Real Olympic thread [[[[NO HOCKEY ALLOWED]]]]]

[Smitty-48]

Oh my father warned me of the curse, he hated Conn Smythe, he hated Harold Ballard, he hated Punch Imlach, but it was too late by then, and it's not like I was from Hamilton, I was literally raised in the shadow of the Gardens, not Metro Toronto, not Greater Toronto, old City of Toronto, you can't get more 6ix than me.

[StCapps]

Oh my father warned me of the curse, he hated Conn Smythe, he hated Harold Ballard, he hated Punch Imlach, but it was too late by then, and it's not like I was from Hamilton, I was literally raised in the shadow of the Gardens, not Metro Toronto, not Greater Toronto, old City of Toronto you can't get more 6ix than me.

Being from Hamilton, and my dad warning me of the curse, that was enough to convince me to look for greener pastures. He's a Cleveland Browns fan too, so he knows all about the misery of liking a cursed team, I had to heed the warning, it was a dire one, I was like fuck my team losing for most if not all of my life, who's the best option at the time, the Avs, eh? I get to cheer for Sakic, Forsberg and Roy, and I get an epic rivalry with the other best team in hockey? Fucking Sold.

[Smitty-48]

It's actually a Leafs Bizzaro World right now, with Brendan Shanahan, for the first time ever, I don't hate Leafs management with a passion, it's like a strange dream, Tim Leiweke of all people, has literally changed my life.

Tim Leiweke + Auston Matthews = God bless America; the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc, in our darkest hour.

[Smitty-48]

If the NHL players ever come back to the Olympics, and Team Canada and Team USA go head to head again, I honestly don't know what to do, because I cannot root against Auston Matthews, would be like rooting against my own son.

[Smitty-48]

I loved Mats Sundin, but I could root against him internationally, Auston Matthews however, is a whole nother ball game, Auston is already there in the Pantheon, with Wendel Clark, Clark is one, Matthews is two, rooting against Matthews? Not gonna happen.

Auston is family now, and family comes first, even over Team Canada, most Canadians are Leaf haters anyways, so go get em', Auston, if you ever get the chance.

[StCapps]

I loved Mats Sundin, but I could root against him internationally, Auston Matthews however, is a whole nother ball game, Auston is already there in the Pantheon, with Wendel Clark, Clark is one, Matthews is two, rooting against Matthews? Not gonna happen.

Auston is family now, and family comes first, even over Team Canada, most Canadians are Leaf haters anyways, so go get em', Auston, if you ever get the chance.

See now that's something I couldn't fathom, cheering for my favorite player over my country, but maybe that's because my favorite player in the NHL has always been Canadian.


Maybe I would cheer against Canada, but can't say for sure until my favorite player isn't Canadian, and it's put to the test. I'd still probably pick nation over player, but I would say that from my position where I don't have to make that choice, wouldn't I?

[Smitty-48]

My favourite player is an American, for the first time ever, I can't deny it, I'm with Team Matthews all the way, I love them, not just Auston, I love his mom, I love his dad, I love his sisters, they're with the Blue & White now, Leafs Nation till I die, and Auston is our leader.

[StCapps]

My favourite player is an American, for the first time ever, I can't deny it, I'm with Team Matthews all the way, I love them, not just Auston, I love his mom, I love his dad, they're with the Blue & White now, Leafs Nation till I die, Auston is our leader.

Well if I was a Leafs fan, Auston Matthews would probably be my favorite player too, can't hold that against you. American is not a deal breaker, maybe to Don Cherry it is, but I'm not Don Cherry. Hell the team a guy plays for isn't even a dealbreaker, or Steve Yzerman would have never been my favorite player, my favorite player can even theoretically play for my most hated rival, at least in Yzerman's case, that's how dope he was.

[Smitty-48]

My favourite player is an American, for the first time ever, I can't deny it, I'm with Team Matthews all the way, I love them, not just Auston, I love his mom, I love his dad, they're with the Blue & White now, Leafs Nation till I die, Auston is our leader.

Well if I was a Leafs fan, Auston Matthews would probably be my favorite player too, can't hold that against you. American is not a deal breaker, maybe to Don Cherry it is, but I'm not Don Cherry. Hell the team a guy plays for isn't even a dealbreaker, or Steve Yzerman would have never been my favorite player, he can even play for my most hated rival, at least in Yzerman's case, that how dope he was.

America is not my hated rival, I've never hated Team USA, quite frankly, I'm not a hockey hater, I don't hate hockey teams, not even the Broad Street Bullies, not even the Habs, I even loved Soviet Red Army, I love the Leafs, but it does not follow that I have to hate other teams as a consequence, that's not my thing.

[StCapps]

My favourite player is an American, for the first time ever, I can't deny it, I'm with Team Matthews all the way, I love them, not just Auston, I love his mom, I love his dad, they're with the Blue & White now, Leafs Nation till I die, Auston is our leader.

Well if I was a Leafs fan, Auston Matthews would probably be my favorite player too, can't hold that against you. American is not a deal breaker, maybe to Don Cherry it is, but I'm not Don Cherry. Hell the team a guy plays for isn't even a dealbreaker, or Steve Yzerman would have never been my favorite player, he can even play for my most hated rival, at least in Yzerman's case, that how dope he was.

America is not my hated rival, I've never hated Team USA, quite frankly, I'm not a hockey hater, I don't hate hockey teams, not even the Broad Street Bullies, not even the Habs, I even loved Soviet Red Army, I love the Leafs, but it does not follow that I have to hate other teams as a consequence, that's not my thing.

Most hated doesn't necessarily imply that much hatred, it's just fun to cheer against the Red Wings, or the Yanks.
/shrugs

Wish I could have experienced that Soviet rivalry, that would have been the shit.