The rosters have been set for each country for the Olympic hockey tournament in South Korea since a while ago.
Many of those participating hockey players would normally never have a chance to get onto any Olympic roster.
But since the NHL declined to attend, they are on their way to their biggest adventure ever in their sports careers and lives.
To say something more about the hockey tournament:
Well, of course, Russia is the big favs followed by Canada, Finland and Sweden, if we think about the names on the paper and if look at the circumstances that followed the NHL’s decision.
Although, in general, it should be a very open tournament with room for dark horses such as the Czech Republic and the USA for example.
What about the Olympics in whole then?
First of all, I must say that my own interest in the sport has faded away sadly. It is not as it used to be, that’s for sure.
It doesn’t feel as important as before, if I may put it that way.
The main reason is that there are too many games everywhere and at any time of the day. It’s like the information overload many experiences today, too much.
And, most of all, it has become too serious and there is too much at stake as well when we talk about money.
Which somehow affects the conversation between all those who claim that they are fans and other interested people in such way that it is a too big a challenge to have a normal talk.
It always slips over to mocking and calling each other out with various kinds of invectives. A friend of order can only ask of course: Why? What for?
Perhaps the lifesaver, mostly for the sanity, is to check the minor leagues, like EBEL, DEL or NLA, which don’t get that much publicity in general in comparison to the NHL and the KHL. I don’t know, it is just speculation.
Second of all, when we look at the Olympics:
Well, the spirit of the Olympics was lost a long time ago ever since the first Olympic event was held in modern days 1896.
Everything, from the ambition and applications from varied cities for hosting the Games to all the dirty doping cases, has ruined it all. I can’t say honestly that it is interesting or fun to watch.
So, the spirit of the Olympics must be saved somehow if we want it to survive in the future, but the question is how?
Well, a way could be that we go back to sending pure amateurs, no pros whatsoever in any sport, as the ideal of the Games once was.
So any regular Joe over yonder would be more than welcome to participate if you are asking me.
Well, for me, it is a time to rest and to watch some of the games, and after that, I write my last column for Sports Rants and my last sports column in general.
It’s amazing. Life changes very quickly, in a very positive way, if you let it.
-Lindsey Vonn, American Athlete born 1984
