Only in Canada

All they had to do was read twenty-three names. That should take ... two minutes? Three? Nope, it took approximately forty-five minutes. Forty-five minutes to read the names of the twenty-three players that will be on Canada's men's hockey team in the 2010 Olympics.

Only in Canada.

Such a simple thing as reading out the roster turned into an hour long media circus that was broadcast on every network in the country short of the Weather Channel (although I could be wrong, I wasn't checking the weather at the time), that no doubt caused the entire country to stop what they were doing just to catch the names of the twenty-three players. Even as an avid hockey fan, as I sat and watched, I wondered 'is this really necessary? do i need instant analysis from every hockey mind from every sports network seconds after the names of the defense are called?'.

The answer of course is no. But this event serves as another reminder of the euphoria that hockey incites across our great country every time an international event is even hinted at; when another opportunity presents itself for Canada to prove as it does time and time again that we are the best hockey country in the world.

Like the tall kid in gym class who stinks at every other sport, but relishes the chance to dominate the basketball court because of his height, we Canadians lick our chops every time the word 'hockey' is even mentioned in an international context because, like that tall kid who is no good at anything else, it is our time to show everyone just how good we are.

To anyone surprised and/or disappointed Mike Green isn't on the team: he didn't make the team because even after four NHL seasons of searching, he still hasn't found the defensive zone. That's kind of a key ingredient for a defenseman.

-matt