There really is too much to love about watching an NHL Hockey game in Canada, live or on TV.
There is always a team playing that you an either throw all your love behind (see Maple Leafs, Toronto) or a team that you can try and hate to death the entire game (see Else, Everyone).
One of my favourite parts of the game, has little to do with hockey itself. The anthems. I love them. Except for on the rare occasion some shitty celebrity, or friend of Johnny the zamboni driver is handed the microphone and they manage to butcher our national pride of course.
But when done properly the anthems are an amazing thing, especially when you get both the American and Canadian anthems back to back (Canadian last, of course).
Nothing, but NOTHING, makes me happier and more proud to be a Canadian than hearing the words "God keep our land, Glorious and free" as the crowd swells into cheers and sings loudly along before the clincher of "Oh Canada, we stand on guard for thee" is belted out and it sounds like the whole country is either cheering or singing along".
It always gives me the shivers, and then hockey is on and we get to hear Bob Cole say his most ridiculous line of the night in introducing the goaltenders (this evenings masochists of the mesh mortuaries are..).
Good times, good times.
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5 comments:
I will admit I love the Canadian anthem more than the American. But my favorite part of whoever is singing the anthem and gets to "home of the brave..." by tradition we shout "home of the Chiefs."It gets me every time.
I too love the Canadian anthem more. And I personally think the "home of the Chiefs" is completely disrespectful. However, I recognize that part of what the anthem stands for is the right to speak freely so whatever.
I still get goosebumps when I think of the entire Rexall Place singing the Canadian anthem in the 2006 playoffs. oooo, just got 'em again thinking about it!
Great blog, agree with you 100%
However, its Joe Bowen who makes those comments, not Bob Cole, and I enjoy them as they are sometimes actually funny
drat, Knew that joke was a little to un-explaned to get away with. Me, my dad, and a bunch of friends have a running gag going where anything said by Bowen, Cole, and the dearly (but not literally) departed Harry Neil was indistinguishable from one or the other.
I love it when the singer holds up the microphone EXCEPT when the place isn't singing in unison. I remember during the Ottawa/Duck final the singer (I think it was Alanis Morrisette) tried being all cool and holding up the microphone in Ottawa. She forgot that half the audience was going to sing it in French, so the whole "unity" aspect kinda failed there.
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