A rare thoughtful post

Okay the title is a bit misleading. I do sometimes post thoughtful things- I try not to just post whatever is on my mind without thinking- but this one is going to get a bit deeper than I usually do with my meandering memories and random game recaps. Tonight I'm going to talk about Patriotism and Cultural differences. Yeah, I know- deep stuff. More like what you might find in a Sociology class than my hockey blog but it is here nonetheless. And I hope you will read it. It may provide some serious insight into my hockey-warped brain. Or may not, depending on how well you already know me. So here goes nothing..

With all of the chatter in Buffalo about the World Juniors, there has been a serious undercurrent of anti-Canadian sentiment and some nasty USA/Canada discontent. This is not very typical of our dealings with our neighbor (neighboUr?) to the north, as generally we tend to get along pretty well- at least since 1812. Many Americans (especially in the mainstream media and entertainment outlets) tend to regard Canada as a little backwards, somewhat meek and very non-confrontational, also as a land of snow and flannel-wearing, hockey-playing lumberjacks. While some of that may be true- Canada is a pretty polite and clean place in general- it would be like saying all Americans do is sit around eating hotdogs and throwing footballs while wearing dirty white t-shirts and cowboy hats. (much of that happens too, but I digress.) Perhaps the most telling point of that stereotypical Canadian is the hockey playing (or at least hockey fan) aspect.

Much as it is considered "un-American" to not like baseball or football, it is considered "un-Canadian" to not like hockey. And it's less of a Patriotism thing than a Cultural norm- something that is just accepted as fact. If you are Canadian, you should like hockey. This does not mean that every Canadian likes hockey (not every American likes football either) but they are probably at least somewhat familiar with the sport because of so much media coverage and exposure to the game throughout their lives. Again, I hearken back to the football analogy because it seems most appropriate to my experience as an American. Even if you don't quite get all of the rules, you are expected to have a rudimentary understanding of the game and you are often derided for not caring enough about it. (at least this is true in my life- it's not a rude thing, but I am certainly looked at funny when I say I don't really care about football but REALLY LIKE hockey.)

All you have to do to really see the difference is to look at hockey in the media. In the US, football, baseball and basketball are well represented on ESPN and the national news channels- CBS/NBC/ABC/FOX. Where is the hockey? Occasionally on NBC (only after football is over and never in primetime) and on VS- a channel which shows the niche sports- MMA, Bull Riding, Soccer, non-premier football matchups- a very glaring difference. In Canada, you see hockey IN PRIMETIME on CBC- the main news channel. Hockey is to Canada what Football is to the USA.

Now let's look at the World Junior Tournament. This is the premier hockey tourament for players 20 and under. It is also an international hockey event. It's a BIG DEAL. But in the US, we just don't care that much about hockey- outside of a few regions and our NHL teams. It's just simple fact. So where do the IIHF folks set up the Tournament when it's scheduled for the USA? In a border city, of course- because Canadians LOVE the World Juniors. ( I read today that a Canadian friend of mine has been watching the World Junior tournament since 1989. I've been a devoted hockey fan since 1994 and have watched Olympics and World Cup hockey but never the World Juniors. Case in point.) And then people claim to be surprised when Canadians flock over the border to attend these games. I don't know why- it's obvious. It's not that Americans don't care about our Countrymen doing well in an international tournament- I imagine that, given the choice, most folks would cheer on the red, white and blue- but it just doesn't really register on the national scope the way it does in Canada.

Think of this for a moment- right now the college football bowl games are going on and people go NUTS for them. Painting themselves in team colors (whether they went to the school or not), having huge parties and celebrations for mere football games played by 18-20somethings. Similar ages to the kids playing in the World Junior tournaments. Hmm.. ever think of that? Also check the NCAA Basketball tournament- similar situations and no one even thinks twice about getting excited about that. Sports are exciting- especially when they involve something the average person can relate to. We all love the underdogs and "our boys" (wherever and whoever they are) and the storylines. Many Americans can remember throwing around a football or playing a little hoops in the parking lot as a kid- it's a fairly shared experience so no one thinks it's strange to get excited about some kids you don't even know playing a sport that you do know so well.

Well- imagine for a moment that in Canada, that shared sport is very likely to be hockey. And then maybe we're on to something here. It's not about a lack of patriotism on the part of the Americans- we do care about our guys and gals- we just can't relate (most of us) to the feeling of blades and ice and pucks. It's not a shared national experience. And it's not necessarily any more patriotism on the part of the Maple Leaf-bedecked folks either- but again- shared emotions and experiences make it much more relate-able and real and "worth" watching.

I've been called a "Canuck" and a "Canadian" quite a few times in my life. Sometimes it was meant derisively and sometimes not, but I chose to take it as a compliment. It usually comes about through hockey discussions. I choose to see it that someone finds me to be so steeped in the traditions and history of hockey (of my own doing) that I seem "Canadian" in my love of the sport. I think that's cool. It doesn't mean I actually WANT to be a Canadian- it's a beautiful country but I like mine just fine. I feel very blessed to have been born into the United States of America- it's a wonderful place. Sure, we have our issues, but I wouldn't want to live anywhere else!

That being said, I have at times wished that I was in a more hockey-friendly place. I love the game so much and I feel like I've missed out on so many hockey-related experiences that I can never have because of the culture of the place in which I was raised. Only in that sense do I wish to have experienced another place- but wait- I can- through literature. And I do. Which is probably why I'm writing this now.. I have read so much about hockey and specifically the impact that the culture of hockey has on young Canadians that I feel like I can speak about it in (hopefully) an informed manner- especially with my contrasting experiences as a hockey-loving American who was born and raised in a very un-hockey environment. I had to make my own hockey- and I did.

So to all the haters out there, I just want you to stop and think a minute before you accuse your fellow Americans (or neighboring Americans) of not being supportive of their country or not being Patriotic because they aren't going ga-ga over a tournament that is happening inside the US border (barely). Instead, realize the cultural difference between our two countries that are so close together geographically but worlds apart sports-wise.

And then go out and cheer on your team in whichever way you desire and have fun because, after all, isn't sports supposed to be about fun?

Thoughts?