Moment of Truth-Russians Refuse to Show and Pick up Bronze Men's Hockey Medal

National Post of Canada ^ | February 25, 2002 | Roy MacGregor

[Harp]

I'd hope my wife woiuld be happy for me too, no matter what her country of origin.

And if she has any sisters at home, I, for one, would like to know . . .

[Argh]

I live in Canada, just south of Vancouver, although i spent most of my adult life in Montreal. If you click on my name, it'll take you to my profile page, where you'll see a Canadian flag. Click on that and you'll see a list of freepers who have identified themselves as being from Canada. The only American freeper I know of so far who watches CBC, especially for hockey, is "Dan from Michigan". And welcome to Free Republic!

[codebreaker]

And we paid for the damage.

[Oldtory]

How do you rate Herb Brooks when he says before the game that Canadians play stupid hockey as compared to His team who are much more sophisticated and after the game shows his total ignorance of the organization of the competition by complaining that his team was tired because the draw was unfair.

[rbmillerjr]

i believe applause and hugging Gretz would be being happy for her husband. I believe punching a fist into the air and jumping up and down is slightly distasteful when it is your country that is the beneficiary of the defeat.

I think there is always a little room to show some class and a tad of patriotism. Her elation was uninhibited by any thought to country or class.

[Argh]

I believe Bret Hull apologized for it, and (if my Alzheimered memory isn't too devastated) I think he asked to be billed for the damage and paid for it because this would allow the American player (there was supposedly only one) involved in the damage to remain anonymous.

[rbmillerjr]

That's a simple one. He's a whiner and fit right in to the rest of these games. btw, I told my wife during the Russian win when he had the American sit back and play defense that the Russians would score very quickly. Quicker than I though as 3-0 became 3-2 within minutes of the opening period. I told my wife then that the game may have passed Brooks by and we had no shot vs. the Canadians.

[bduet]

Awsome reply!!!!! I couldn't have said it better myself. It looks like he enjoys spending his American dollars on American Homes (he lives here) and on American NHL teams (he is part owner of the Cayotes). I have ZERO respect for Gretzky these days. The "American Propoganda" comment infuriated me. Thanks a lot you ingrate bastard.

[Harp]

It's Stockholm syndrome. ;) I'm willing to give her a pass.

She obviously has adopted her husband's greatest hopes and ambitions. It looked completely endearing to me. It's a sports game afterall. It's not as if we're shooting at each other across Lake Erie.

[uncbob]

They ought gto go back to the original intent of the olympics
Competition between individuals not nations

As a first step get rid of the uniforms and let them compete as was done in the beginning " NAKED "

NO EXCEPTIONS for winter sports

[bduet]

Is that his wife (Janet Jones I believe)??????

[LantzALot]

Ol' Gretz actually started downhill when he left Edmonton to play in Los Angeles. They made no secret at the time that they were here to help his "trophy wife," as you call her, break into Hollywood.

She apparently flopped, and so did he as the "Great One" on ice. I quit watching, and didn't follow him at all after he went to New York.

(BTW, was that trip made so that wifey could try her hand at Broadway?)

So I wasn't surprised to hear the crybaby tactics from him at the Olympics. Certainly not worthy of the man he used to be.

[Harp]

Yep, that was definitely not a great moment for the Great One.

[bduet]

Is that his wife (Janet Jones I believe)??????

[Lent]

i believe applause and hugging Gretz would be being happy for her husband. I believe punching a fist into the air and jumping up and down is slightly distasteful when it is your country that is the beneficiary of the defeat.

My wife is an American citizen and she was high-fiving me and clapping for the Canadians as well. Maybe the Canadian guys are just better looking. LOL!

[rbmillerjr]

Don't overreact to my comments, it's not an anti Canadian thing, just didnt appreciate America being used to fire up the Canadien team -

The wife thing is an observation, a subtle one, but still valid. It's no big shakes but when Gretz left for America many Canadians took that as a non patriotic thing to do as well and booed quite loudly about it. Not an analogy, but she could have been happy and respectful at the same time after the game.

[Far Right Of Left]

Well,call me "Brian from Michigan" & like Dan I watch alot of hockey on CBC.Not as biased commentary as here in the states. Love the game more than anything,got that from my grandfather who was raised in Pembroke,ON before moving to Detroit. BTW, GO WINGS!!!!!!!

[Argh]

Mrs. Gretzky can't win. She'll never be able to please both sides. Neither can Bret Hull, who has dual Canadian-American citizenship (dad Bobby Hull is a Canadian, but Bret was born in the US) but plays for the Americans because the American Junior Hockey association was nicer to him than the Canadian one. That's according to Bret, and I believe him. You should hear how a lot of Canadians talk about him: like Mrs. Gretzky, he can't win either.

[rbmillerjr]

Hey good for her and my comments apply to her as well. Yes, I take my country seriously...so shame on me.

[codebreaker]

Yup, she has aged well.