David LeNeveu Traded

[Relocated to Cleveland]

hmmmm, k ::screwy::

[jeh25]

melissa '01 wrote:
 For a country that prides itself on hockey and views it as such an integral part of its identity there are few reasons whatsoever to cheer for the opposition

One only need read Dryden's Home Game to realize how truly important hockey is to Canada's cultural identity.  It's sorta like the Superbowl, the 4th of July, apple pie and the Marshall Plan all rolled into one.

[Greg Berge]

Americans align themselves to a national team proportional to its likelihood of winning.

What this says about us, I leave as an exercise for the reader.

But Canadians seem to stick by their national teams, at least their hockey teams, no matter what.



Post Edited (02-10-04 15:18)

[Keith K \'93]

Greg's point about winning teams may say something negative about the US, but I think the fact that Americans don't care as much about national teams is very much a positive thing.  I at least don't feel any need to rally behind my country's national sports teams with an us vs. the world feeling.

Example: there's been some publicity lately about a new baseball World Cup tournament.  As a huge baseball fan I couldn't care less, as long as it doens't interfere with the season.  I'd rather root for the Dominicans and Puerto Ricans and Japanese players on the Yankees than root against them to support the US national team.

[Ben Doyle 03]

... you anti-american bastard!!!;-) :-}

btw ... no one cares about baseball here, stop bring it up!::smashfreak::


[enter baseball fans to rip me a new one]

[CUlater 89]

Keith wrote:

[Q]I at least don't feel any need to rally behind my country's national sports teams with an us vs. the world feeling. [/Q]

Was that true in 1996 for the hockey World Cup?  

Going into the tournament, I don't think the Americans were expected to win, or even finish in the top 3, but I know many hockey fans who took a big interest in those games.

The same is true for me in baseball -- although I haven't known many of the players on the US baseball teams in the Olympics, I've still been rooting hard for the US (unfortunately, we won't have that chance this year).  And if the World Cup comes off, I think Americans will rally around the team, because for a large number of people, baseball is still national pastime (somewhat like hockey in Canada, it is ingrained in the fabric of our lives growing up).

[melissa \'01]

We stick by them but when they don't meet our expectations we shred them to pieces - as was the case with this year's junior team and the 2002 Olympic team for the first 2-3 games. It is funny that while we're tearing our underperformaing team to shreds we are still cheering for them, defending them against outside criticism and expecting a turnaround. We Canadians are a weird society when it comes to hockey, our expectations on a national level and our claim on it as our one true passions and areas of excellence. Tho some people seem a bit peeved at Lenny's pre-game comment I understand entirely. What else did the reporter expect from a Canadian guy that represented his country in a highly regarded international competition just over a year ago?

Hayes - good way to sum it up. I'm hoping that "Miracle" might help make the sport a little more important down here (at least for a short period of time - perhaps long enough to help prevent the predicted and highly dreaded 04/05 NHL stoppage).

[Jeff Hopkins \'82]

Well, what is says is that our enemy in the world doesn't have teams in the sports we care about.  Back in the 60's and 70's it was extremely im[portant that we beat the Russians (or their proxies) at everything we did.

Now that we are the big dog, I think it's less important.  However, if al-Qaeda had a basketball team...

JH

[CUlater 89]

Melissa '01 wrote:

[Q]It is funny that while we're tearing our underperformaing team to shreds we are still cheering for them, defending them against outside criticism and expecting a turnaround[/Q]

Sounds to me like a typical Boston sports fan.

[gtsully]

CUlater '89 wrote:

Melissa '01 wrote:

[Q]It is funny that while we're tearing our underperformaing team to shreds we are still cheering for them, defending them against outside criticism and expecting a turnaround[/Q]

Sounds to me like a typical Boston sports fan.

Except that lately our teams haven't been underperforming much. :-D

Edit: Unless you count Harvard and BU...



Post Edited (02-10-04 17:26)

[Keith K \'93]

I was trying to say something along those lines but couldn't phrase it right. When it was "us vs. them" with the Soviets, then there was more reason for national rallying.  But we won that war and the one we're in now is totally different.

Wouldn't it be great if bin Laden would show up in Athens to captain a basketball team?

[nyc94]

Keith K '93 wrote:

Wouldn't it be great if bin Laden would show up in Athens to captain a basketball team?

Well, given the screen door approach to security that Greece has exhibited in the past. . .