[GunPlumber]

canucker canucker:

Criticism dogs women's hockey

$1:

TURIN, Italy -- Forward Gillian Apps scored a hat trick to lead the Canadian women's hockey team to an 8-1 win over Sweden at the Olympic Games on Tuesday and bring the team into the semi-finals.

But the victory has been weighed down by criticisms over the team's two previous blowout wins.

Team Canada won 16-0 against Italy on Feb. 11, and 12-0 against Russia the next day.

The lopsided wins have led to angry e-mails from home, and concerns in Turin that the game might not survive in the Olympics.

Here's a little heads-up to all the whiners: the Canadian side took it easy on the Italians. They could easily have broken the one game goal differential in an Olympic hockey game. When the Canadian men's hockey team won the inaugural Olympic hockey game in 1924, that team won by a score of 30 - 0 against a hapless Czechoslovakian squad. Ditto for Sunday's game against the Russian women. In that game, our team let-up midway through the second period when the result was beyond question. So our women's team is being forced to play half games in order to not "embarrass" their opponents. Nobody sent angry e-mails whens England's "Eddie the Eagle" was thoroughly upstaged at ski-jumping or when the Jamaican bobsled team was "embarrased" by their uncompetitiveness.

If Canada's opponents are being embarrassed by our squad, it is because they deserve it. The Olympics isn't just about competing, it's about competing at a level that inspires awe and wonder. It's about going 110% from the opening whistle to the closing buzzer. The Canadian women understand this and are probably as disappointed as anyone that there really is no other team (yet) that can consistently compete at their level (the American side occassionally rises to the Canadian's level). The game is not going to grow in competitiveness or popularity if the good team(s) have to play down to the level of the bad teams.

As late as the 1970's, Olympic Hockey was considered a two team sport. Then in 1980, the American's bested Canada and Russia and their teams have always been contenders since . In any current Olympics, there are 7 - 8 teams with a shot at medalling of which 5 are condered able to win gold. It may take another 20 - 30 years for women's hockey to reach that level, but one thing is for sure: it won't get there if Canada's team doesn't show the rest of the world how good they can be.

[ziggy]

crystalsm crystalsm:

Our girls don't put all the work and effort into practices just to slack off in the Olympics. They trained to play hard, and they should play that way, regardless of who they're playing against and the skill level of that team.

In 5, 10, 20 and even 40 years from now, they can look back and be proud of their accomplishments, and of all the hard work they put into playing the game.

I've been to volleyball provincials a couple of times, and our team had played teams that we were no match for. Regardless of the fact they kicked our asses, it was still fun and was a learning experience for all of us.

As Twister said, as long as you play with class and grace, winning OR losing by a large margin should be nothing to be ashamed of.

Some of those gals are over 40,Hailey used to play on a mens team she's so good,Canada rocks,or....Canada kick's ass!

[crystalsm]

dgthe3 dgthe3:

I guess the swedes used their #2 goalie today. The reasoning is that they knew they wouldn't be able to beat us so they saved her for the bronze game

I think that is almost as bad, or possibly worse, than running up the score: giving up on winning and not playing you're best

I absolutely agree with that. You should always try, even if you think you'll lose.

[2Cdo]

So I'm figuring that Wullu will be cheering for the Swedes in todays game?
After all our girls didn't display proper sportsmanship in the other games, at least in his eyes!

[ziggy]

Hope the mens team are taking notes.

[ziggy]

Finally some good hockey.

[IkeaMan]

ziggy ziggy:

Finally some good hockey.

I hope men's team are taking notes!

[ziggy]

Biatches are running up the score again.

[anarmyofone]

Are some people actually complaining about us kicking the other teams ass. If you’re not good enough to stand in the ring with us then you deserve everything you get. It’s the friggen Olympics folks, you know that place where the BEST athletes in the world are. There is absolutely NO reason to stop scoring goals because the other teams suck. You’re all just jealous that we Canadians are simply the best, instead of using this time to cry about getting scored on why not use it to ohhh I don’t know. GET BETTER AT YOUR SPORT!!!!!!. SUCK IT UP AND STOP YOUR CRYING

[twister]

OUR CANADIAN GIRLS ARE GOLDEN.....

[Blue_Nose]

Talk about beating a dead horse... I think we've got it: scoring a lot is good.

Unbunch those panties and get over it.

[Wada]

Was it not Wullu who bunched her panties and shoved them in the faces of those who know sport, you tar you?

[Blue_Nose]

Wada Wada:

Was it not Wullu who bunched her panties and shoved them in the faces of those who know sport, you tar you?

It was Wullu who stopped posting in this thread on page two, while people feel it's necessary to keep repeating the same things over and over, as if it contributes anything. The discussion was over three pages ago; get over it.

[Wada]

Maybe you should get over yerself before you decide when it's over.

[Blue_Nose]

Fine; I'm "over myself".

Now it's over.