Winter Olympics

[Grish]

GOOO MATS! Is Sundin the biggest star in Swedish hockey? Getting gold for Sweden was huge for him, and I'm a big fan (a Toronto Maple Leaf fan; yes, I know they're terrible. I know they do not have to win to have a great business model. But dammit, I can't help it!)

Too bad he's not playing this year, even now he would be a good addition to the team.

 

[TMS]

I'm definately not "in-the-know" when it comes to sports, but Mats Sundin is one of the bigger names when you speak of Swedish hockey. Peter Forsberg is another - and after those two I've nothing else to add.

 

[Boo]

Sundin, Forsberg, Sedin brothers, Zetterberg, Lundquist (GK) and more . Almost every player in our team is in one of the major teams in NHL

 

[Grish]

Sedin brothers have been... meh. Definitely not on the Sundin/Forsberg level. They just don't seem to get the job done. Zetterberg and Lundquist are awesome too.

Our team too Boo! Most of our players are in the NHL as well

I know Sweden, Russia, Czech Republic, all are big hockey fans. Only seems a handful of countries though. Probably the cost is a huge factor, as well as needing an entire team of players, instead of only one or two really good ones. I'd be very, very sad if hockey was ever removed as an olympic sport.

 

[Boo]

It will be epic this Olympics...

Sedin brothers are... the Sedin brothers. Can't win without them, can't win with them. wait...

well you are correct

 

[beeblicon]

Vancouver kicks ass, you all should move here

 

[Master Vampire]

Hmm a major sports? I can't really think of the Winter Olympics without ice hockey. Sure, it's not that big of a sport here in the Netherlands. We're completely into soccer... it's about the only sport where you can make a decent/good living in our country.

Tennis players used to have that but after Krajicek left the tennis world, there has never been a good player after him.

It's kind of out of my grasp, but ice skating might be the 2nd sport in the Netherlands. It's just that we only see it in the winters when it has frozen enough (which has only been this winter recently) and it's predominantly popular in the north (I live in the south).

If you take all sports, you will see countries winning constantly. It's perhaps soccer which is probably a bit more worldwide popular.

Nowadays the Men's tennis games (not only Olympic) has been between Federer and Nadal... There are new competitors coming up, but the last few years it was just between these two guys. You call that a worldwide sport? Well sure they seem to spawn from everywhere, but still it is kind of weird that just 2 guys turn up and have gigantic win streaks for a few years.

 

[Knightofni]

Don't think any of the sports showcased in the Winter Olympics could be described as main sports in Britain.. no, over here the only sport that gets any decent coverage is football, though mainly because the media can't be arsed to cover proper sports, and even then they're only interested in the private lives of our sportsmen and women.

As for Ice Hockey, it isn't huge but we have a few leagues.. my hometown has a couple of teams which are unashamedly rubbish but it's fun to watch nonetheless.

 

[Disciple of Nagash]

Yeah hockey is not big over here, I admit I have never watched a game in my life, nor have most people I know.

 

[Knightofni]

For those people who were weened and brought up on football (tragic I know) then Ice Hockey is a truly scary game. I've been to Canada twice, more specifically Toronto, but I never got round to watching an NHL game.. we get it over here sometimes on channel 5 though it's usually on at 2 or 3 in the morning.

 

[Grish]

Google "Hockey Smile" in google images. Yep! That's hockey. My whole family played hockey, all my friends growing up played hockey, ice hockey, road hockey, floor hockey. Hockey crazed country I tell ya.

How can you not love it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2W3Qm1YTFc
Most of that is totally within the rules.

 

[Get of W'soran]

I've seen a few hockey games with friends and/or realitives and I admit I dislike most sports but I found it interesting enough to watch on an irregular basis without getting bored.

It isn't really that big over here though.

 

[Master Vampire]

Also, skiing and snowboarding. You'll virtually never see a dutch person do that, simply because we got no mountains in our country. Add in that the in-door snow organisations are stock-full of noobs being in the way + it's just one track, one rather small slope too IIRC.

Goes for curling too. Never seen a place where you can do that here...

 

[Sanai]

Canada has like a population of around 30 million I think They said. They said that about 15 million canadians tuned in to watch their team play ice hockey.

 

[Master Vampire]

Wow, our Sven Kramer really screwed up with his coach. Last night, he was 6 seconds faster than the fastest after him, the Korean Lee, but he was disqualified because he didn't swap track. He took the inner track and not the outer track, which was an unfair advantage (even if it was a disadvantage, he would have been disqualified nonetheless).

But really, what he said to be the 'moment of his life', it has now been shattered for good. No-one knows if he's still able to compete when he's 27, 4 years from now.

 

[Grish]

Yeah I saw that. Really heart breaking to have all those years of hardwork fall apart to a simple mistake.

 

[Grish]

Yeah! 7-3 over Russia! They were going to be a tough team to beat... hopefully it means our guys have got it together finally.

 

[Anubis]

Yeah! 7-3 over Russia! They were going to be a tough team to beat... hopefully it means our guys have got it together finally.

ahem, i think it's time for a little...

EH. OH. CANADA GO!!!

and of corse, yippee! 4 more medals today!!! we're no tied with Germany & US for the most golds too!

 

[Disciple of Nagash]

Am I only one who thinks of the Teletubbies when they read the Canadian cheer?

 

[Craken]

Haha, I'm Canadian and even I think that chant is lame.

 

[Grish]

Agreed. Very lame. No one I know does that cheer.

 

[Sanai]

That cheer.....that is just, so, so gay. And not in a good perverted way. In a lame way.

 

[Grish]

Yeah! Slovakia down, USA left! We totally outplayed them game 1 (45-22 shots was it?) and this time, we've got Lou in net! (Luo?) lol

 

[Master Vampire]

we won gold on the snowboard track.

It was the first gold won on snow for us, lol, and it was actually the 100th gold medal. Go figure (this medals should have gone to Sven Kramer on the 10 km, so it stings exceptionally bad)

 

[Bishop]

We didn't lose the first game to the USA.. Miller stole that game... standin on his head. Yeah, the shot were about 2:1 in favour of Canada.

Should be an awesome game tomorrow...

Just one game... we can win the game when it matters! Go Lou Go!