POPS

= DOWN SIDES:

 

Darren Paterson, Sports Editor

Well, I can’t just harp on the best of
Canadian sports, so here I am to remind
you that Canada’s sport history is not at
all unmarred. Again, I have tried to stick
to recent events in our country’s sport
history as it suits my memory fine. So,
without further ado, here, in reverse
order, are the top five disappointments in
Canada’s sport history.

5. Men’s National Basketball Team,
2003 FIBA America’s Olympic
Qualification Tournament

Steve Nash, as great as he played for the
Dallas Mavericks, could not lead his team
to an Olympic qualification. This was a
bitter disappointment after Canada
showed so much promise in the Sydney
Olympics. This was a loss that went large-
ly unnoticed due to the Americans’ first
international loss since the age of the
“Dream Team,” but it was a bitter pill for
Canada to swallow.

4. Hockey Fans, 2003 NHL Hockey
Game

In a match between the New York
Islanders and the Montreal Canadiens,

the Canadiens’ fans loudly booed the
American National Anthem. This wasn’t
the only time the American anthem had
been booed by Canadians, but it sure got
noticed. Shame was cast on our country
as Montreal fans made us look like dumb
hooligans. Other Canadians tried to make
up for it by cheering for the American
anthem at other hockey games that sea-
son, but the damage was already done.
3. Ben Johnson, 1988 Summer
Olympics in Seoul

This was one of Canada’s most shameful
moments, as a world-record 100m dash
turned quickly into a terrible scandal. At
9.79 seconds, Johnson’s time was the
fastest 100-metres the world had ever
seen, and Canada felt the great glory of
his triumph. But 62 hours later, the
Olympic officials marched into his room
to take back his gold medal. What’s worse
is that it now appears that Johnson wasn’t
the only runner who was doping at those
Olympics; he was just the only one stupid
enough to get caught.

2. Perdita Felicien, 2004 Summer
Olympics in Athens

This spot actually goes to all Canadian
athletes in the Athens Olympics, an event
that saw little success for the ol’ Maple
Leaf. But Felicien’s fall on the first hurdle
epitomized the entire Olympics from
Canada’s perspective. What started with
great optimism, stumbled and fell with-
out even making the initial hurdle.
Felicien was Canada’s sure thing in
Athens, and, like most all of Canada’s
other hopefuls in 2004, she was unable to
live up to the pressure.

1. Men’s National Hockey Team, 1998
Winter Olympics in Nagano
In the world’s first best-on-best at the

 

 

Olympics, Canada failed miserably in
their attempt to live up to their tradition
of hockey greatness. Despite their great
depth, and despite their great talent, the
Canadian hockey team sorely disappoint-
ed. On paper, they had the best team in
the tournament, but they just couldn’t get

it done when it counted. Special notice
should go to Coach Marc Crawford who,
despite his successes in Colorado, was
too stupid to put Wayne Gretzky—the
greatest hockey player ever—in his
shootout line-up.

 

 

 

No Drugs!

22 | www.theotherpress.ca

Do You Suffer From Acne?

 

June 8/2005