Well, last night was the last night for Jay Leno, and also the Olympic Opening Ceremonies are today. I am not sure who would want to watch such boring things, but they exist, so someone must.
I remember being quite perplexed when I saw the highlights from the Opening Ceremonies from the Vancouver Olympics because I have lived in Canada for 32 years and I’ve never even seen an Inukshuk or any of the other things they had that supposedly represented Canadian culture. Here’s hoping the Russian ones don’t include such “hilarious… Russian pastimes as exiling its citizens to Siberia, putting rockbands into the Gulag, or government sponsored hate-crimes aimed at homosexuals. I am hopeful, however, that Vladimir Putin will ride shirtless through the ceremony on a horse.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/12/worl-photo-caption-contest-shirtless-putin_n_3263512.html
Hypocrite. Anyways, here’s hoping the Olympics drag Russia into at least the 20th Century. But as I write this, there is news coming across the ticker that some gay-rights protesters have already been arrested, so I guess there goes that.
Factor in the gross human rights violations with the early morning start times for the only sport that even matters – Men’s Hockey – and the fact that the NHL season is going to stop for two full weeks, and the Olympics are looking like a bad idea already.
Honestly, if the best players want to play for their countries against the other best players, what is wrong with a Canada/World Cup? Being in the Olympics is arbitrary if it’s the same teams playing each other. If Canada plays the USA for Gold what does it matter who is hosting the tournament if the rosters are exactly the same? Plus the NHL wouldn’t have to shut down its season right when its getting good, they wouldn’t have to have ridiculous start times, and most of all, they wouldn’t have to be party to one of the world’s most corrupt and horrible regimes.
Not to mention the security risks in Russia and the injury risks from playing a condensed schedule.
There is absolutely nothing to be gained from being in Russia right now that couldn’t have happened over the summer when we are starving for hockey anyways.
Now don’t get me wrong: I will watch the hockey and I will love it. I just don’t think there is any need to take the risks associated with being there. Just because it’s the Olympics doesn’t make any difference. If you think somehow it means more because it’s the Olympics rather than a tournament the NHL put on featuring the exact same teams and players, then I think you are like a kid who cries when he gets a broken popsicle, even though it being broken doesn’t lessen the flavour or the amount. Oh is there a little piece that's not on a stick? Suck it up, whiner!
I for one look forward to the hockey games but that’s it. I don’t care how many Gold Medals my country wins in sports I don’t care about. The only thing good about the other sports is when people accidently get shot in the biathlon, a sport I can’t believe the Russians are even allowing. In fact, the entire hysterical nationalism surrounding the Olympics is ridiculous and uncomfortable. And, to be honest, I care about a 100x more who wins the Stanley Cup than who wins Olympic Gold.
Anyways, that’s just a grumpy old man’s take on the Olympics. Enjoy it if you must.
Oh, and get off my lawn.
-----
Tonight the Hawks come to town, and for a full preview and thoughts on the standings and Hawks, check yesterdays blog.
The Coyotes are in tough tonight because the Hawks are the class of the NHL and are perhaps especially dangerous because they are just recently getting off of a losing streak.
There are no injuries to report and the Coyotes will start Mike Smith.
The Coyotes finish off their Olympic schedule tomorrow night in Dallas. Here's hoping the Coyotes win tonight so I can use the headline: Black Hawk Down!!! tomorrow. (just kidding I would never go that low) .
--- What better band to soundtrack the writing of an anti-Olympic screed than Godspeed You! Black Emperor? Their 2013 album Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! is amazing and should be checked out by anyone looking for good music.
Thanks for Reading
Tweets: Coyotes1234