Author Topic: 2006 Winter Olympics  (Read 8903 times)

Offline Jeff

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Re: 2006 Winter Olympics
« Reply #15 on: February 22, 2006, 07:36 PM »
Oh well... I guess I'll jump on Slovakia's bandwagon now.   ;)

Crap...  that lasted all of a few hours.  ::)

And Brent, to get you started - the local Talk Radio guy had Lou Nanne on to talk Olympics and he once again brought up how Sid the Kid was snubbed by Canuckia and remarked that Ovechkin has what, 5 goals so far in the tourney?
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Offline Morgbug

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Re: 2006 Winter Olympics
« Reply #16 on: February 22, 2006, 11:07 PM »
Ovechkin is a good example, Malkin is better given he's not even currently playing in the NHL right now. 

As for Canada, yeah, I'm along the same lines.  There was a yahoo story a while back where a guy was berating the US team for their lacklustre performance and suggesting NHL players have no place there.  I disagree but can see his point to a degree. 

But lots of folks up here have commented on the Canadian roster selection even prior to the start of the Olympics and I'm inclined to agree.  There are more than a few guys I'd have left off the roster and quite a few seriously stupid snubs. 

Crosby comes to mind.  He's good, no doubt and he's part of the future.  He'll be playing in 2010 no doubt, so why not give the kid some experience now?  I just don't get it. 

Eric Staal?  What the **** were they thinking?  Really, explain this to me.  Same boat as Crosby here, young guy, almost a lock to play in 2010 (might have to take his two brothers then too :o).  Certainly should have been a lock this year as well - number three in the  league in scoring, essentially as a rookie?  Little help here?


Jason Spezza?  Not an NHL rookie, played fantastic thus far this year, top 25 in scoring (in spite of a Senators slump for the past three weeks).  A fine player in the NHL two years ago as well.  So why not take the kid?  Too good? 

Some old **** named Kariya?  Having a pretty fine year I'd say.  Want leadership?  How about taking a guy like that?  Oh yeah, he's putting the puck in the net and having a revival as well.  Nah, **** 'em. 

Who'd they take?  Why the 2002 team of course, because there's no reason 4 years down the road they can't get it done again, right? ::) 

Bertuzzi?  Gimme a ******' break.  He's not designed for olympic style hockey and he's not even playing NHL hockey very well at the moment.  Yeah, he's got a lot of **** on his plate, did Gretzky some how miss that media report?  An Olympic tournament is not the time or place to show confidence in your buddy.  Should have been left at home.

Kris Draper?  Over Kariya?  Why?  Why, why, why? 

Lecavalier/Richards/St. Louis - hey, I'm right there with you, awesome hockey players and contributors in a big, big way - 2 years ago for the cup and 4 years ago for the Olympics.  No way should any one of those guys gone ahead of Staal this year.  Take the best NOW, not then.  I've no doubt these guys are still going to be amazing players for years to come, but again, show up to win, not have your buds there.

And speaking of buds, Ryan Smyth?  What's that, the token Oiler to help maintain fan support in Edmonton?    ::)

Foote and Blake.  Yep, I agree, you need some experience and I also agree that they got nailed on the D by injuries in losing out with Jovanoski and Niedermayer.  But just so you know, Foote and Blake are 35 and 37 respectively.  Any chance these guys don't get up and down the ice as quickly? 

Goaltending?  They took who I would have.  But is there a reason they can't play Luongo or Turco?  I love Brodeur as a goaltender and he didn't play poorly, but why not take a shot early in the round robin with one of those two other guys?   They're not exactly dogs.  Crazy stuff. 

That said, it's easy second guessing after the fact.  Still, I would have taken Staal, Spezza, Crosby and Kariya in favor of Bertuzzi, Smyth, Draper and maybe Richards(?).  See, you could have taken three young stars to the tournament and given them valuable experience.  They were playing better than the guys I suggested dropping during the months leading up to the tournament.  I suppose the selection process took place well in advance, but I'd hope they wouldn't base the selection process on what took place over a full NHL season ago.  Spezza, Staal and Crosby were all playing while those other guys were golfing for heaven's sake, how is that hard to miss :'(
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: 2006 Winter Olympics
« Reply #17 on: February 23, 2006, 01:09 AM »
Believe me I'm incredibly happy they didn't take him...  :)  irregardless of how our season ends (it'll end bad irregardless), I don't want him getting hurt at the Olympics...  I'm a huge detractor of any NHL'er playing in the Olympics though, and I just don't find the games quite as entertaining.  I liked the youthful games is all though and feel these players have obligations to their respective city's teams first.

I'm shocked at the final 4 really...  I'd have never guessed that...  I'm ready for the NHL to be back and this to be over though, even if I don't have much to look forward to as a Penguin's fan. :)
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Offline Ian_C

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Re: 2006 Winter Olympics
« Reply #18 on: February 23, 2006, 11:49 AM »
Here's hoping Sweden wins, so Mats Sundin can win something of significance this year. ;)

I saw the first two periods of yesterday's Canada game, and I have to say they got what they deserved.  They were shut out three times, and were getting outshot badly against Russia.

Brent, I'm glad you didn't include McCabe in your bashing....

It's good they went down like this.  Now there will be no outcry when Quinn gets turfed by the Leafs in a couple of weeks.

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Offline Holographic Elvis

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Re: 2006 Winter Olympics
« Reply #19 on: February 23, 2006, 01:37 PM »
I'm pulling for Sweden because of how many of my Wings are on the team.


Offline Morgbug

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Re: 2006 Winter Olympics
« Reply #20 on: February 23, 2006, 02:47 PM »


Brent, I'm glad you didn't include McCabe in your bashing....


I don't always like to bash on defensemen anyway, so picking on Foote and Blake was tough, but this team felt just too much like an old boys club.  Had Yzerman and Lemieux actually played, what would the average age have been, 75?  All I kept hearing about was experience, experience, experience.  Well this is an athletic endeavour folks, not a board meeting, so some high level skill and speed and general athleticism would have been nice too.  A mix of young and old would be productive for future olympics as well.  I'm sorry, but a 35 year old hockey player is a 35 year old hockey player.  To suggest there's limited young blood in Canadian hockey is just a pile of crap. 

I don't know that they'd have won with the changes I suggested.  But I do think they're every bit as guilty as the US women's team in looking too far ahead without taking care of the business at hand.  Shut out in three games?  Let me rephrase, they were far more arrogant than the US women's team, at least they only had a one game screw up.  The Canadian men, including the playoffs, finished 3-4 :-X
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Offline John C

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Re: 2006 Winter Olympics
« Reply #21 on: February 23, 2006, 03:34 PM »
I've heard they may boot out the NHL players after the 2010 Olympics.  That would be fine with me.  I want the USA to have a group of guys who play together for a year or so before the Olympics so they can learn how to play as a team.  No more of this throwing a group of pros together at the last moment, forcing them to learn how to play as a team in a short time.  The pros don't really care about winning, anyway IMO.  They are used to playing for their paychecks.  I want amateurs.  Take an all star college team and throw them in there.  They will play with more heart than the pros.  That would be more fun to watch IMO.

Offline Jeff

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Re: 2006 Winter Olympics
« Reply #22 on: February 23, 2006, 03:40 PM »
Yeah, we joked that it would have been interesting to see how Team USA would have fared against, say the Golden Gophers or Wisconsin Badgers.

Watching the Gophers play lately, they sure would have played with more speed and energy than Team USA mustered in a few of thsoe games.  Also would have played a lot closer without the stupid penalties the USA kept taking...
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Offline Morgbug

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Re: 2006 Winter Olympics
« Reply #23 on: February 23, 2006, 03:50 PM »
I've heard they may boot out the NHL players after the 2010 Olympics.  That would be fine with me.  I want the USA to have a group of guys who play together for a year or so before the Olympics so they can learn how to play as a team.  No more of this throwing a group of pros together at the last moment, forcing them to learn how to play as a team in a short time.  The pros don't really care about winning, anyway IMO.  They are used to playing for their paychecks.  I want amateurs.  Take an all star college team and throw them in there.  They will play with more heart than the pros.  That would be more fun to watch IMO.

Does this hold true for the basketball in the summer games as well?  And to play devil's advocate, how do we deal with snowboarders that ride for money and have million dollar sponsorship deals?  I don't disagree with you at all, hockey would be more interesting without those big names, though I think this year is pretty interesting overall, just not for those of us in North America.   ;)  But I think the notion of amateurs-only in the Olympics is long, long gone now. 
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Offline John C

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Re: 2006 Winter Olympics
« Reply #24 on: February 23, 2006, 06:02 PM »
I see where you're coming from.  I dislike the NBA and their players are just a bunch of thugs.  They should also be left out.  The college players have more energy and fire.  The NBA bores me to tears.  The college game is more fun.  As for the other paid athletes, I think it's up to the Olympic commitee to decide what they want to do.  I just read in a newspaper and heard on the radio that the 2010 Olympics may be the end of NHL players in the Olympics for all teams, not just the USA. 

Offline Holographic Elvis

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Re: 2006 Winter Olympics
« Reply #25 on: February 26, 2006, 03:45 PM »
3 of my Wings help get Sweden the gold.  3-2 Sweden over Finland.
« Last Edit: February 26, 2006, 03:46 PM by Holographic Elvis »