Fine, I'm in. It's begrudgingly, because the sight of names like Bobby Butler and Brian O'Neill on a team I'll be rooting for take me back to a dark time as a Devils' fan. However, watching a father and son share the realization of a dream was enough of a feel good moment to overcome the nightmarish period I associate with the mention of said son's name. Perhaps I'll feel differently about the Olympics while watching a 38 year old Brian Gionta try to fill a top-6 role that he bottomed out of a decade ago, but - until I am forced to acknowledge exactly how "who's who?" this lineup is - I have reserved my seat on Team USA's bandwagon... That doesn't mean that I wouldn't rather each country be putting their best foot forward by use of professional athletes. After all, considering the recent influx of transcendent American talent, not even an irritable asshole of a coach that thinks toughness is the key to succeeding on an international ice surface could sabotage the skill of a roster that would feature players like Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Johnny Gaudreau, and Zach Werenski. On the other hand, it does mean that I couldn't feel happier for a group of guys who either worked tirelessly to find that forever fleeting spotlight or thought theirs died out years ago. The aesthetics of the hockey will absolutely leave a lot to be desired, but if there is one thing that Team USA won't lack it's likability. At the very least, the back stories of those populating the land of misfited NHLers should get me to remain emotionally invested in their performance until the second round robin game is being played at some ungodly hour halfway across the world. I can definitively say that - prior to having this clip dust up my apartment - I didn't expect to devote even one single second to the whereabouts of Matt Gilroy in the year in 2018. As someone that's spent far too much time and effort playing hockey for the love of the game, I couldn't not smile while watching Bobby Butler's proud father find out that his son will get a chance to win an Olympic gold medal, regardless of the circumstances that led to it.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Categories
All
Archives
January 2020
|