Kitsap at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver

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Canada Goes Crazy After Win Over Slovakia

Saturday, February 27th, 2010

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Nearly every head in every bar in downtown Vancouver was pointed in the same direction Friday night: At a television.
Inside a coffee shop – sans television – on Granville Street, I could hear when the Canadians scored. The roars were short, but more than audible.
Near the end of the game that would determine whether Canada would go to the gold medal hockey game Sunday against rivals, the United States, tensions rose in the final minutes as Slovakia scored a quick two goals.
With the score 3-2, and Slovakia pressuring in the final seconds, a guy standing on the street outside an Irish pub looked at the television, and screamed “Ten seconds left!’ The crowd took over the countdown.
If it’s possible to have pandemonium with order, I saw it. Unbelievably rowdy and crowded, but never feeling out of control or unsafe.
Several main downtown thoroughfares are closed to car traffic during the games, essentially turning them into miles-long public squares.
“Allez, allez, allez, alllllllllleeeezzzz!!!!,” they shouted.
“Oh, Canada!,” they sang.
“Go, Canada, go!,” they blared.
A few younger (slightly pickled) Canadians had a few choice words for the Americans, who took gold from Canada in 2002, but most of the ribbing against Americans was good-natured.
We Americans don’t have a collective source of pride and identity to rally around like Canada does with its beloved hockey.
So far, last night was the moment I’ll take away from my Olympic experience most. There’s been a lot of commentary about Canadians’ usually reserved nature, but I’ve seen them let their hair down.
If this was the reaction to getting into the gold medal game, I can’t imagine what Sunday will be like if they win.
More so, what if they don’t?

- Derek Sheppard

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