The Molson Hockey House. THE place to be if you can’t be at the actual hockey game during the Olympics. I was lucky enough to get tickets to the Hockey House for the big game, Canada vs. USA for the gold.
The thing is, I am American, very much the minority at the Hockey House filled with the newly found patriotic Canadians. But I thought if I am going to go there, I have to go all out and do it in style. So I got my USA sweater, some red, white and blue beads, and of course, a somewhat obnoxious USA paper hat, complete with the stars and stripes (I would have had more, but it isn’t easy finding American fan gear here in Canada). I have to admit, I was a little nervous heading in to the hockey house dressed the way I was, especially from the looks I got on the way there, but like I said, if you are going to go, you have to go all out.
We got stopped along the way to the Hockey House and a few people took our photos, because as I have not mentioned until now, my wife Nicola was decked out in all Canadian gear, right down to the knee-high white leather boots with huge red maple leafs on them. We were both representing our countries as best we could, and I think people were finding it interesting that the USA and CANADA could be getting along so nicely during the Olympics. We were even interviewed by a Seattle NPR station about it.
Back to the Hockey house. We enter. It was as if all colors no longer existed, but not in a black and white kind of way, but more of a RED and WHITE way. No other colors existed until…I walked in, with that one extra color, BLUE.
Hmmm, a lot of people looking at us all of a sudden, many with their eyes on me. For a moment I though, should I take the hat off? No way. I am here to represent. So in I went. I got a few comments such as” you have the wrong colors on” to a few “boo’s”, bust most of all, I think people respected the fact that I was there to represent the USA. Hey, how else are they going to have some competitiveness if it was all just fellow Canadians?
I wasn’t alone, there was another American that had made himself noticed, wearing a USA flag as a cape, but that was about it. I have the say, even with the Red, White and Blue, I felt welcome. I made a lot of friends that day, especially when Canada was winning. They were a very happy crowd until, with just a few seconds left in the game, Team USA scored the tying goal. I got excited and yelled and hollered, then again, all eyes were on me. Then I thought, I may have an angry crowd here if the USA does pull this off in overtime. So I tied my shoes up good, looked for the exits, and was prepared to bolt should the US score the first goal in sudden death overtime. Canada scored first, and won the game, so I never found out what COULD have happened.
Maybe it is a good thing that Canada did win the game.
Seconds after Team Canada Scored the winning goal.
My wife Nicola, very excited that Canada won the gold (and showing no signs of sympathy for me or Team USA – where’s the love?)
What it looks like from my point of view in front of me.
What it looks like from my point of view behind me (you gotta love the huge hockey jersey – only in Canada).
My friend Kelly who I ran into at the Molson Hockey House. If you ever read the blog about the Jump! Gymnastics shoot I did for charity, she is the one that got me on board with the event.
And lastly, me. A little speck of blue added into the sea of red and white.
Another seal, happy to be in the water again.
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