February 27, 2010 7:02 AM

Off with their heads....

The Canadian women’s hockey team is in hot water for their celebration after beating the U.S. in Thursday’s gold-medal game. After the game, players openly drank and smoked on the court — and now the International Olympic Committee is investigating.

The latest Olympic controversy seems to revolve around the celebration of the Canadian women’s hockey team…and I’m still trying to figure out why anyone would feel the need to take offense. The Canadians had just defeated the US 2-0, a victory made even more special due to the fact that it happened in Canada in front of a nation that adores hockey. After the game, the celebration spilled out from the dressing room onto the ice at Canada Hockey Place, where the world was treated to young Canadian women (GASP!!!) drinking beer and champagne and smoking cigars. Oh, the horror!! Oh, the humanity!! What about our poor, impressionable children??

Look, these young ladies had just achieved the dream of a lifetime on home ice and in front of an entire nation that willed them along to victory. Given the amount of pressure and the crushing weight of expectations, can we cut these young lasses a wee bit o’ slack for cutting loose after they achieved their goal?? These women did nothing more than what so many men’s teams have done over the years to celebrate winning championships. Then again, when men do it, it’s boys being boys. When women do it, it’s the worst sort of immoral, dissolute debauchery unworthy of the flower of Canadian femininity. Whatever….

To make matters worse, Hockey Canada caved in to the hypocrisy and issued an apology that was embarrassing in and of itself:

“The members of Team Canada apologize if their on-ice celebrations, after fans had left the building, have offended anyone. In the excitement of the moment, the celebration left the confines of our dressing room and shouldn’t have. The team regrets that its gold medal celebration may have caused the IOC or COC any embarrassment. Our players and team vow to uphold the values of the Olympics moving forward and view this situation as a learning experience.”

What exactly do the women of Team Canada have to apologize for? It’s not as if they returned to the ice and were fornicating with the Swedish curling team. They were doing what so many athletes do when they win a hard-fought championship battle: they blow off steam. They should be celebrated for the skill and determination they displayed in winning the gold medal. Their celebration is no different from so many (male) celebrations that have come before. Why should women not be allowed the same right to blow off steam and celebrate their accomplishment?

Memo to the media and the IOC: get over your hypocritical selves already. The “values of the Olympics” are largely based on hypocrisy and sexism, anyway. Why not grant the Canadian women their right to celebrate as they see fit? It’s not as if they’re corrupting the youth of the world, who by now have seen many similar celebrations playing out on their television screens. This one wasn’t even televised; it’s a controversy manufactured by the media for reasons only they fully understand.

For my part, I offer my congratulations to the Canadian women. Sure, I was rooting for the US, but it was a helluva game, and the better team won. Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be?? Besides, they were drinking Molson. That’s not even real beer….

Party on, Garth….

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on February 27, 2010 7:02 AM.

Are you scared enough?? was the previous entry in this blog.

Compassionate Conservatism: OXYMORON ALERT!!! is the next entry in this blog.

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