Take Off, Eh!

An actual Gopher football post is coming soon, I promise. But first- how freaking cool are the Canadian women's hockey team? I mean really? I don't say this to rub it in the faces of our American readers, I say it only because a good half hour or so after their gold medal win vs. the USA, after all the fans had cleared out, these fine Canadian lasses went back out to the ice with their gold medals- and champagne, cigars and Molson Canadian beer (I've always been more of a Kokanee guy- in fact I have an 18 pack in the fridge at home right now- but I also do enjoy a good Canadian). Check out the pics from Luke Wynn's blog on SI.com:

Great, great stuff. I particularily like this one where one of the players is driving the zamboni around (maybe she's taking someone to the looney bin on her way to the brewery eh?):

This kind of exuberance and joy is what hockey, and the Olympics are all about...oh what's that? The IOC is saying this is NOT what it's all about?

"If that's the case, that is not good," said Gilbert Felli, the IOC's
executive director of the Olympic Games. "It is not what we want to see. I don't
think it's a good promotion of sport values. If they celebrate in the changing
room, that's one thing, but not in public. We will investigate what
happened."

I did not know that Gilbert means "douche bag" in whatever anal country he is from. Um Gil? The crowd had gone. It was just the media and janitors left- this wasn't in public anymore than celebrating in the dressing room would have been!! And really, I'm sure there's never been a team or athlete who has EVER gone out to the bar after the game to celebrate their victory in, you know, public. Nope, that's never happened. But because the Canadian gals bring their Canadians, stoggies and champagne back onto the ice they've committed some kind of crime against society? What would that be exactly- a crime of fun? One of passion? One you'd expect from Canadians?

The best quote came from Steve Keough, a spokesman for the Canadian Olympic Committee, who said the COC had not provided the alcohol nor initiated the party:

"In terms of the actual celebration, it's not exactly something uncommon in Canada," he said, referring to raucous locker-room celebrations that are a tradition in some professional team sports.

Exactly, Steve. This would be a pretty Canadian response to winning a gold medal, and dare I say, a pretty common response from any team or athlete who would win gold at the Olympics. Just more proof the IOC are a bunch of hosers.

Meanwhile, you can bet that wherever the Canada women's hockey team go the rest of the week, they'll be the most popular party-goers in Vancouver, and would be welcome at my Gopher tailgate next fall anytime they want. Especially if they're bringing the Molson, and maybe instead of champagne, some of the Champagne of Beers for Jermo.