Here is Team USA with most of its players under the age of 26 and playing in their first Olympics. A trip to play for the bronze would have been a huge win for this team; some well earned experience before the next big tournament. But then we beat Canada. We saw Ryan Miller become a household name as he spearheaded the Americans to win after win. The honor of the Tournament MVP almost didn’t seem to do his play justice. 

The Americans got inspired performances from young and old, hyped and maligned. It was 22 year old Bobby Ryan getting the scoring started for the tournament and 36 year old Brian Rafalski who sparked Team USA to an opening round win over Canada with two goals and an assist. Patrick Kane recovered from a slow start to net two goals and a gigantic assist in the final two games, while a much debated selection in Chris Drury had a wonderful tournament in his own right. 

Any hockey fan worth his  or her salt would have said that Zach Parise needed to play well in this tournament for the US to have a shot. As the game was winding down, it looked like Luongo and the Canadians were going to hold off a furious, but sloppy attempt by the US to tie the game. While the Americans had many chances in the third period, they couldn’t seem to manufacture great ones in the last couple of minutes.  Parise managed to get behind both Canadian defenders though, and tipped home a rebound to tie the game with under 30 seconds to go. What a moment.

But then there was Canada. Taking off the star spangled glasses, this was a magnificent story for our northerly neighbors. The Canadians had to take the long road to the gold medal. They benched their star goalie in favor of another premiere goaltender who was playing in a city he was quite familiar with as a Vancouver Canuck. Players like Brendan Morrow, used to the glamorous role of star found themselves in front of the net taking shots to the ribs just in case they could block a goalie’s line of sight.  Nine Canadian players were captains on their respective teams, including Jonathan Toews, who put the US on the wrong side of the scoreboard for the first time in the entire tournament when he gave Canada a 1-0 lead yesterday. 

Finally, much to the dismay of most American hockey fans Sidney Crosby netted the game winner. The captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins took a pass from Jerome Iginla that barely missed the sticks of Ryan Suter and Brian Rafalski and slipped the puck past Ryan Miller before the US goaltender was ready. The play happened so fast and just like that it was over. 

Ryan Miller slumped over. The young Americans watched from just outside their own bench as the Canadians went crazy among thousands of euphoric fans. Aside from national pride and the “why Crosby?” factor, they deserved this.  It was a fitting end to the Olympics, with Canada winning the gold they had hoped for. The only gold they couldn’t do without. Team USA will eventually be able to look back on the silver medal and appreciate the amazing feat they accomplished, but for a while its going in a drawer. Because with all respect to Canada, we deserved gold too.

10. The Bears fired Ditka.

9. Jerry Krause famously declared “Teams don’t win championships, organizations win championships.”

8. Bill Wirtz bought the Blackhawks

7. Eddie Cicotte and Shoeless Joe Jackson were unhappy with their paychecks in 1919.

6. Phil Jackson drew up the final play to Toni Kukoc instead of Scottie Pippen in the final 1.8 seconds of the Eastern Conference Finals in 1994.

5. Vince McMahon screwed Bret Hart out of his WWF championship belt.

4. Dusty Baker left Mark Prior in with 1 out in the 7th of Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS.

3. Lovie Smith insisted week after week, “Rex is our quarterback.”

2. Milton Bradley

1. Jay Mariotti went to Copenhagen.

There are probably many more events that have occurred in Chicago and the US at large that either directly or indirectly led to this bullshit Olympic snub.  Please feel free to add your own in the comments.  Tulsa 2020?

Although he declined to take a direct swipe at Michael Jordan, soccer great Pele made it clear he felt a national duty to represent Rio’s Olympic bid at the International Olympic Committee session that will choose the 2016 winner Friday.
“It is important to participate when your country needs you,” Pele said at a Rio press conference Wednesday morning.
He was responding to a question from Chicago television reporter Jay Levine about Jordan’s absence from the Chicago delegation in Copenhagen.

“If I have to die for my country, I would die for my country,” Pele said. “If I have to die for my sport, I would die for my sport. I feel very happy if I can help my country.”

When Pele first mentioned Jordan, he called him “Michael Jackson.” After the laughter in the room died down, Pele joked, “Two Michaels” but did not call out Jordan, preferring to express his own commitment to Rio.

Two Michaels?  I’m confused.  There must be some kind of language barrier here.  Although apparently the media got it.  As much fanfare as there is surrounding who goes to Copenhagen to represent their City’s bid, you have to think this highly politicized decision would have been decided well in advance of the formalities involved in this Copenhagen trip.  Also, no one is actually questioning Michael’s patriotism, right?  The man was part of disseminating American culture around the world on a never-before-seen scale.  Not to mention his 2 gold medals.  Stupid Pele.

Funny note: Christian Laettner was a member of the original Dream Team in 1992 that won the gold medal.

h/t: Docksquad