The USA men’s hockey team is out of the Olympics after a quarterfinals loss to the Czech Republic late Tuesday night.
The good guys fell during during a shootout to the Czechs after ending regulation 2-2. Apparently we have to end medal round games in shootouts instead of just playing them out. I guess people must just be too busy to play golden goal overtime.
The U.S. Men’s Team falls to the Czech Republic in a shootout in the #WinterOlympics quarterfinals. Recap: https://t.co/lqDTEYZ8oK pic.twitter.com/m3stce7tSy
— USA Hockey (@usahockey) February 21, 2018
Hear from members of the U.S. Men’s Team after a shootout loss to the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals. Full recap: https://t.co/lqDTEYHx0a pic.twitter.com/ahrsWvlynq
— USA Hockey (@usahockey) February 21, 2018
I can’t even begin to tell you all how embarrassing this has been for USA hockey. We’re supposed to be a top tier team in the world, arguably always in the top three. We go to South Korea and get smacked around like it’s child’s play.
We lost to Slovenia, got blown out by Russia and then lose to the Czech Republic in an elimination game. Herb Brooks would never have let this circus act ever take the ice. Spare me the dramatics about NHL players not being allowed to play.
NHL players also weren’t allowed to play in the 1980’s, and I’m pretty sure that ended with the USA winning the gold medal. The product we put on the ice in South Korea is sickening. No American should have any pride or joy in the disaster that was USA men’s hockey during the 2018 winter Olympics.
I’m not writing this because I want to rub it in or because I’m happy. I’m here this morning because I expect better out of this country. I expect championships. Countries that overthrow the British Empire and win back-to-back world wars don’t go to the Olympics and not medal in hockey. That’s simply not how it works.
We expect gold medals, big time wins, plenty of cold beer and the hottest women on the planet waiting for our players back home. I don’t know about the last two, but we damn sure didn’t complete the first two objectives. We need to find a boardroom, get the smartest hockey brains in America in it, lock the door and not let anybody out until we figure out a way to make sure this never happens again.
I will always love this country and hockey, but this disappointment stings deep. We get this shot once every four years and we blew it. Like I said, Herb Brooks never would have allowed this to happen.