Look, I know that I mentioned a week ago how I don't approve of professional athletes competing in the Olympics. I'm aware that I briefly mentioned that, in my opinion, having NHL players competing in the Winter Games "cheapens" the Olympic experience as a whole and I stand by that assertion. I'm also well aware, due to the fact that the professional presence means dollars in the pockets of the NBC folks, that this sorry situation isn't about to change anytime soon. I just thought I might take this opportunity to outline for you good people one very simple reason why I personally don't appreciate them being there...

I hate team USA...

Look, I know that "hate" is a pretty strong word to use when talking about athletes who represent my country but it's true: I have a very healthy hatred for most of the players who make up the USA men's hockey team this time around. With the exception of John Michael-Liles and that scrappy little Gomez kid, the professionals who comprise team USA are all players whom I have a marked distaste for, especially Mike Modano and team captain Chris Chelios. Because of this, I find myself rooting AGAINST my country, pulling for teams such as lowly Kahsakstan, up-and-coming Slovakia and, of course, those plucky Swiss. Granted, my reasons for liking those three teams in particular should be obvious as they all feature goaltenders who play for the Colorado Avalanche, specifically Vitaly Kolesnik, Peter Budaj and David Aebischer. Another thing which these individuals have in common is that they are all on teams considered to be underdogs going into the competition but, with the exception of Kolesnik and the Kahsaks, their teams have played well above expectations and have pulled off upsets against high-powered teams. To be frank, even though I enjoyed watching the games this weekend and rooting on my favorite Avalanche players (all in all, there are 11 Colorado Avalanche players representing their respective countries in this Olympic competition, so with apologies to Sakic, Blake and Liles who I was effectively rooting against), it's my already vested interest in, and knowledge of, said professional players that makes me dislike the fact that they're in the Olympics...

Simply put, I'd much rather cheer for my COUNTRY than my favorite players...

Seriously, it disappoints me that my loyalties have to take such a drastic shift during the Olympic hockey. The sad truth is that I'd much rather see Slovakia and Switzerland competing for the gold medal this time around than to see the USA medal at all. Surely, To see Budaj and Svatos go head-to-head with Aebischer would be a tremendous amount of fun for me but, deep down inside, I'd feel sad that I were cheering for some country which I've never even been to...I just want to cheer for team USA, is that too much to ask?

Sadly, I know the answer to that question...

Since I'm typing, I might as well mention another thing which REALLY bugs the shit out of me regarding the olympic coverage: that these idiot sportscasters love to bring up the miracle-on-ice 1980 USA men's hockey team when they're saying ANYTHING about hockey and then compare those valiant kids to the current incarnation of team USA, laden with prima donna professional players...NEWSFLASH, IDIOTS: THERE IS NO COMPARISON! The 1980 team was made up of amateur players, college kids with something to prove, coached by a man who wouldn't accept anything less than what he considered their best, going head-to-head with teams which they had no business beating, especially the team from the USSR, at a time when ANY U.S. victory could galvanize a nation and they not only beat the mother-fuckin' odds, but they beat those damn commies and eventually won the gold. It was a feat which will never again be duplicated, not just because the USSR is no more and not just because the entire climate of the world stage has changed, but because plucky amateur hockey players have been forced out of Olympic competition by the one opponent which they could not best and that is "greed." That's right, kids, the almighty dollar dictates that olympic hockey teams are to be made up of the best PROFESSIONAL players available because that's where the marketing dollars lie, leaving hard-working college kids without the opportunity to represent their country and to possibly win an olympic medal unless they too become a professional player. Not only is there no comparison between 1980 and 2006 but the mere MENTION of the incredible accomplishments of the 1980 team in close proximity or comparison to this year's bunch of overpaid underachievers is an insult to everything which that '80 team accomplished...For some of those kids, the 1980 Olympics turned out to be the high point of their hockey careers...In contrast, for this year's pros, it's just another bunch of games and, when it's over, they'll go back to earning their inflated paychecks and never give the olympics a second thought...Please, I'm begging: Send the pros packin' and bring back the college kids...

I REALLY want to cheer for team USA again...THAT, though, would take a whole other miracle to become reality...

Labels: hockey stuff, indignities, misguided rantings, sports