Does this tournament mean anything to Russia?

[crowi]

Even though my country just lost and is out, YEAH I CARE. The country wasn't even Russia.
Seems very petty to ask from another hockey country. Get over it.

 

[SirKillalot]

This is mostly a question for Russian posters.

In Canada, no really one cares about it. No one is talking about it or watching the games. No one can name 3 people on the Canadian Roster.

So when Russia wins the tournament, will it be celebrated in Russia?

If this would be true, it would say more about the Canadian fans than the Russian one. Because then it would mean that hockey isn't the Canadian sport, only if there is an IF. One would think that Canadian fans would be more inclined to celebrate if they win now than normally, because now they don't have that huge advantage in roster quality.

 

[Riddum]

Olympic gold is olympic gold. Olympic silver is olympic silver. Olympic bronze is olympic bronze. Olympic participation is olympic participation.

Or maybe you think there is no life outside the NHL? If so, you'll be disappointed.

Olympics usually means the best of the best. It clearly can't be the case without the NHL participating.

Is an Olympic gold Medal in Soccer more important than the World Cup?

 

[Riddum]

Exactly.

There's plenty of life outside of the World Cup and the top domestic soccer leagues, and look how the Olympic soccer competition is viewed without all of the top players.

It's pretty much equivalent.

I bet you can't name the last 3 Olympic champions in Soccer without googling but can name the last 3 World Cup Champions.

 

[Nick Hansen]

Olympic gold isn't worth crap compared to the World Cup in football.

 

[crowi]

Olympics usually means the best of the best. It clearly can't be the case without the NHL participating.

Is an Olympic gold Medal in Soccer more important than the World Cup?

Olympic GOLD is olympic GOLD no matter what arbitrary limits you can think of adding.

 

[NyQuil]

I bet you can't name the last 3 Olympic champions in Soccer without googling but can name the last 3 World Cup Champions.

Brazil, Nigeria and Chile or something?

Germany, Spain, Italy.

Edit: Brazil, Mexico and Argentina. And Nigeria was a finalist. I’ll take it.

 

[SirKillalot]

Olympics usually means the best of the best. It clearly can't be the case without the NHL participating.

Is an Olympic gold Medal in Soccer more important than the World Cup?

Best available. There are plenty of bests who aren't participating in the Olympics if one look hard enough at all sports. Injuries, suspensions, etc.

You can't compare this scenario with the Olympics in Soccer. The Olympics in Soccer is a U23 tournament where you can add three overage players if you want to. Basically a little bit glorified juniors tournament. Almost like a transition tournament between juniors and adults. The Olympics would be more comparable to either the Under-21 World Cup or maybe the Confederations Cup.

Soccer is basically the only sport where the Olympics isn't that important. However, it's still somewhat special to win it, because you only get one chance. Some few gets another shot.

 

[lilidk]

I don't really watching this games , but there is so many good unknown players plays in Europe . I like to see Sweden because Dahlin . I just watched 3rd period between Sweden and Germany . I was surprise how good Germans are . You probably can build team us good us Las Vegas using those Olympians from different teams .

 

[NyQuil]

Anyway, it’s been a fun tournament - but I’m someone who likes the Spengler and other international tourneys.

 

[JackSlater]

Olympics usually means the best of the best. It clearly can't be the case without the NHL participating.

Is an Olympic gold Medal in Soccer more important than the World Cup?

You can expect a large amount of mental gymnastics, but the comparison to Olympic soccer really demonstrates the reality of this tournament. Whichever country wins the pyrite medal is going to boast about it, that's just the nature of sports.

 

[shtorm2005]

So when Russia wins the tournament, will it be celebrated in Russia?

Of course. Same as canadians celebrate when their athletes win gold medals while most of the russians are banned in olympics.

 

[Albatros]

You can expect a large amount of mental gymnastics, but the comparison to Olympic soccer really demonstrates the reality of this tournament.

I don't think it's mental gymnastics to point out that in hockey the Olympics are and remain the most important international tournament, while in football they are not and will not be.

 

[Firsov99]

Of course it will be celebrated. A casual Olympics spectator (and not just a Russian one) has no idea that the best players don't participate in the hockey tournament. The Russian media would put a nice spin to it to exaggerate the achievement, but I don't think that there's anything wrong with it. The common folks would want to be proud of their boys no matter what.

 

[NyQuil]

Just like it’s not mental gymnastics that if Russia were to lose out on Gold, it would be the biggest upset since 1980 given the position they are in.

It’s kind of refreshing being the dark horse.

 

[Jarey Curry]

This is mostly a question for Russian posters.

In Canada, no really one cares about it. No one is talking about it or watching the games. No one can name 3 people on the Canadian Roster.

So when Russia wins the tournament, will it be celebrated in Russia?

I can't believe what you are saying about Canadians don't care about men's ice hockey in the Olympics

 

[shtorm2005]

Just like it’s not mental gymnastics that if Russia were to lose out on Gold, it would be the biggest upset since 1980 given the position they are in.

Which position?

 

[NyQuil]

Which position?

Having HoFers on their team with everyone else fielding rejects.

It’s a unique opportunity.

If they lose you’ll see a movie coming out with Kurt Russell as the coach.

 

[shtorm2005]

Having HoFers on their team with everyone else fielding rejects.

It’s a unique opportunity.

Old HOF who probably won't make NHL roster

 

[JackSlater]

I don't think it's mental gymnastics to point out that in hockey the Olympics are and remain the most important international tournament, while in football they are not and will not be.

It is indeed little more than mental gymnastics. In soccer the World Cup is rightly regarded as the biggest tournament because it has the best of the best. The Olympic soccer tournament isn't regarded highly because most of the best players aren't there. Any kind of consistency makes it obvious which soccer tournament this Olympic hockey tournament is comparable to. I do agree with the general sentiment though that basically any country will celebrate winning the pyrite in this tournament. People like to celebrate wins and many are ignorant to the level of the tournament, it's a pretty obvious answer.

 

[Albatros]

I think you underestimate the role of tradition, also in football the hierarchy is not based solely on the level of the players involved. The Confederations Cup for one had no importance whatsoever despite being a best-on-best between continental champions. The same will likely be true with the new Nations League.

 

[NyQuil]

I think you underestimate the role of tradition, also in football the hierarchy is not based solely on the level of the players involved. The Confederations Cup for one had no importance whatsoever despite being a best-on-best between continental champions. The same will likely be true with the new Nations League.

The tradition of the Olympics being important in hockey is pretty recent.

 

[SirKillalot]

I think you underestimate the role of tradition, also in football the hierarchy is not based solely on the level of the players involved. The Confederations Cup for one had no importance whatsoever despite being a best-on-best between continental champions. The same will likely be true with the new Nations League.

This. Though with one remark. The winners of each level in the Nations League will qualify for the European Championships. So it will have some meaning.

 

[Albatros]

The tradition of the Olympics being important in hockey is pretty recent.

Maybe in North America, in Europe it always was important. Having all the best players for a while was at most a nice plus, but the position of the Olympics never depended on it as there's no other international tournament in hockey that could challenge it.

 

[JackSlater]

I think you underestimate the role of tradition, also in football the hierarchy is not based solely on the level of the players involved. The Confederations Cup for one had no importance whatsoever despite being a best-on-best between continental champions. The same will likely be true with the new Nations League.

This is mostly dancing around the obvious. Soccer was in the Olympics before the World Cup existed, and yet the World Cup rightly became regarded as the premiere event since it had the best players. The Confederations Cup is not taken that seriously, I agree, and that isn't surprising given that again most of the best players aren't there since so few countries compete. It would be like a hockey tournament between just Canada, Sweden, Japan and South Africa. People can recite to themselves that a gold medal is a gold medal and automatically worthy of big celebration all they want, but I find it hard to take them seriously when I see the reaction that Olympic soccer gets. Also worth noting is that if each team was an U23 team with three ringers, as is the case in lowly Olympic soccer, the level of players involved in the tournament would be massively, hugely improved. Perhaps fortunately for this tournament it seems that average fans (in most countries) are unaware of the level of the players in tournament, and so obviously Russians or anyone else will celebrate a win.