Saturday, February 27, 2010

Play Like Girls...!

Canada has now won ten eleven twelve thirteen FOURTEEN Olympic gold medals, more than any other country so far in the current 2010 Winter Olympics. My goodness, how did that happen? Way to go, Canada...! We're this funny little country, situated just north of That Other Big Country to the south, and our total population is less than the State of California. Most of us live along the border, and we peer across the line at our bigger, stronger, more assertive cousins to the south. We're fairly modest and we don't do a lot of flag waving, but we have had a lot of wonderful athletes to be proud of during these winter Olympics, and we're celebrating their successes. In spite of all the naysayers when the winter games first started, Canada has managed to do okay. History was made last week when Alexandre Bilodeau won the first Olympic gold medal -- ever -- on Canadian soil.

But there is one big match to go, on the final day of the Olympics, and everyone here is holding their breath. Hockey is almost a religion in Canada, and from the time a Canadian child is old enough to sit up and watch the television, Saturday evenings means only one thing -- Hockey Night in Canada. The Canadian women's Olympic hockey team won the gold medal Thursday night -- yay! -- for the third time in a row, and so as the Canadian men's Olympic hockey team goes into their final playoff against the United States on Sunday afternoon, we have only one thing to say to them.

Play like girls...!

29 comments:

myletterstoemily said...

your little joannie won all of our hearts. what a
brave, magnificent heart she has!

Jo said...

Myletterstoemily, we love Joannie. She will forever be the face of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics...!

myletterstoemily said...

thanks for the advice, jo. i made the change but
not sure what an avatar is...:)

houndstooth said...

There were so many things to celebrate in this year's Olympics! We've thoroughly enjoyed watching them!

DJan said...

And just across the border in the egocentric USA, I am rooting for Canada to win the game and play like girls! What a great time it's been, watching all the wonderful games. I just wish they would have allowed women to ski jump, too! How are your magnolias, BTW?

Cedar said...

I know I am from the United States and we have a Hockey Team right here in Seattle and all...but..(kicking toe in the dirt) I have never actually gone to a Hockey game...still... well...I wish you all the best and if you won and all...I wouldn't be all that upset and write a Blog about your country or anything. Oh speaking of Hockey, does your free Healthcare in Canada include dental?

Essie said...

YEAHHHH!!!! PLAY LIKE GIRLS!!! Just like Brandy Chastain!!!!

GO CANADA!!! WOO HOO EH?

Brenda said...

I am not real interested in sports except for figure skating and gymnastics but I just spent at least 30 minutes surfing around the net for populations of countries. I was surprised by your statement that Canada has a smaller population than California. I had never really thought about it until you said that. So I had to go searching about. We come in 3rd in the world, with China being first and India second. It is just too crowded here. I know very little about Canada so I am glad to have met bloggers from Canada.

Eddie Bluelights said...

Brilliant results for Canada indeed and pity about ladies hurling which I think you should have won as well.

But I think we had the darling of the games in Amy Williams who lives just down the road from me in the City of Bath, a beautiful Georgian city.

L. D. said...

It is amazing how your population borders our northern borders. I learned of that when I watched a pbs special about your tains that cross the whole of your country. I don't think I can watch the hockey game. I just wait until it is all over. Good luck to us both.

lovelyprism said...

This was a really cute post, Jo. Made me laugh :-) Love the title.

VioletSky said...

That 'Own the Podium' got a little tedious, and may not have been a huge success, but I think our athletes have done a magnificent job.
Though, I do think this hockey game is a little over-rated. That's just me.

heartinsanfrancisco said...

Finally, playing like girls is recognized as a good thing. It's about time!

I lived in MN where hockey is as popular as in Canada. My then-little son played hockey. Then we moved back east, and I've never been to a game since. Isn't there a bad joke about going to watch hockey but a game broke out?

Congratulations to Canada! You rule!!

myletterstoemily said...

what a kind gesture to help me fix my
pitiful, little blog.

you are an angel!

Kathy's Klothesline said...

Hey, Jo, your pride is showing! Glad you are having so much fun.

joanne said...

It has been a fun two weeks and I am so glad to see the host country doing so well. So many wonderful, heartfelt moments. Sunday should be a hoot. Best wishes and good luck..;p

Russell said...

Well, the BIG hockey game is coming up today between the USA and Canada.

Since the USA won last week, I think it would only be fair that the Canadians get to win today.

Maybe it can be like what happened to the figure skating in Salt Lake City when the Russians cheated -- the Russians and the Canadians each got gold medals! Grrrr....!!

I hope the Canadians win today. It is something that means a lot to them. If the USA was playing baseball or football, I would want them to win. But hockey is Canada.

PinkPanthress said...

The hockey girls were awesome, & I'm very excited about todays final, I hope Canada wins. <3

Lone Grey Squirrel said...

Indeed! The boys did not look very convincing against Slovakia. I nearly had a heart attack in the last 5 minutes. They should stop playing with their minds and use the Force.

Alissa Grosso said...

Play Like Girls - great advice!

Country Girl said...

It's Sunday afternoon . . . may the best team win, my friend!

Shrinky said...

Oh, how wonderful to see the host country do so well - way to go, Canada!!

The Bug said...

We have THOROUGHLY enjoyed watching the Olympics! Although I mostly got to watch the curling :) However, I'm ready to get to bed at a reasonable hour so I'm glad the fun is coming to an end. I need my beauty rest before baseball season starts!

Land of shimp said...

Canada has done incredibly well! It's been a privilege to watch, and there are several countries that just pulled out all stops, and performed beyond excellence.

Watching the Polish skier win the first ever Gold for Poland in women's cross-country skiing was incredible.

Such deserving wins, and exciting moments, all around. There was a winter Olympics, in my memory, although I don't remember which, where it seemed like everyone was falling like crazy in ever event. Seriously, in ladies figure skating, I think everyone of the medal winners fell at some point or another. It was the Gravity Olympics in more than one way. Still fun to watch, but really, a bunch of "These are the people who made the least number of mistakes!" in the medals.

Not so with Vancouver. Just jaw-dropping amounts of pure excellence by so many countries. I'm pleased for Canada though, you really have lived up to "Own the Podium".

I don't think I'm going to watch the hockey game, I woke up nervous about it, and realized that I couldn't bear to watch either team lose.

I suspect Canada is going to win, and deserve to do so, but I figure that if I watch, I won't have to see either team bested...and I'll be happy with whatever results I see if I don't have to see either team lose the gold.

Yup, nervous for everyone concerned. What a truly delightful Olympics this has been.

Maggie May said...

I can remember that Amy Williams got a gold for England she lives quite near to out city. However I don't think we did very well (that I know of) apart from that.
So we are proud of her!

Nuts in May

TomCat said...

Hi Josie

I'm rushing through to let you know that I have moved Politics Plus to http://www.politicsplus.org/blog

I have you in the blogroll there. Would you update me in yours, if you haven't already?

Leigh Russell said...

Well done, Canada. I'm rooting for you. I've always found Canadians really friendly when I've met them over the blog. They've written some great reviews of Cut Short as well. Yes, I'm rooting for Canada.

Pauline said...

Just watched the sudden death play between the US and Canada - congratulations on your country's win! They played like girls indeed! Your country is gracious and made a wonderful Olympic host!

Mia said...

Girls have always been better at sports.