Why USA must win

by Prometheus74 on Feb 23, 2010 2:53 PM EST

I want USA to win gold. I have been wanting this for 30 years and 1 day. Unfortunately I have been wanting the Flyers to win the Cup for 35, but I digress.....

Not only do I want this but I need this I need USA to win Gold I need Russia to win silver and I need Canada to get be very disappointed.

WHY?

Bettman will not have a pot to piss in His hopes of using the Olympic participation as a bargaining chip in the next CBA will go out the window

For a short period of time All of america will pretend that hockey is really important.
Bettman could not survive the opposition he would face if he tried to deny the defending gold medal USA team from going to Russia. Its a story the american media would actually pick up on and non Hockey fans would embrace it. He would be obliterated if he tried and he knows it.

However supposes he did end NHL participation in the Olympics. Suppose he act on behalf of the owners and did demand that the NHL is not a sport, but a business and the bottom dollar comes first.

What happens next?

All the Russian Players will give him the finger and play anyway. (THis we already know)

The US press and country pride would support the Defending Gold Metal team. Massive public outcry, would support the US players in defying Bettman. (MAJOR EMPHASIS ON "THE DEFENDING GOLD MEDAL" PART)

That leaves pretty poster boy Sid and the Canadian players. Cindy gets his milk money by being Bettmins "face of the NHL" and doing what the Man says However, Canadian countryman would demand that canadian hockey goes to Russia equipped with NHL players. Especially if USA is doing it. Crosby will have no choice but to defy the NHL He will be forced to be vocal about it as well

This scenario is way too risky for Bettman to play around with and the Players union knows this. That is exactly why he would not use it against the players in the next CBA
Bettman is a Business first, integrity of the sport second kind of Commissioner, but he is not stupid He hold the advantage now but it will continue to slip away with every goal that USA scores.

If Canada wins Gold, Bettman keeps his advantage.

He could keep players from the 2014 games and the Owners will be happy (and just a tiny bit richer).
People (players/fans alike) would be disappointed but they will find no support and things will go on.

Canadian fans would confront their pride by saying if Russia wins gold in 2014, it is only b/c they didnt go, and that would be enough to pacify them.

US media would never report it and no one but the fans will be disappointed.

If some Russians superstars did defy the league and got suspended by the NHL for participating in the 2014 games and fat, bald, ugly ass suit commentators who hate russians anyway will be smiling.

The suspended Russians would go play in the KHL, get paid a lot, become national heros, and would live happily ever after

The NHL would still have better hockey than the KHL and pretend that Crosby is the best player in the world
The fans and the players lose but the game goes on Bettman faces some backlash but nothing he hasn't faced before.
He knows this and the players union knows this and thats why this scenario is his advantage in the CBA Lets take it away from him

GO USA SAVE HOCKEY WIN THE GOLD!

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All the Russian Players will give him the finger and play anyway

Do you mean the Russian players in the KHL? I am assuming that if the NHL ended its partcipation in the Olympics, then Russian NHL players would lose their eligibility to play for the Russian Olympic team.

by j reed on Feb 23, 2010 5:44 PM EST reply actions

OV, and Malkin have already gone on record stating even if the NHL dose not participate in the 2014 games they will go anyway regardless of the repercussions they might face by the NHL
(I imagine the other russians would do the same but have not personally seen quotes by them saying such)

by Prometheus74 on Feb 23, 2010 7:22 PM EST up reply actions

Some quotes, to help Prometheus out:

Just for starters, the Sochi Organizing Committee has already made Ovechkin an Ambassador for the games:

Sochi 2014 appointed Alexander Ovechkin, one of the world’s top ice hockey stars, as an official Ambassador to Russia’s first Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

ESPN reporting Ovechkin’s comments that he doesn’t care about backlash from the NHL:

Two-time Hart Trophy winner Alex Ovechkin told ESPN.com during an interview here Wednesday that he will risk suspension and play for his country, Russia, regardless of whether the NHL is formally involved or not.
“Nobody can say to me, ‘You can’t play for your country in the Olympic Games,’” Ovechkin said.
…
Ovechkin’s pledge to defy his contract and go AWOL if the NHL decides not to take part in future Olympics ups the ante considerably on both sides of the debate.
“I don’t care,” Ovechkin defiantly said. “I’ll go play in the Olympic Games for my country. If somebody says to me, ‘You can’t play,’ see ya.”
Even if it meant the Washington Capitals would suspend him?
“I don’t care,” he said.

TSN reporting Malkin’s agreement with Ovechkin (which actually got its quotes from a Puck Daddy interview, but this is the link I have):

Much like Ovechkin before him, Malkin has defiantly stated that he is willing to take the wrath of the league to participate.
“I would rather pay fines and still go,” Malkin told Puck Daddy. “If there is something serious like a disqualification for a couple of years in the NHL, if there is something like this I will probably still go because I can even leave to Russia to play. It is very difficult to say right now. But I can give you 100% that I will go.”

Kovalchuk this past fall:

"Having the Olympics is the biggest thing ever (for hockey) in Russia," Kovalchuk said in an interview for an upcoming story in The Hockey News. "We have to play. There is no choice. Your team is important, but you have to be loyal to your country. We must play no matter what the NHL does. Having the Olympics in Russia means so much."

Additionally, Pavel Datsyuk has stated that the ability to play in 2014 is really important to him, Sergei Gonchar said that if he has the opportunity to play he’s going, etc.

by DragonGirl0583 on Feb 23, 2010 10:08 PM EST up reply actions

I think though that the IIHF can disqualify Russia if they use ineligible players.

Ovechkin = Green Backs

by red army line on Mar 2, 2010 10:41 AM EST up reply actions

Russia seriously screw them

How can you cheer for Russia I don’t care of the about the 2014 games you have to hate the Russians and routing against Canada yeah I know Crosby we all hate him but routing for Malkin and Ovie over Pronger and Richards and many other players is bit much. USA winning the gold over Canada would be great, that is the gold medal game I want to see with FInland taking home the bronze. Screw Russia… sadly I fear that Roberto Luongo is going to choke and the Canada team that is even more Center heavy then our Flyers has a too many players playing out of position and will lose badly. Why Babcock is leaning on Dougherty and Weber over Pronger Neidermeyer is beyond me. Pronger with 14 minutes of ice time most be the lowest he has had since he was 6 years old. We push comes to shove and will all the marbles on the line Pronger and Neidermeyer have Cups and Medals, C’s and A’s on their jersey’s and should be out there. Oh well GO USA and screw the Russians we are Flyers fan’s hating on Russian and New York a right of passage for us and we can’t let that tradition die.

by chrislanci on Feb 24, 2010 10:54 AM EST reply actions

I root for hockey in general, and an Olympics without the best players in the world playing would just be disappointing. All the discussions about uneven matchups should be forgotten now, as the games between lower tier teams and teams that should beat them have been very exciting.

"NZFlyerfan"

by ToddtheFox on Feb 24, 2010 2:38 PM EST up reply actions

I think I know where you’re going with this, but I’m not so sure it has to be Russia with the silver and not Canada winning either silver or bronze.

It won’t matter to the Russians, really, which way it happens. If anything, I think getting eliminated by Canada before the medal round will cause more Russian players to defect along with Ovie, Malkin, and Ilya (this is of course assuming Ilya doesn’t defect straight to the KHL this summer, which is not off the table). The Russian players and government are still going to make a lot of noise that they’re going to be the favorite on home ice, no matter where they finish this time.

Then following sequence could still happen if Canada wins silver or bronze:

The US press and country pride would support the Defending Gold Metal team. Massive public outcry, would support the US players in defying Bettman. (MAJOR EMPHASIS ON “THE DEFENDING GOLD MEDAL” PART)
…
However, Canadian countryman would demand that canadian hockey goes to Russia equipped with NHL players. Especially if USA is doing it. Crosby will have no choice but to defy the NHL He will be forced to be vocal about it as well

That’s why I don’t think it matters which one ends up with silver or bronze, your scenario could work either way.

by DragonGirl0583 on Feb 24, 2010 3:08 PM EST reply actions

Your right, who gets silver is not going to matter as long as USA can get it done

by Prometheus74 on Feb 24, 2010 4:33 PM EST up reply actions

I’ve never wanted to root for the US less than after reading this article.

This is some of the worst hockey I’ve seen all year. Games are ridiculously lopsided. There’s no systemic defense. Goalies like Hiller can steal games only because there are no cohesive teams in the tournament. I thought I’d watch Canada-Russia last night, what a shitshow that was. 10 goals amongst the alleged two best teams ever assembled? Just make it a big shootout tournament, then we won’t have to watch 120 missed passes a game.

by MarioD on Feb 25, 2010 11:01 PM EST reply actions

Dont root for the USA for any childish reason you want

If you think the Olympic hockey is a joke, thats cool, Im not going to type 30 more replies to convince you that its not.
I love the NHL, and I will be happy to watch our boys on Orange and Black take to the ice next week, but I also appreciate this tournament.
I am enjoying players play smart, not taking stupid penalties. Having the refs swallow the whistles for both teams and letting them play without it getting out of hand
Im liking the pace of the game as a result.
Fantastic passion, hard fought games, intense, and emotional
Yeah Russia/Canada game didnt live upto the hype, but look at the other games.
We know we should not believe the hype, but media makes that hard sometimes and we get burned.
Plenty of other non hyped games were fantastic to watch.
Is the Olympics perfect?
NO I hate the fact a gold Medal game can be won on a shootout!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Plenty of other flaws as well but
If you just want to continue to rant like grumpy smurf go ahead

by Prometheus74 on Feb 27, 2010 3:14 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

Let’s go ahead and break this down line by line:

I am enjoying players play smart, not taking stupid penalties.

OKT took a tremendously stupid penalty. Pitkanen was suspended for a similarly vicious and dumb penalty. Getzlaf cost the US the go-ahead goal in the 3rd period in the Switzerald quarterfinal game by throwing an elbow in the crease. There are still dumb penalties. More to the point, however, is the fact that there are only 12 teams. If the NHL contracted to 12 teams, you’d also see fewer penalties because there’d be fewer players getting beat and taking penalties.

Im liking the pace of the game as a result.

The pace of the games is mainly due to the fact that there are no in period commercial stoppages.

Yeah Russia/Canada game didnt live upto the hype, but look at the other games.

Like the semi-finals? US 6 Finland 0, 8:25 to play in the first period. What a great game! In the other semi-final, Canada outshot Slovakia 21-9 and led 3-0 through two periods before following Mike Richards’ idea of not playing the third period just like him and Pronger do back home.

There were 18 preliminary round games. The Margins of Victory of those games:

5+ goals 5x
3 or 4 goals 3x
2 goals 7x
1 goal 3x

Basically, half of the games were competitive, and half were blowouts.

by MarioD on Feb 27, 2010 4:22 PM EST up reply actions