The 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver ended in dramatic fashion with Canada capturing the gold medal by beating the United States 3-2 in an overtime thriller. Congratulations to our neighbors from the north.
Following the outpouring of Canadian pride both before and after the game, one can ponder how important the victory was for the entire Canadian nation — and had the U.S. won, would our country have appreciated the victory as much as our continental counterparts?
Just moments after Canada scored its overtime goal, a large contingent of Canadian fans watching the game at a local sports bar immediately erupted in a chorus of their nation’s anthem. And they didn’t just bumble the words. They sang the entire anthem without missing a beat.
That act was not intended to insult the American fans watching the game, but was a spontaneous display of national pride — and most of them were under age 30! How many U.S. citizens in that age group could actually sing the entire national anthem without pausing along the way, trying to remember the words?
Although U.S. hockey fans probably would have celebrated wildly had the Americans taken the gold, one must truly appreciate just what the victory meant to the Canadians. Canada needed this gold medal much more than the United States. Hockey was first played in Canada, and they were hosting the Games. There was even more pressure on them to win than on the Soviet Union in 1980.
Certainly, U.S. fans were disappointed by the loss, but hats off to Team Canada. They’re good neighbors, and we’re good sportsmen — and a silver medal isn’t all that bad.