EDITORIAL – Sure, it’s not about politics, but losing that hockey game sucks

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.

I WAS PREPARED to be depressed over the outcome of Sunday’s gold medal Olympics hockey game and I wasn’t disappointed. I’m depressed.

Like every other Canadian, I got up at a ridiculously early hour (well, not quite as ridiculous for those in the East) to flip on the TV and settle in for a highly stressful morning. It’s of no consolation whatsoever that Canada was the better team, or that they deserved to win.

Fact is, we missed at least a couple of golden open-net opportunities to win it before overtime. I feel sorry for our players. If we had won, I wouldn’t feel sorry for the American players. Maybe that’s my small self coming out.

I won’t watch any television sports update programs for at least a couple of weeks because they’re guaranteed to show, over and over, how the U.S. won. And Trump is certain to invite the American team to the White House to fawn over them; he’ll probably take a couple of mean-spirited shots at Canada, too, because that’s what Trump does.

This game was more political than usual. That’s because we aren’t fond of what’s going on in The States right now, and they know it. We felt more patriotic than ever before about the Big Game. We made a really big deal of it; all kinds of hype.

It’s interesting how we — or, at least, I — feel differently on a personal level depending on who’s playing for whom. During the Stanley Cup final, when the Oilers were struggling to overcome the Florida Panthers, Brad Marchand was one of my least favourite players. But, during the Olympics, I found myself liking him. I even got a kick out of the Teddy bear commercials he does for Tim’s. That’s because he’s Canadian, and he was playing for the home country.

I like Connor Hellebuyck when he’s goal tending for the Winnipeg Jets. Not so much when he’s playing for the U.S. national team and gleefully skating around wearing the American flag after beating our boys.

That’s what politics does for sports. The Olympics aren’t supposed to involve politics but, of course, they always have.

I’ll get over it, just as I’ve mostly gotten over the Blue Jays losing to the Dodgers. And almost all of the Jays players are Americans, but they were playing for ‘our’ side. And another hockey tournament will come along soon, too, but we’ll have to wait another four years until the next Winter Olympics. Fortunately, there will be other chances to see MacKinnon, Crosby, McDavid, Makar et al play together again for Canada.

There will be other sports and other tournaments and playoffs, too. But this one sure sucks.

Mel Rothenburger is a former regular contributor to CFJC-TV and CBC radio, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Webster Foundation Commentator of the Year finalist. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor.  He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.