dick@alberta.UUCP (Dick Foster) (02/11/84)
So the "magnificent" Team USA hockey team got blown away by the "lowly" Canadian team in the first round. I love it. We've been hearing and seeing so much of the USA team in the last few months (mostly from American sports reporters who have not clue one about the game of hockey). It appears that the Yankee team officials don't know the game too well either as witnessed by some of their statements and actions in the last few days: - The ridiculous attempt to assure themselves a Game 1 victory over Canada by creating the disqualification scene. All they really managed to do was give the Canadians the extra emotional push they needed. - The tournament against the Soviet junior team that apparently convinced so many that the US team was capable of beating the Russian national team. It's not just the team USA officials that are to blame, of course. The NHL is trying desperately to sell hockey more aggressively in the US market. What better way to increase the public's awareness in hockey than to create excitement over the chances of the American Olympic team? The USA has never been a hockey power, and they likely won't be for many years to come. The gold medal won four years ago was more luck than anything else - the Soviets were preparing more for the finals and found themselves unprepared for a highly emotional US team. This year everyone is gunning for the Americans, and the results thus far would indicate it. Also, I also heard ABC would send about 300 technicians home if the Americans fail to qualify for the medal round. It shows how much *real* interest there is in the game of hockey versus interest in mere flag waving. alberta!dick
fargo@ihuxx.UUCP (Matt Noah) (02/13/84)
"alberta!dick", Are you for real? Does your mother still like you? Matt Noah
tischler@ihuxv.UUCP (Mark D. Tischler) (02/13/84)
Dick,
The American officials were absolutely right in trying to disqualify the
Canadian players. They signed pro contracts, and if you look at the rules,
you'll find that it states clearly that these players should be ruled
ineligible.
If your team lost, wouldn't you send home extra people who were
expected to have covered the medal round matches? There are more interesting
and pertinent things for American viewers to watch than hockey matches between
two other countries. Obviously, if you're not going to broadcast these hockey
games which you wholly expected to broadcast, then you're not going to need all
your manpower.
Finally, did you ever hear the term "sore winner"? If not, you should
learn the meaning of the term from your own actions.
Markfargo@ihuxx.UUCP (Matt Noah) (02/15/84)
"alberta!lake", Does anyone at the University of Alberta respect anything or anyone besides themselves or the Canadian Olympic team? You obviously have not followed Olympic hockey very long to realize the issues involved in amateur status and Eastern bloc interpretations of amateurism. Perhaps the Soviets would have an NHL if they weren't communists - you are owned by the government there so either everyone is a professional or everyone is an amateur. Are you beginning to understand? The Canadians bastardized the concept of amateurism in this Olympics in an effort to further the cause of allowing professionals to compete in Olympic Hockey. The Soviets are obviously using the best in their country - why not send Wayne Gretzky, et. al. and let them practice as a team four years prior to participating in the Olympics? Also, why criticize the USA for protesting? It is completely within our rights to protest. We, at least send amateurs to the Games. Also, we put more talent on the Canadian team through the NCAA college program than you could ever hope to help through the Canadian college program. Flatley (Wisconsin), Wilson (Dartmouth), Patrick (UND), Tippet (UND) to name a few. One possible ramification of Canada's actions at these Olympics is to restrict the number of foreign players on NCAA sanctioned intercollegiate athletic teams. Even with the ill will created by this Olympics between the US and Canada, I still wish the Canadians the best in their effort to embarass the Soviets once again. Matt Noah
wetcw@pyuxa.UUCP (T C Wheeler) (02/17/84)
Hold it! Hold it! If my memory serves me right, the protest against the Canadian players was filed by Norway not the US. The US was trying to lay low due to some possible irregularities concerning their own players. Let's not get into a border war over who did what to whom. There just ain't no way, in my opinion, that the US team was going to get to the medal round this year. They didn't seem to have it all together from last fall on. Sitting on the Russians last fall was not hard to do since that was not the real Russian team, but one sent here to give us a false sense of security. I, for one, am going to root like Hell for Team Canada to beat the stuffings out of the Red Army Pros, (even if they might be nice guys individually). "UP THE MAPLE LEAF" "GO GET EM CANUKS" T. C. Wheeler