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2014 USA Olympic Hockey

chickod said:
Oh, so is this going to be the excuse now? "We didn't come to play." That's the SECOND time I've heard that. Just what exactly does that mean? "We were afraid so now we can just say we didn't show up and that will explain everything?"
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How about you push your Pro-Canadian agenda elsewhere? Or drop the act and stop pretending to be an American who just wants to give Canada their due respect. You're either a Canadian trying to stir the pot or just really annoying.

I don't think anyone here said that the US men's team is as talented as the Canadian men's team. The US still has a ways to go, but the gap has most definitely closed. A few decades ago the thought of medaling was a long shot. The women's teams are a different story. The gap is very minimal if not closed.
 
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Re: 2014 USA Olympic Hockey

Moving on.....

When is USA Hockey going to realize that throwing massive amounts of money at 40-50 players a year doesn't maximize development of players as a whole? I'm not an opponent of the NTDP (It's certainly had its successes), but have you seen the dollar amounts directed towards this small group of players? It's staggering. I just think it needs to be expanded. I'd like to see them expand to a number of regional development teams. Get more kids the advanced development they need to succeed.
 
chickod said:
Agreed with everything until the last part of the sentence. I mean, did you think that it WOULDN'T always be the fourth sport? Why do we keep having this discussion? It's a REGIONAL sport with very little following outside of those of us who live in hockey "areas." I'll say it again...if you can't play it as a kid, which 90% of the country can't, it won't ever be a major sport. What is so difficult about this? It's an obsession in Canada because they have FROZEN PONDS and EVERYONE PLAYS. Here, if you don't have money, you can't play, or at least anywhere near enough to get to the level we're discussing. They have ICE in Canada, Russia, Sweden, Norway and Finland. Here, any ten poor kids can get together, pick up ONE basketball for $20 and go to a playground. You can't do that in hockey. I don't care how many "municipal rinks" and how much freon you have. It costs too much for the average person and/or it's too much of a hassle to play. Any kid can play b-ball or soccer for 1/10 the effort.
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Hockey doesn't have to be the most popular sport in the US to close the gap with Canada. Look at the population disparity. The gap in youth participation numbers is closing and so is the gap in talent. It just takes time (and hopefully a broader reach in our development system).
 
Re: 2014 USA Olympic Hockey

chickod said:
Yup. We're right up there with Canada. We're just as good. We've caught up to them. Just had some "bad breaks," that's all. Two games against GOOD teams - ZERO goals. Great job. I want to know what some of you people are smoking. And tell me which US player is better than ANY of the Top 10 players on Canada. If you want to know why we don't win in the Olympics...that's why. C'mon...I want to hear all of you tell me that I don't know anything.
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You don't know anything....
 
Re: 2014 USA Olympic Hockey

50% of the players in the worlds greatest hockey league are Canadian. 25% are American. Have these teams practice a month and have best of 7 series and I think these 2 would being playing for the "World Championship" every single time. The demise of USA hockey being greatly exaggerated based on one weekend.
 
Re: 2014 USA Olympic Hockey

mnstate0fhockey said:
You're either a Canadian trying to stir the pot or just really annoying.
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Not Canadian so I guess I'm annoying. And a little frustrated. And apparently there is a lot of animosity between the two countries, which I don't know how that originated. I have Canadian friends; I would also cheer for them against Eurpoeans because we were all "North American." The '72 Canada/Russia series was the best hockey the world had seen at the time. Then the Canada Cup started and Gretzky and Lemieux were dominant. But even the US won one with, I think, Richter. But over the years this "rivalry" with Canada has turned into hatred. This has also made me realize how obsessed they are with being the best. I have no opinion about whether that kind of obsession is "good" or "bad," but I know that until "someone" else displays that kind of commitment and passion, they will never surpass them. And I guess that's my only point (I don't know how that has become construed to be "anti-American")...that to be the best it has to be part of your culture and your heart. It just isn't for us. I don't see Canadians getting all worked up when we say that basketball is "our" game - because it is and they know it. But the REASON we're the best is because we play it more than anyone else. My point from the beginning of all this (and all I said was it was "Canada's game") was just that they play the game more than anyone else. Now I know, since you're in Minnesota you are extra sensitive about this. And you're probably the only place in the US that can argue that you can play as much outdoors and on ponds as they do in Canada. But we can't here in New England. The winters have been warmer the past 20 years and the only realistic way is to pay for ice time. Only a small percentage can afford that. It's a different dynamic. That's all. But since I'm annoying everyone I'll just give this up.
 
Re: 2014 USA Olympic Hockey

johnk said:
The demise of USA hockey being greatly exaggerated based on one weekend.
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Nobody said anything about a "demise." That would assume that they were once on an equal footing. All I said was that Canada was better. Period. It has nothing to do with one weekend. It might have more to do with the last 100 years.
 
Re: 2014 USA Olympic Hockey

mookie1995 said:
Even I f true, they have little to nothing to do with Clemens coming out of that game....
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We don't really know, because we don't know which one of them was telling the truth. Roger has a habit of "misremembering," and he's not exactly the most honest person on the planet.
 
Re: 2014 USA Olympic Hockey

Canada is going to win most of them. All we can hope for is picking one off here and there, same as Finland, Sweden, and Russia. When it comes hockey, we are living in Canada's world.
 
Re: 2014 USA Olympic Hockey

chickod said:
Nobody said anything about a "demise." That would assume that they were once on an equal footing. All I said was that Canada was better. Period. It has nothing to do with one weekend. It might have more to do with the last 100 years.
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Canada is better. The gap has closed. World Juniors tournaments show that as much as our last 3 Olympic games which we are 1-2 with 2 one goal losses. Hockey needs to go back to the Canada Cup format every 4 years opposite the Olympics. Play it in late August into September. Better measuring stick.
 
Re: 2014 USA Olympic Hockey

Here's a question...

Is the idea of picking "pairs", whether it be d partners or forwards from the same NHL team helping us get to medal contention? Or is it preventing us from doing better? To me, Canada can afford to pick their roster with that philosophy, but I don't know if we can.
 
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chickod said:
Not Canadian so I guess I'm annoying. And a little frustrated. And apparently there is a lot of animosity between the two countries, which I don't know how that originated. I have Canadian friends; I would also cheer for them against Eurpoeans because we were all "North American." The '72 Canada/Russia series was the best hockey the world had seen at the time. Then the Canada Cup started and Gretzky and Lemieux were dominant. But even the US won one with, I think, Richter. But over the years this "rivalry" with Canada has turned into hatred. This has also made me realize how obsessed they are with being the best. I have no opinion about whether that kind of obsession is "good" or "bad," but I know that until "someone" else displays that kind of commitment and passion, they will never surpass them. And I guess that's my only point (I don't know how that has become construed to be "anti-American")...that to be the best it has to be part of your culture and your heart. It just isn't for us. I don't see Canadians getting all worked up when we say that basketball is "our" game - because it is and they know it. But the REASON we're the best is because we play it more than anyone else. My point from the beginning of all this (and all I said was it was "Canada's game") was just that they play the game more than anyone else. Now I know, since you're in Minnesota you are extra sensitive about this. And you're probably the only place in the US that can argue that you can play as much outdoors and on ponds as they do in Canada. But we can't here in New England. The winters have been warmer the past 20 years and the only realistic way is to pay for ice time. Only a small percentage can afford that. It's a different dynamic. That's all. But since I'm annoying everyone I'll just give this up.
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Sorry man, not reading all of that. Be short and concise. More is not always better.

I got as far as "they play the game more than any of us". You're wrong there. Maybe by you, but not where i'm from.
 
Re: 2014 USA Olympic Hockey

By the way Chickod - Show me an American who has said basketball is "our game". Only time I have ever heard that crap is with Canada and hockey. And it's comments like this that leave me little doubt that you're not who you say you are.

And like I said before. Hockey doesn't have to be as popular here for us to close the gap or even surpass Canada. Look at the population disparity. It's not a matter of "if", but when.
 
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Re: 2014 USA Olympic Hockey

It looked like Team USA was flat after losing "the game" but Finland was also inspired with Selanne's last Olympic game.
Sometimes SISU is just too much to overcome.

Kane is the most dynamic American and he was snakebit. We need some top end centers such as Galchenyuk to be ready for the next Olympics if the Nhl players go. I was disappointed in the lack of discipline to close the game.
We are and always should exude class as Americans.
USA hockey is in awesome shape with many exciting years ahead.
 
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