that in this era where athletes, who have all the money they could ever spend, would vocalize the part where they need money to feel good about representing their homeland. Yes, I am talking about Patrick Cantlay among others and I am not even saying they are wrong. They probably do deserve some of the money and there is probably a way to handle it where it doesn’t get to all of us in the public.
But, being “right” about an issue like this loses sight of the honor and opportunity to play in settings like last night or the Olympics or the Ryder Cup or the World Baseball Classic or literally any other setting where it feels like you are part of something that is bigger than you and your brand. You are playing for your country – whether you agree with how your country behaves or comports itself or not – and that is something all of us would dream about doing. Do you deserve some of the cash from the proceeds? Sure! But, the point is that for a few weeks, we see you fighting hard for the USA and that will forever have you associated with a cause bigger than you can ever imagine and place you in a historical place in all of our hearts that is probably worth more than a few hundred grand to a guy who has millions in his accounts.
I just wanted to say that part because I don’t think what we have seen in the last 10 days has anything to do with money. Those guys representing all four nations played with pressure, pain, and passion. They packed out arenas with thousands who wanted to win badly against their chief rival. Some geopolitics were inserted because that is the way of the world, but for most of us, this was just the next chapter in one of the greatest rivalries in sports. This is Canada’s game, but we down here love it dearly, too, and our proud of our boys who have grown up to take our spot on the podium in modern times. We think we belong in that top level of hockey excellence, but definitely need to prove it by winning in a big spot.
And Boston provided that opportunity for the first time in over a decade. And the United States were so close to winning the whole thing on several occasions. But, what we really saw were professional athletes giving everything they had for their national teams and if they get hurt doing it? Well, that is what representing your nation is all about. Sometimes, it hurts a bit. Sometimes, our local clubs might feel the absence of a key player for a month or two because he dove in front of a puck to save a goal in a game that may or not matter.
Well, it mattered to them, doggone it. Just like it mattered to us. So, yes, we lost this one in gutting overtime fashion to Connor McDavid just like we did to Sidney Crosby 15 years ago in Vancouver. It was gutting then and it is gutting now. But, sometimes, you just want to thank both teams for creating a moment where their was joy and pain and the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat for no other reason than they wanted to put on a competition for the edification of anyone who wanted to join in for 10 days.
I did and I suspect you did, too. And it was so awesome that I will never forget it.
But, Canada did take this one, too. They beat the United States, 3-2, in overtime. And these are My Three Thoughts: