here was a second element of beauty to Monday night’s pairs skating finals, won by Canada’s Tessa Virtue, and Scott Moir. Aside from their championship form on the ice, there was something else that caught my eye, that seemed to be a rare moment in highly competitive sports. While the medal winners were waiting to go on the ice for the ceremony, backstage, there was a genuine joy among the competitors for their rivals. Maybe this happens more often than I’m aware of in figure skating, but these rare moments of idyllic sportsmanship, were just as enjoyable for me, as the actual skating itself. The silver medal winners from the United States, Meryl Davis, and Charlie White, are training partners with the Canadian pair, working out together in Michigan. Both couples are coached by Marina Zoueva. In the few minutes of down time before they were awarded their medals, there was a genuine show of warmth, affection and respect among the four athletes. It was easy to see, that this was not just polite, politically correct gesturing. They were genuinely excited for one another, and it was clear to see they were all very good friends. I also noticed that the one Israeli couple who were competing, also stopped by to hug and give a handshake to all the medal winners. It appeared that there were other skaters who were also congratulating the medal winners, but I couldn’t visually identify all of them. It may not seem to some as though it’s a big deal, but with so much on the line, in terms of prestige and possible endorsement deals,this was inspiring to see.
Good for Team Canada men’s coach Mike Babcock, for taking decisive action, having selected Roberto Luongo for the Tuesday night game with Germany. Martin Brodeur did not look sharp on a couple of the goals the Americans scored, in the Sunday night upset . In a tournament like this, especially with elimination games, there is no room for sentimentality, or remembering what happened last year, or last week. Babcock should be congratulated for operating like an emergency room surgeon. Something decisive needed to be done, and Babcock has been quick in taking action. You never know when a veteran player might begin to slow down, and in the loss to the USA, Brodeur did not at all resemble the goalie we had seen in the past, with ice in his veins, who could slam the door on the opposition. The best coaches and general managers in all sports, are the ones who don’t fall in love with their players. They constantly make tough decisions, in their desire to make their teams better. They try to anticipate ahead of time, if a player can contribute at the highest level, and if not, the best management teams and coaching staffs,make changes as necessary, to help their teams achieve their goals, and not worry what the media will say or write about the moves being made. Coaches like Babcock have one goal, and one goal only at the Winter Games, and that is victory, with whoever it is that can get the job done at any position. If someone on the roster isn’t playing at the level needed, then they should be replaced, regardless of who they are, or what they’ve done in the past.
As it turned out, Team Canada’s decisive win over Germany, was not much more than a tune up, for their Wednesday night game with Russia. The 8-2 score was indicative of the domination of the home team. The game with Germany means absolutely nothing now, unless Canada defeats Russia. This match, could turn out to be the best one in the entire Olympic tournament, and maybe one of the best ever, with Crosby going against Ovechkin. Let’s hope it plays out that way.
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