My reasons:

1.  The US was tops in the medal count, setting a Winter Olympics record with 37 (whether gold or silver in this, the final Olympic event, we knew they’d end with that “record”).  Do we really need to take gold in Men’s Hockey to say we had enjoyed a *great* Olympics?  Which leads me to…

2.  Canada set a Winter Olympics record with the 14th gold medal - but they’re the host country… so I’m glad they did it while the host country.  On top of that, apparently in two previous Winter Olympics held on Canadian soil (Montreal ‘76 & Calgary ‘88), they host country secured a total of zero gold medals.  Nice turnaround for these Games, eh?

3.  This just in:  Hockey is the national sport in Canada.  This means there was more pressure on their players than anyone else, and more joy for their fans/countrymen (and countrywomen) than could’ve been realized anywhere else.

4.  Related to #3, the Women did their part and took home Gold (with the Americans again attempting to play the foil)… which only put additional pressure on the Men.

5.  Canada was the better team, and thus deserved to win.  The Americans went further then their talent was supposed to bring them - and indeed beat Canada earlier in the tournament - in large part due to the outstanding work of Ryan Miller.  Sure, I would’ve loved to have seen Tim Thomas play some meaningful minutes (he got some “long relief” work in a mop-up role vs. Finland) - but how and why would Ron Wilson take Miller out?  He was named Tournament MVP (didn’t realize they did that in the Olympics) even though is team didn’t win Gold, and I can’t imagine anyone questioned that choice.  Underdogs winning is great theater, especially when it’s the home underdog who comes through (see A., U.S. of, February 1980) - but the home team this Olympics was the favorite, and is full of a team of good guys as far as I can tell (with the exception of Martin Brodeur, who nailed his sister-in-law who was also the babysitter, IIRC, leading to the dissolution of his marriage earlier last decade - but he got pulled after the disgrace of losing to the Americans earlier in the tourney, so one could argue he got his just desserts… I suppose).

So to sum up (which I suppose I coulda just did initially):  As Americans, we got plenty of achievement and excitement from our athletes in these games - so I was happy to see the home-country Men’s Hockey Team deliver the record-setting Gold medal to their fellow Canadians, as they were expected to do in the first place, leading to a massive celebration from British Columbia to Prince Edward’s Island.

Aside from that, what a great, great game!  Parise ties it for the US with about 20 seconds to go, and Sydney Crosby (was this scripted or what?) scores the game-winner coming out of the corner on a neat dish from Iginla on a shot that simply beat Miller (i.e. it was a clean goal, not a cheap goal where Miller made a bad play, for example).  The announcers noted that Luongo was a bit shaky, and he was - but hey, he held the fort enough… and gave up three fewer goals than Brodeur did a week ago.  Keep in mind the Canadians scored three goals in both games vs. the US… they lost when Brodeur gave up 5, and won when Luongo only gave up 2… the guy does deserve a little credit here, and perhaps he “looked shaky” cuz the Americans played very well (against Canada specifically, and in the tourney in general).  Crisp play from both teams, an intense competition… just great theater.

And I’m glad Canada won.

 http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/NBC-analyst-Mike-Milbury-not-a-fan-of-Russia-s-?urn=oly,224135

Oh - and you can click to a link of the video from 30 years ago, when he jumped into the MSG stands with his teammates… and elected to take things one step further, beating the fan who started it all with his own shoe.  Just classic.

No word on whether or not Milbury had foiled up before the game.

Finally, few specific thoughts on the game: Very well-played game - very entertaining. Clearly one of those “a lot closer than the final score indicates”. Drew Brees was a deserving MVP, and it never hurts to be the QB in this situation - but I thought Pierre Thomas was *huge* for the Saints. Brees was 1, but I submit Thomas was 1A… tough runs (either via handoff, or after the catch), good blocks… he played a great, great game.

I loved the aggressiveness that Sean Payton showed in going for it on 4th-and-goal (from around the 2, IIRC) with about 2 minutes to go in the half. Yes, it didn’t work… but I loved the call. I also loved the aggressiveness he showed with the onsides kick to start the second half - whether it worked or not (and in this case, it did), I *loved* the call. Whether it was “fear of Peyton” or whatever, so be it… he played… to win… the game. On the INT, I can’t decide if Peyton made a bad throw or if Wayne (or was it Garcon?) stopped short, or perhaps a little of both - a miscommunication between the two (i.e. WR thought he was supposed to stop/curl, and Peyton thought he was supposed to continue to move across)? Whichever it was, still a great play by Porter.

Perhaps lost in the review of the game, I submit the kickers played a huge role. Hartley was 3/3 on FGs - ranging from 44 to 47 yards, and IIRC, all would’ve good from well over 50. Meanwhile Stover (oldest guy to appear in a SB, btw), was 1/2 - hitting a 38, and missing the 51-yd kick early in the 4th, with the Colts up 17-16. The Saints took that great field position and marched down to score the go-ahead TD - and complete the successful 2-pt conversion to make it a 7-pt spread… arguably an 11-pt turnaround there. Now, the Saints scored on every 2nd-half offensive posession (except for the kneeldown to end the game) with 2 TDs and 1 FG - but it’s fair to wonder if a “longer” field on that drive (after a successful Stover 51-yd FG) would’ve perhaps produced a FG (i.e. making it, what, 20-19 then) or perhaps the Colts defense does come up with a stop. As mentioned, though, terrific game - one that definitely lived up to the hype, IMHO.

P.S. I’d like to add a third category to the “Blank are gold in advertising” mantra… the first is “Chimps are Gold”, the second is “Babies are Gold”, and now… “Abe and Betty are Gold”. If you asked most people (before the ad aired), whether Betty White was still alive, they probably would’ve said “yeah, I think so” - and if you asked those same people if Abe Vigoda was still alive, they probably would’ve universally and confidently replied, “No way… he’s been dead for years.” God bless both of ‘em… they’re still alive and kicking, and apparently willing to play tackle football (which means they’re in better shape than me, fwiw).

My conjecture is that the answer is “A lot,” but I really have no idea. Does anyone else?

 Could be postering.  If true, FA just got a whole less interesting in terms of number of players available, but curious to see what the available FA do get…

http://www.twentyfourbit.com/post/348581310/will-ferrell-beck-ben-harper-play-free-bird-w

Hmmmmm - things could get interesting.  Especially if it leads to strike/lockout in ‘11.  Can’t imagine one (or both) sides being stupid enough to kill the golden goosed, but we said that about MLB in ‘94, too…

Who in their right mind on-side kicks there? Seriously? What a colossally bad decision. Of course, there was NO guarantee that even if Chargers got in FG range Kaeting was going to make it, given his fuck ups all day long. But how could Turner not try to put his team in the best possible field position by kicking off????

The only thing I can think of - and this is quite a stretch - was maybe he thought a kickoff and run back might bring it down to the 2 minute warning? If that happened, game was just about over, with SD only able to stop clock 1 more time and Jets would have had 3 plays. BUT, even if that was his thought process, then just go ahead and purposely kick the ball out of bounds - that preserves the clock and pushes Jets 20+ more yards down field.

What a fucking idiot..
Carl

A little known fact - the salary floor goes away, in addition to the cap.

Methinks the biggest fight over the new deal will not be between owners and players, but “big-market” owners vs “small-market” ones…

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/29/AR2009122901370.html?hpid=sec-sports