Just Give Me USA On The Jersey
by Kevin Talley
February 22, 2010
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Most sports in the Winter Olympics don't interest me. But put a USA on the back of an athletes jersey and I'm all in. I was prepared to ignore the Olympics this year but the performances of the USA and the sheer joy of the athletes has me hooked. Here in the channel 4 newsroom on Sunday night the USA Canada hockey game provided the best group experience since the Jaguars were in the playoffs.
Team USA beat Canada in the Olympics for the first time since the 60's and every goal was celebrated in our newsroom. It was the first time we all pulled for the same team since well the last Olympics. There's something about a communal experience that we've lost in this country with cable television and the internet where everyone has hundreds of options.
Saturday night I was at my local watering hole and while most were there to watch the latest UFC installment, when Shani Davis skated the 1500 meters and Apollo Ohno won his 7th medal to pass Bonnie Blair for the most medals won by an American in the Winter Games, we all watched the Olympics together. There was even a small smattering of U-S-A chants.
So if you get the chance to watch the Winter Olympics with a group, take advantage there is just something about watching your country play with your fellow countrymen. It's nice for a few hours for everybody to be on the same team. And go U-S-A.
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