The Thrill of Victory, The Agony of Defeat and The Olympic Spirit

Sports like life can be cruel.

With on well placed shot on Sunday, two teams, two countries, got to see first hand the meaning of the words that title this blog.

Team USA had managed to tie the score with just 24 seconds remaining in the game to force overtime. Who would have expected anything less from this game. The build up and the hype after The Americans had defeated The Canadians in Pool Play. After Team USA had beaten them, at THEIR game, on THEIR soil. One second we were watching one of the most exciting Olympic hockey games EVER, and the next it was over.

In one quick flick of the wrist, you heard one country let out a cheer that was heard coast to coast, and yes, probably even in The States. The other country, let out one big collective sigh. You witnessed one man further grow his status as The Next One, throwing his gloves, and jumping around like a child while waiting for teammates to join celebration. You saw one man fall to his knees in disappointment and disbelief. You saw one man lead his country and his teammates in celebration, while the other lay on the ice feeling he had let his teammates and country down, only to be picked up and consoled by those teammates.

No matter what side of this great match up your were rooting for, you have to admit, that was one hell of a game. One for the ages, if you will. Canada needed to win, they deserved to win. This is THEIR sport, on THEIR soil. Anything less than gold would have been a failure. By no means was I rooting for The Canadians to win. I bleed red, white and blue, through and through, and was sending out USA - USA - USA text messages to all my Canadian friends all day long, all week long. After Team USA won the first game I was pulling for the rematch on one hand, and dreading it on the other. The team that loses the first time, always seems to have the advantage in the rematch. The Canadians had nothing to lose - and everything to gain. As luck had it, the rematch came, and what a rematch it was. If Team USA couldn't win, I was at least happy that it would be The Canadian team that would win the gold.

I have to give huge props to Canada for the games that they put on. Inviting the world to Vancouver, and putting on one hell of a show (other than that little problem at the Opening Ceremony that left Wayne Gretzky looking more than a little lost and confused). In every sport that I watched the athletes and the people of Canada won with class and lost with dignity. Not the same can be said for all of the athletes, like the Russian skater Plushenko who decided to award himself the Platinum Medal in disgust of actually winning the silver. They cheered loudly for their athletes, and politely applauded the efforts of athletes from other countries. To hear the cheers that The Canadian fans gave Team USA when they announced their names during the medal ceremony in hockey, was awesome. The fans recognized the great play of Ryan Miller, Brian Rafalski, and Patrick Kane. Great job Canada.

Congrats to all the athletes from The United States - you did your country proud. You also won with class, and lost with dignity.

So I will travel to Las Vegas next month and pay my debt to my Canadian friends and congratulate them on the Gold Medal - hopefully they will let me have at least one shot of the bottle of Jager that I will be purchasing for them to pay off my debt.