It's Canada-USA in the semifinal of the world junior hockey championship, 9:30 a.m. Eastern on TSN/RDS, as if there was any way it was possible not to know.
Two million Canadians can't all be wrong, but one of these days everything will "just click" and I'll have our full, in-depth post about how the world juniors should be anticipated every year with eye-rolling dread. Gut feeling: It's become the most boring event on this country's sporting calendar, which is saying something given Canada's love of curling.
The games aren't boring. The media coverage (this means you, TSN) contrives to make the world juniors, on the whole, duller than dishwater. Every December, it's the same heartwarming stories about the same interchangeable 18- and 19-year-olds and all the sacrifices Mom and Dad made so they can play hockey; the same cute stories about whatever bonding exercise these future NHLers participated in before the tournament. In the words of the goalie in Slapshot, "Make me puke."
It's shamateurism. It's Canada's answer to the NCAA basketball tournament -- sport that is big business because the players aren't getting paid. (At least it's only for a couple weeks though, not four years.) That's not to say one can't live with it, but a little honesty is better than putting a soft gloss over the serious business of winning hockey games.
Maybe Andrew Cogliano, Steve Downie, Marc Staal and friends truly do play for the name on the front of the sweater, not the name on the back, as Pierre McGuire has reminded us approximately 437 times over the past few weeks. Those clean-cut 18- and 19-year-olds on Team Canada, like a class of business school undergrads, are much more CEOs-in-utero than fresh-faced ingenues. They're pros, and that should be acknowledged, instead of all this heartland love-of-country schmaltz pandering to a Tim Hortons and Molson's-swigging patriotism.
It's decent hockey. To a man and woman, we're tuning in wanting to see Canada win the gold medal. Isn't that enough?
DIGRESSION: As one commercial that's been played ad nauseam during the world juniors implies, you're not a true Canadian if a commercial jingle sung by Indiana-born John Mellencamp doesn't make you run out and test-drive a Chevy Silverado -- never mind that this is largely a country of urbanites who have no need of the Silverado's presumably impressive payload.*
Canucks 3 Flames 2: Not to be Captain Bringdown, Vancouver fans, but just so you know, making the playoffs with with the league's 28th-ranked offence is totally sustainable. Just ask Flames fans about last year.
Red Wings 2 Ducks 1: When a sweater retirement ceremony lasts longer than Fox's pregame show for the Orange Bowl, it's officially too long, even if it is for Steve Yzerman. Just let the man give a heartfelt speech already.
Pens 3 'Canes 0: For one game at least, the K.C. Crosbys-to-be played tight defence and backed Marc-Andre Fleury to a shutout, which is in line with what they'll have to do to make the playoffs.
NHL Scoreboard
Today's better games: Sabres-Senators, 7:30 p.m.; Stars-Canucks, 10 p.m.; Blue Jackets-Kings, 10:30 p.m. (Can you tell it's a light schedule?)
(* Despite his rural roots, Sager has no idea what "payload" is, but respects that it matters to truck buyers.)
That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment