After a fun day of snow and good food in the mountains of Southern California, I returned to my home to an extremely weak television schedule. Looking through the potential options for my viewing pleasure on the DirecTV guide, I determined that there were two programs worth watching: professional wrestling and womens Olympic hockey. After about 30 seconds of intense thought (not really), I determined professional wrestling was going to be a worse background activity for internet surfing than womens hockey. The verdict: the television was set to womens Olympic hockey on CNBC (channel 355).
The game, for the most part, took a distant second place to searching for fishing tackle boxes on eBay and Amazon, planting crops on my Farmville farm, and replying to email. Only until I noticed the score was Canada 7, Slovakia 0, did I actually notice what was actually going on. I then noticed that the game was in the second period. I then noticed minutes later that the score had reached double-digits. I then noticed that there were just over five minutes left in the game and the score did not stop going up. I was more-or-less fine with this because it was a secondary concern of mine (if that at all). I found a fishing tackle box. I planted roses on my Farmville farm. I replied to all my emails.
Things changed, however, when I noticed that there were 15 seconds left in the game and Canada beating Slovakia by a resounding 18-0 scoreline. The score itself was not really the issue. Something every athlete goes through in his or her lifetime is a thorough butt whipping whether it is a hockey rink, baseball field, or basketball court. I used to play Little League baseball when I was a youngster, and in one game, successfully pitched myself into the jam of all jams by giving up 19 runs (without getting any outs). Everyone wins, and everyone loses.
Like I said, this hockey game was different. 15 seconds left in the game. Canada is beating Slovakia 18-0. Canada is still trying to score. That is the problem. Winning is a fantastic feeling. Experiencing triumph with friends, family, and your coaches is a great feeling. There is also that other thing, however, called running up the score.
What exactly is running up the score? In every experience I have had as an athlete or spectator, running up the score means “trying to score more goals or points even if the other team has no possible chance of winning.” That is my definition and I am sticking to it. I am sure (mostly sure) that most people would agree with my definition.
I−like many out there in this big world−like to win. We play poker, video games, board games, and road-trip trivia. Everyone likes to be the winner. I have always agreed with what Vince Lombardi had to say about winning: “If winning isn’t everything, why do they keep score?” This is most certainly true. Most of the things we engage in on a daily basis are merely different types of competition. We race and we argue. We fight. My suit is much nicer than his. My purse is nicer than hers. Competition is certainly not new to anyone. That is okay. It is a part of our lives.
In sport, however, and especially in forum like the Olympics, there is a way to win. There is a way to win with class. With dignity. With honor. We all understand that for every competition that takes place in Vancouver this month, there must be a winner and a loser. That is the nature of things. Beating your opponent senseless and then keeping up the barrage? Just plain ridiculous. In reality, the game was over five minutes into the first period. I am sure the Canadian team knew it was going to coast to victory. The Slovakian team might have known the game was going to be a lost cause before the first drop of the puck, but it surely did not stop them from giving an admirable effort. Nonetheless, there comes a point where each team realizes how the competition is going to turn out.
To my knowledge, the Canadian womens hockey team set every or most of the single-game Olympic records with tonight’s game (most goals by a single player, largest winning margin, etc.). Good for them. They also displayed−at least to me−what kind of individuals they truly are. You can win without simultaneously shoving it down the other team’s throats. You can win with class.
It might have been a background activity; a secondary concern, but I ending up watching Canada absolutely destroy Slovakia on the ice today. Yes, they won the game 18-0, but they lost a whole lot more than they won.
You mentioned that you thought Canada should have stopped scoring very early as it became obvious they were not going to be challenged. Pretend you were in charge of controlling Canada. What would you have told them to do? Do you call a timeout and say, “Stop scoring…. just pass the puck around for an hour. Do you allow the opponent to score? Do you pull players off the ice and play 3v5? Is that not all making a mockery of the game? The mockery is that the Olympics allow teams that are this weak to compete in the Olympics. Come back when you can skate a little. Most the players from Slovakia, looked like they never learned how to change direction without carving a big circle. The alternatives to scoring seem to be worse than just playing the game.
You are certainly correct in noting that you can’t just have 5 players skating around in circles. That wouldn’t be hockey. Little League games face the same problem, as well as high school football. The scenario is identical: one powerhouse team up against a vastly inferior team. In Little League baseball, shutouts–or near shutouts–are common. I remember pitching in a game when I was 11 years old where I gave up 12 runs in the 2nd inning and never managed to get an out. We never played with the “mercy rule” (i.e., 10-run rule) so we had to go the full 6 innings. The final score: 21-1. We got whipped! There’s no way around that. From the standpoint of sportsmanship, however, the other team failed. Their coaches were having their players steal bases and bunt well after they score 10 runs. It was obvious very early our team was the inferior team. We didn’t have any pitching. The other team had the top 2 pitchers in the league, as well as a few position players that would end up making the All-Star team.
This example I have provided is similar to the hockey game in question. You can’t ask a kid not to hit a pitch; but it’s another thing to ask him to steal bases when it’s obvious that they’re the winning team. Realistically, the Canada/Slovakia game was over halfway through the 1st period (note: I didn’t start watching until the 2nd period, but considering the scoreline, the game was probably over before it started). It was clear that Canada was the better team even before their skates touched the ice. It was disappointing to see how the Canadian team carried themselves on the ice throughout the duration of the 3rd period. They knew they had won the game. Their coaches knew it. The Slovakian team knew it. This didn’t stop the Canadian team, however, from checking opposing players, playing extremely aggressive defense, and actively trying to score despite the already lopsided score.
This is no different from stealing bases when your team is winning 15-1. Every sport has an element of class that should be upheld even by the most esteemed and capable teams. Class, however, was the last thing on the minds of the Canadian team.