The American women are upset over Canada's stats padding

[Bileur]

There are big events in track and field each season. Both championships and the Golden League events.

Theres also world championships and the now the NWHL for Women's hockey. Where would all the international events in T/F be if it werent for the olympics starting up again and builduing interest? Maybe exhibition races?

 

[bling]

Why don't they just worry about their own god damn team. I swear the American teams are more interested in bashing then Canadians then playing hockey.

Please read the article and realize that the part that Section X chose to quote is not the whole story. The best player on team Canada and the coach of the Canadian team also agree that the scores put up by the Canadian Women were needlessly high.

 

[ranold26]

Another poster who can not or did not read the article....

Oh really? I read the article and I stand by my comment too.

Randy

 

[PEli*]

There are a lot of events in bobsleigh. And you know what? More than two competitors can win in each of them.

Sure, the winter olympics is host to a lot of freaky sports (nordic combination anyone?). I don't see a lot of point in adding more ones, especially when the summer olympics are going in the opposite direction.

Since I am Swedish I don't mind it from a national perspective. We actually have a chance for a medal with a team that is horrible at the sport they are competing in. I think this kind of thinking is also a big reason for why Canadians sternly defend the sport in the Olympics. Hey, free gold!

Of course there are a lot of bobsleigh events. What helped prop sports like bobsledding up? The Olympics! The Olympics are an excuse to have a bunch of cheesy events mixed into a few good ones so a few more countries have chances at winning medals. There's nothing great about the Olympics anymore.

Free gold. Yeah. Let's eliminate any event in which a country swept medals at the last Olympics. Because we know that before Salt Lake, Canada dominated hockey each and every Olympic year. While we're at it, let's get rid of diving because the Chinese get free gold from that. Snowboarding because of the States. And where's the competition in figure skating? It's a three horse race between the Russians, Americans and Canadians.

Removing sports because of regional domination goes against everything the Olympics is about. Growing sports and increasing competition and skill. The Olympics isn't about spirit or culture. Nobody cares about that crap anymore. It's all about creating interest and money. And that isn't a bad thing.

 

[Freudian]

Theres also world championships and the now the NWHL for Women's hockey. Where would all the international events in T/F be if it werent for the olympics starting up again and builduing interest? Maybe exhibition races?

There is a great deal of interest of the Golden Globe events and the World Championships in track and field. They are on live television during prime time in a lot of countries. Pretty much everyone competing in these events and championships are professionals. Yes, it is a huge olympic sport but to suggest there is no interest in it outside the olympics is absurd. There is huge interest year in year out.

To even suggest womens hockey is in any way comparable shows a great ignorance.

 

[Boston]

last change makes absolutely no difference in womens hockey when the talent is so bad that it doesnt matter whos on the ice

I'd love to see you go up against the Candaian and American teams. Can you even skate?

 

[Freudian]

Removing sports because of regional domination goes against everything the Olympics is about. Growing sports and increasing competition and skill. The Olympics isn't about spirit or culture. Nobody cares about that crap anymore. It's all about creating interest and money. And that isn't a bad thing.

And exactly why was baseball and softball removed from the Olympics? Explicitly because there were too few countries that were competitive.

Anyway, it is pointless discussing this with a Canadian. You guys will defend your right to a definite medal without seeing the absurdity of the sports inclusion in the Olympics to no end.

 

[SChan*]

Please read the article and realize that the part that Section X chose to quote is not the whole story. The best player on team Canada and the coach of the Canadian team also agree that the scores put up by the Canadian Women were needlessly high.

umm the whole story is on cnnsi and it's worse

"It does hurt our sport when one team is so dominant," said the 26-year-old Ruggiero, whose team scored six and five goals, respectively, in opening shutouts of Switzerland and Germany. "Beating Russia 12-0 after the Italy game, that doesn't help. If Italy had any hopes, or if their federation was thinking of helping women's hockey, well, this probably shattered them after the first game. They'll say, 'How are we ever going to beat those guys?' If you don't have a shot of ever getting there, why not invest in another sport?"

There are roughly 400 registered women hockey players in Italy compared to 65,000 in Canada and 50,000 in the U.S.

"I would love to see Finland or Sweden make a final," she said. "Not when I'm playing, but eventually. We need that."

 

[Jazz]

And exactly why was baseball and softball removed from the Olympics? Explicitly because there were too few countries that were competitive.

Anyway, it is pointless discussing this with a Canadian. You guys will defend your right to a definite medal without seeing the absurdity of the sports inclusion in the Olympics to no end.

What the heck does this got to do with anything? You come on here backing a side during a discussion, and then resort to a bad generalization...

Anyways, go back 70 years, would you have made the same arguement against the inclusion of Men's hockey in the Olympics pre 1950?

 

[Bileur]

There is a great deal of interest of the Golden Globe events and the World Championships in track and field. They are on live television during prime time in a lot of countries. Pretty much everyone competing in these events and championships are professionals. Yes, it is a huge olympic sport but to suggest there is no interest in it outside the olympics is absurd. There is huge interest year in year out.

To even suggest womens hockey is in any way comparable shows a great ignorance.

Totally missing the point of that post shows what then? Like Peli also said certain evens are what they are today because of the olympics. Their fanbase was created thanks to the olympics nothing else. Thats where the interest comes from. Like I said if the olympics had not restarted the tradition of world-wide athletic competition where would these sports be today?

 

[PEli*]

And exactly why was baseball and softball removed from the Olympics? Explicitly because there were too few countries that were competitive.

Anyway, it is pointless discussing this with a Canadian. You guys will defend your right to a definite medal without seeing the absurdity of the sports inclusion in the Olympics to no end.

Typical of an HFer. Get schooled and revert to nationality arguments. Guess how much women's hockey I've watched over the between Salt Lake and two days ago? Zero minutes, zero seconds. Canada wins gold in women's hockey? Cool. USA wins gold in women's hockey? Fine.

I guess you'll be in a hole until you get to attempt to make a point with somebody else. Don't people want to see sports grow in interest and competition? You don't get better unless you play. So play. Some people are happy with losing and never getting better. They don't deserve to play.

 

[Freudian]

What the heck does this got to do with anything? You come on here backing a side during a discussion, and then resort to a bad generalization...

Anyways, go back 70 years, would you have made the same arguement against the inclusion of Men's hockey in the Olympics pre 1950?

I was being honest. I am used to homerism by reading this board but this issue has even more homerism than the usual NHL talk. You guys would argue the same way if Lacrosse found it's way into the Olympics (and Swedes if Bandy was an Olympic sport). Everyone likes Olympic medals and don't really care what crappy sport they get them in. So congrats to the gold. If you can't see the utter uselessness of the sport after watching the games, nothing will open your eyes.

And yes, I would argue the same way whenever a two horse race is suggested Olympic entry.

 

[Backin72]

"It does hurt our sport when one team is so dominant," said the 26-year-old Ruggiero, whose team scored six and five goals, respectively, in opening shutouts of Switzerland and Germany. "Beating Russia 12-0 after the Italy game, that doesn't help. If Italy had any hopes, or if their federation was thinking of helping women's hockey, well, this probably shattered them after the first game. They'll say, 'How are we ever going to beat those guys?' If you don't have a shot of ever getting there, why not invest in another sport?"

I guess she's calling the Italians quitters. What a dumbass statement.

 

[PEli*]

I was being honest. I am used to homerism by reading this board but this issue has even more homerism than the usual NHL talk. You guys would argue the same way if Lacrosse found it's way into the Olympics (and Swedes if Bandy was an Olympic sport). Everyone likes Olympic medals and don't really care what crappy sport they get them in. So congrats to the gold. If you can't see the utter uselessness of the sport after watching the games, nothing will open your eyes.

And yes, I would argue the same way whenever a two horse race is suggested Olympic entry.

Where's your outcry against diving, snowboarding, figure skating, basketball, etc. then? You don't seem to understand that it takes time for sport to develop. I doubt you'll manage to figure it out.

 

[Phanuthier*]

So in other words, they don't think Canada should play its best so other teams don't look as bad?

What's next, have a speed skater slow down so 2nd place doesn't look so bad? Have a figure skater fall because scores are low? Have the bobsleigh guys slow down if they are leading by a fair margin?

Hey, in good sportsmanship, we don't want the other guy to look bad, right?

 

[Jazz]

I was being honest. I am used to homerism by reading this board but this issue has even more homerism than the usual NHL talk. You guys would argue the same way if Lacrosse found it's way into the Olympics (and Swedes if Bandy was an Olympic sport). Everyone likes Olympic medals and don't really care what crappy sport they get them in. So congrats to the gold. If you can't see the utter uselessness of the sport after watching the games, nothing will open your eyes.

And yes, I would argue the same way whenever a two horse race is suggested Olympic entry.

I'm sorry to deflate your bubble but this line of thinking you are suggesting is not in my mind at all...I am a fan of the international game and want the game (both men's and women's) to expand globally. I in fact can up my money where my mouth is since I am an admin of an International Hockey Forum....

I guess we should have taken out Men's Basketball in 1992 as well...

 

[therealdeal]

Either way it'll be Canada vs. USA in the finals, theres no reason to run up the score.

We want home ice advantage, so actually there is a reason.

 

[Bruin Stain]

http://www.tsn.ca/olympics/news_story/?ID=154798&hubname=olympics

what doesn't make sence to me is going to the olymipics and not trying your best

 

[Anksun]

i've seen a few Canada women's games.

While they have agree they probably put the scores uselessly too high, they actually didnt run up the scores imo. They were still gentle actually, no true individual efforts (because honestly... there are a few canadian players would could have run the scores up alone against Italia).

And the 12-0 against Russia should actually shows you how many goals Canada could have truely scores against Italia. Watch Russia-Italia and you will have an idea...
_______________

I dont like when a country gets a free pass because they are hosting, Italia have no business this fast in the olympics. Maybe in a few years when the team will start to show something remotly close to competitiviness it would be a good thing to bring interest but right now???

 

[Freudian]

Where's your outcry against diving, snowboarding, figure skating, basketball, etc. then? You don't seem to understand that it takes time for sport to develop. I doubt you'll manage to figure it out.

None of them were recently included. All of them have more than two competitors that are decent. The Olympics are more set in stone than they were 60 years ago. It should take a lot more to include a sport today than when the games were really young (and sport also was).

You guys seem to use this logic. Every sport that is in the Olympic have benefited from being an Olympic thus it will benefit womens hockey when it is an Olympic sport. What you fail to realize is that pretty much every sport imaginable could argue for inclusion for the same reasons. Should every regional sport be included simply because if it is included it will potentially grow? Bandy, Cricket, Dart, Aussie Football, Lacrosse, Indoor bandy etc etc ad nauseum? I think you say no. And the funny thing is that the IOC also does. Because many of the smalltime sports has tried to become an Olympic sport at one time or another and been firmly rejected because they are not big or competitive enough. I don't know why IOC accepted womens hockey. Perhaps it was an equality issue and they didn't want to seem to snub the sport because of women competing. Perhaps it was because the Winter Olympics is rather barren compared to the Summer Olympics. But I know there is zero chance of Bandy ever becoming an Olympic sport, despite being a lot more professional, bigger and (slightly) more competitive than womens hockey. And you know what, the IOC has the right idea when it comes to Bandy.

I don't really care though. I got a few good laughs the few minutes I watched Sweden play Italy in the womens hockey today. Not only were the Italians horrible, the Swedes also was. It had more comedic value than athletic. I know my countrymen has no problems with feeling pride for winning in pointless sports so why should I begrudge Canadians from doing the same thing. Enjoy your gold in the fantastic sport of womens hockey.

 

[Connorrhea]

The Americans should be upset with the IIHF for making these rules where the home team will be determined by goals scored.

But come on, did anyone watch the Russia game? Russia took so many dumb penalties, even when they were down big already. It's like they were asking for it.

And why wouldn't Canada continue to keep playing well. You have to play till the final whistle, and seeing as how Canada as to wait until the Finals to get real competition, they may as well stay on top of their game.

 

[Namso]

I'd love to see you go up against the Candaian and American teams. Can you even skate?

what a great argument... now next time don't ever criticize any sports player, politician, businessman, etc because you probably can't do half as much as they know.

 

[Souffle]

None of them were recently included. All of them have more than two competitors that are decent. The Olympics are more set in stone than they were 60 years ago. It should take a lot more to include a sport today than when the games were really young (and sport also was).

You guys seem to use this logic. Every sport that is in the Olympic have benefited from being an Olympic thus it will benefit womens hockey when it is an Olympic sport. What you fail to realize is that pretty much every sport imaginable could argue for inclusion for the same reasons. Should every regional sport be included simply because if it is included it will potentially grow? Bandy, Cricket, Dart, Aussie Football, Lacrosse, Indoor bandy etc etc ad nauseum? I think you say no. And the funny thing is that the IOC also does. Because many of the smalltime sports has tried to become an Olympic sport at one time or another and been firmly rejected because they are not big or competitive enough. I don't know why IOC accepted womens hockey. Perhaps it was an equality issue and they didn't want to seem to snub the sport because of women competing. Perhaps it was because the Winter Olympics is rather barren compared to the Summer Olympics. But I know there is zero chance of Bandy ever becoming an Olympic sport, despite being a lot more professional, bigger and (slightly) more competitive than womens hockey. And you know what, the IOC has the right idea when it comes to Bandy.

I don't really care though. I got a few good laughs the few minutes I watched Sweden play Italy in the womens hockey today. Not only were the Italians horrible, the Swedes also was. It had more comedic value than athletic. I know my countrymen has no problems with feeling pride for winning in pointless sports so why should I begrudge Canadians from doing the same thing. Enjoy your gold in the fantastic sport of womens hockey.

Excuse my butting in, but it's profitable to the IOC to have Canada and the US switch places on the podium every 4 years in women's hockey. It's a huge television market relative to a lot of other sports, even confined to just North America. The Olympics is mostly about money, with very little to do with the nobility of sport.

 

[nik jr]

There are a lot of sports where some countries are very good. But there is a significant difference here, the rest of the field in any of them aren't horrible. You think the marathon would be included if three kenyans ran in 2h5m and everyone else ran in 3 hours? Because thats womens hockey.

Look at basketball. There are dominant countries there but there are at least twenty nations that are somewhat good at it.

Ever heard about a sport called Bandy. It is like an exact copy of womens hockey. Sweden, Russia and Finland dominate. Then there are ten countries that get annihalated by those three. Want that to be an olympic sport also? It has much longer tradition than womens hockey. How about cricket? Indoor bandy?

The olympics shouldn't be an incubator for sports that are too weak to stand on their own. And womens hockey definately is just that.

bandy should be an olympic sport. it was demonstration sport in 52 olympics. they add things like snowboarding and have biathlon and curling, why not bandy?

 

[Phanuthier*]

To show exaclty how noble this clown of a women is, she is the same one that was on the 2002 team that walked all over the Canadian flag on the floor.

Not to bad of a looker for a ****, but sounds like a real hypocrit.

Thanks for the lecture, though. Don't forget to wipe your *** with another flag when your done.