Sometimes tooth is stranger than fiction. Hockey players, our favorite gap-smiling athletes, have delivered again.
Team USA and Canada advanced Sunday’s gold medal game in Italy.
Yes, please.
This is the real heated rivalry. It is 4 Nations Face-Off, the sequel.
But let’s be clear, Canada needs this more than the U.S. The Americans are underdogs with attitude, a team capable of winning, but failure will not define them like, say, a Super Bowl.
That is what this is for Canada.
An entire country is counting on Nathan MacKinnon and Co. to deliver a golden moment. The Americans are trying to win their first gold medal since the 1980 Miracle on Ice.
But there is a real difference. There will never be another Lake Placid.
It was exactly what the United States needed with the economy tanking and the Cold War frigid as ever. It was a “Rocky” movie come to life. The Italian Stallion vs. Drago. Mike Eruzione vs. Vladimir Myshkin (Thank you for benching Vladislav Tretiak).
The Americans stunned the Soviet Union in the semifinals, a team that clobbered them 10-3 in an exhibition game in New York City a few days before.
The victory marked the first time “U-S-A!” chants broke out at a sporting event. The support Sunday morning will be enormous, but the Americans are no longer The Little Engine That Could.
They blasted Slovakia 6-2 in the semifinals. They are not college kids from the top programs in the Midwest and East. They are pros. They want this gold for country, sure. But they want bragging rights in the sport.
The Canadians are a team operating under the premise of gold medal or bust. Their roster looks like the New York Yankees from the early 1930s. The future Hall of Famers list starts with Sidney Crosby, who hopes to play in the finale despite an injury, and includes Connor McDavid and the Avs’ MacKinnon and Cale Makar.
MacKinnon blasted a one-timer in a greasy 3-2 semifinal victory against Finland with 35 seconds remaining. It was not just a great goal, but a legacy play.
Olympic gold is the lone accomplishment missing on MacKinnon’s resume. The pressure on the Canadians is enormous.
Knowing what MacKinnon, Makar and Devon Toews mean to the Avs, it is only natural to want them to meet this moment. But there is the little matter of Brock Nelson starring for the Americans.
This is US vs. U.S.
Best on Best.
When the Canadians pull on the burgundy and blue sweater, they are our guys. But on Sunday, it is all about the red, white and blue.
Bad Leadership: MLB players deserve better. As the sport braces for a lockout after this season, MLBPA executive director Tony Clark resigned after an internal investigation revealed he had an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, a union employee for the past three years. Seriously? What is with this position? Lloyd Howell Jr. quit as the head of the NFLPA after expensing a visit to Tootsie’s Cabaret. Bruce Meyer was named the interim director for the MLB players. His best is needed at a time when support for a salary cap has never been higher among owners and fans. Is it too much to ask not to embarrass the players you represent?
Nuggets vs. Avs: What concerns you more: The Nuggets choking in the clutch or the Avs’ power play? The Nuggets no longer feature late-game magic, as they miss too many bunnies. Even if that is fixed, it might not be enough to reach the NBA Finals. The Avs power plan remains an eyesore. The hope is that the way the Avs players operated at the Olympics will carry over. If coach Jared Bednar is smart, he will start the first practice back with a full squad by welcoming all suggestions.
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