Proud to Live in the Cradle of Democracy and Good Hockey

I ruffled a few feathers on my last blog so let me explain. I am not saying that Ovechkin is as great as the Babe or Ali, I was saying that the press likes to find anything negative about the stars of their time, and only later do they go back to glorify the ones they once villified. And I knew I was toeing the line when I compared him to Jesse Owens, but I was comparing the reaction that occured around both stars. Of course the Great 8 is of minimal cultural signifigance compared to the fastest man in the world at the time, but they are treated the same by medias from a different country than they are from. The Nazis believed that only Aryans could be the fastest and the strongest. Canadians believe only Canadians can play hockey. It killed the Germans that an African-American was the best, just as it kills the Canadians that a Russian has no peer right now.

Of course I don't think Canadians are Nazis, that would be ridiculous. However, in exhibit A to your left you will find the ladies of the Edmonton Swastikas back in the day. Wow, I am glad people got this stuff taken care of before I was born. I am betting top row, far right was the enforcer. I would let this go as one bad mistake by our fine Northern neighbors, but it happened again. Note exhibit B to your right. The Windsor Swastikas played in Nova Scotia just a few miles from Sid Crosby's hometown of Cole Harbor, Nova Scotia. Wow, Canada really named two teams the Swastikas. Note "the birthplace of hockey" in the corner that the Canadians take so much pride in. I was not insinuating anything at first, but just a little bit of research and Canada kind of scares me now. It explains a lot.

I can see how the Pens won the cup last year. The NHL's head disciplinarian's kid plays in the same division as the Caps. The Penguins were withholding video evidence that could overturn notoriously bad calls in the Igloo for almost three years. And the backing of Nazis. Dang, Semin and Ovechkin can't execute a Stalingrad every time. Maybe that also explains how Matt Cooke can take Savard's head off from behind, but doesn't get a penalty or suspension. Would anyone like to guess where Matt Cooke the Canadian first played? If you guessed in Windsor, home of the Spitfires and formerly of the Swastikas, you would be correct. I'm no conspiracy theorist but coincidences make me curious.

But OV nudges Brian Campbell on the side with one arm and is given a 5 minute major and game misconduct. Explain that one. He is going to get an automatic suspension for at least a game, so do not expect to see him against Florida. By the way that is where Colin Campbell's, the head disciplinarian for the NHL, son plays as they vie for that 8th seed in the East. Is that why the refs took OV to the box first, then decided to kick him out? Might there have been a call from Toronto? Or was it just the general vitrol against the Russians, leading to the first four penalties against the Caps on Semin and Ovechkin alone? Either way, it was in Campbell's favor to launch himself into the boards and stay out of the game. If it looks worse than it was, maybe OV gets suspended for three games instead of just one. Keep in mind the Blackhawks are vying for the President's trophy as well. Even ex-Penguin and current NBC analyst Pierre McGuire said there was "nothing malicious about it." It was a two-minute minor, four at best. More chicanery against the Great 8 from the NHL.

However, the rest of the team and especially Backstrom came together and it was a hell of a game. I was disapointed the first two periods, because even though OV was out, the Hawks didn't have perrenial Cup-digger Hossa in either. The Caps showed their mettle against a top 5 team in the league, and it ended up being a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. In America.