:shake:

You think Canada in the gold medal game in Canada will give up 5 goals again?

It's a hockey game, so yeah.

No. Canada is clearly the favorite. However, that by no means indicates that the Americans don't have a chance. I'd get into all the reasons why the US deserved to win the other game, but it's bedtime.

They said 15 million times during the US Finland match that the gold medal match will be live coast to coast. But maybe that's changed.

I think the US can win. It certainly won't be easy... but this is not a fluke. This US team has played tremendous, tremendous defense this entire tournament. And they have a goalie that can dominate. Canada has so much firepower... but the US has a good formula to steal it away.

You guys will have to check me on this, but isn't it true that, historically, we seem to do very well in some events and very poorly in others? Let's look at the men ...

For example, guys like Heiden and McDermott before him almost created a tradition of excellence in US speed skating that have brought dudes like Dan Jansen, Cheek and (more recently) Davis and Ohno, who have competed well, into the sport. It's a sport in which we have been reasonably competitive on a consistent basis.

In bobsledding, though, until the Salt Lake games, we hadn't been a factor for probably 50 years or more. And, we're even worse in the 2-man.

In alpine events, we're talking guys like Kidd and the Mahre brothers and (nowadays) Bode Miller. Other than that, just a few other Americans have ever even medaled (sp?) at the games. Ever.

We won't even talk about curling. One medal (bronze) in the history of the sport. That's it.

My point is that we seem to do much better in the summer games ... track & field, swimming, etc. than we do in the winter games. I don't think it's about geography as much as it is about the Olympic committee doing a good job of promoting these particular sports, encouraging participation at the college level, and recruiting talent for them. It's not that we "can't" do it. It's that we "don't" do it.

FAX

Did Ohno win tonight?

also, will NBC put the hockey game on NBC rather than MSNBC or USA?

No. And of course.

Ohno was disqualified by a Canadian judge after nudging another circle skater (a Korean, I think) and causing him to fall on his ass in a tremendously violent, spectacular, head-over-anus ice-slide, Mr. Guru. Close call. The Korean lived, but Ohno got the hook. He was in last place on the last lap, anyhow.

I think NBC is planning on pre-empting the hockey game in favor of a two-hour introspective into the life of a professional wrestler turned male model. Their plan is to sell a crapload of detergent and deodorant that keeps you sunshiney fresh all day long.

FAX

Yeah, I just watched it myself. too bad really.

NBC had better air that game. what time is it on?

I'm not sure, exactly, Mr. Guru. The schedule on the NBC site says 12:15 pm on Sunday, the 28th. I don't know if that's Eastern time, Pacific time, or Central time or Jupiter time or Black Hole Event Horizon time which would make it real darn convenient on account of the fact that at the Event Horizon of a Black Hole time completely stops so it's always 12:15 pm on Sunday and 12:15 on Monday and every other time of the day on every other day throughout all history and throughout all future simultaneously including all possible alternate dimension times although some people believe that there is no such a thing as time as we know it at the Event Horizon of a Black Hole and prefer to think that time no longer exists there in any form or fashion and is, instead, a serving of Bananas Foster or, perhaps, Einstein's lost car keys but that shouldn't prevent NBC from screwing up the schedule and broadcasting ice dancing live during the hockey game and showing the actual game later as a prime time, taped event except for viewers on the West Coast who will see your regularly scheduled programming contact your local station for details.

FAX

LMAO
Guess it doesn't matter for me then if that is the time. I'll be at the circus with my kids. Go USA!

I hope you enjoy the circus, Mr. Guru.

The last time I went to the circus, I must admit that I was sorely disappointed. The elephants were elderly, the lions mangy, and the clowns were all just kinda ... stupid, sort of. I think that maybe television has ruined the circus. Whereas normally, the trapeze chick is a glorious and elegant specimen of perfect beauty and grace, this old gal was kind of skanky. I felt like the trapeze dudes were actually kind of embarrassed of her and, at one point during the performance, I half expected them to drop her on her head.

Maybe you'll have a better circus, though. I hope there's a good sideshow with a two-headed calf and an ape-man. I once saw an ape-man who was pretty darn scary the way he scratched his nuts and all. Anyway, good luck.

FAX

I just hope getting tickets in the 4th row center does not work against me.

I'm sure it will be great, Mr. Guru. The circus I went to was probably just a bad one.

Let us know how it went, though. As one who, as a lad, almost ran off to join the circus (and would have if I hadn't gotten hungry about a mile from the house), I'm always interested in circus tales.

FAX