We Own Gold

The Commentator: Excuse me ma'am? Excuse me. Can you point me to Chilkoot Pass?

Lady: Thataway, buster. Wannashotta hootch? Huh? Eh? C'man.

The Commentator: I was supposed to go watch curling, but sure. What the heck? You sure are purty you know that?

***

Now that's a gold rush, eh?

I'm rendered astounded, really. Canada has really come through these Olympics.

The last few Olympics Canada has done well but to go out and win 13 gold medals (tying an Olympic record) and beat the United States, Germany and Norway in the process is a great accomplishment. Canada can truly say "we're #1" at the Olympics and not be smirked at. The performance has been great not by just Canadian standards, but any standards. 

"Own the podium" took some flack - most notably and strangely from abroad - but it can hold its head up high. Sure, they'll have to assess where things went right and wrong (the alpine ski team did not reach the podium neither did the cross country team but they turned in some excellent results)  to ensure the level of excellence remains, but all things considered it's hard not to decree the results to be a success - even if we didn't win the overall medal count. As mentioned, the gold medal haul was amazing and we did eclipse our total from Torino with 26 medals. To me this is progress. Results show what direction the amateur program is heading.

Canada can make it 14 in the one sport Canadians are bonkers over: hockey. Only our rivals and brothers from Team USA stand in the way. Should be a scintillating contest. The U.S. has been the most consistent team with a roster filled with excellent, stellar players most pundits overlooked. They weren't as sexy as Canada, Russia or Sweden, but the whole is greater than the sum of its part with the U.S. While Canada possesses greater depth and talent, it's the better team on that day that will win gold.

As for the future, keep it going. Now we have to stay on top.

Doesn't it feel great to say "we want to win" and then do it? Canadians demanded results and got it. I know I love it.

Let's keep it going.