Another year and another Winter Classic has come and gone. The event seems to be more and more of a success for the NHL. Who knows, they may one day start charging people to televise it.
It was indeed another great game. You know, the scrap, the Neil, the heroics et al. Everyone's favorite voice of reason, Ron McLean took note of this and the surrounding hoopla , calling the whole shebang "America's game." The stakes for the next one have been raised, with venues as far south as Dallas expressing interest. This lead to everyone's favorite voice of madness, Mike Milbury remark on the following Hot Stove that "so begins the raping of The Winter Classic."
Avoiding the infinitely long argument about the relationship between art and commerce is key to us continuing this discussion. For every massively budgeted crime against humanity or cut-and-paste job that feasts on the wallets of a dim-bulbed demographic, there seems to be something of comparable cost but subtler, more effective technique or something that actually believes young people are indeed smart and can handle emotional complexities. To forward what I am trying to say here, one must accept the fact that the bigger the stage, the bigger the viewership, gate receipts, number of admirers and appreciaters, etc.
I for one am pleased as Punch Imlach that the apple pie sect are making this game their own and continue to do whatever it is that they plan on doing with it. You see, as a Canadian, I take pride in the sport of hockey. I even get the same goose-bumps you do whenever those goofy Nike ads come on. I recognize that in most of The States, most people do not even watch it. There is probably good reason for this in some cases. Putting steel blades on ones feet and going out to take shots on a backyard rink is not a common occurrence in Albuquerque. Here's the thing: I want that kid in New Mexico to understand how great this sport really is.
I was quite honestly moved by The States' first outdoor game in Buffalo. An aspect of it was the atmosphere with the light snowfall and the events of the game itself, but what really got me was the interviews with the people in the crowd and the sheer bliss on their faces. I thought to myself at those moments, "They're getting it. They're starting to get it." With this understanding of the goodness that is hockey from the Yanks comes something that the game truly seeks: credibility as an international sport. Put another way, we need the Americans to make our future victories in international competition and future success from the athletes of the sport's origin in order for it to mean more to people other than ourselves.
I was just as dismayed as you with the results of the World Junior Tourney, but clearly not all is lost. The win from the boys below the 49th made a couple major news outlets, and they will defend their title on their home turf next year. Maybe this could lead to a tournament one day where there are more than 3 entertaining games and a contest where someone like Latvia stands a chance.
Look, I see February 24th, 2002 as one of the best days of my life as a sports fan. I would of course love to see it duplicated once more this year, but Ryan Miller is hot and although they may be a darkhorse I might not scream for heads to roll at Hockey Canada if Team USA found a way to the top of the podium. Let's face it, it's good for our game if someone can shine that light on it just a little bit brighter anyways, right?
