Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler Olympic Hockey

If they can remove Women's Softball from the Olympics because of the disparity between the U.S. and the rest of the world, then they certainly might do the same to Women's Hockey due to the gulf between Canada/USA and the rest of the world.

I hear you snickering about my interest in Softball, Tom. In my defense, allow me to say: Jennie Finch.

Yes! And we will again when discussing the Canada-Finland gold medal final on Sunday!

Well played, JP.

The University of Washington women won the softball National championship last year - it was a pretty big deal.

Eric, that's just mean.

USA! USA! (at least for today)

That is one team vs the world, not the same as the US and Canada women's hockey teams, as they have a greeat rivalry but if we keep winning the Gold medal maybe they will drop it like Softball

Jennie Finch was on Pro's vs Joe's awhile back and she can still pitch and look good doing it.

This discussion of sports dominance makes me think of USA basketball. From 1936-1984, the U.S. was 85-1 in Olympic play, the loss coming in 1972 in that horribly controversial loss to the USSR in which the officials gave the Soviets not one but two replays at the end of the game. But, by 1988, the world's talent had caught up to our collegians, and a bronze medal in Seoul was seen as a national embarrassment.

So Team USA dropped the atom bomb of Jordan, Magic, Bird, et al on Barcelona in 1992. The gap between the USA (NBA players) and the rest of the world was huge. The games were laughable. Coach Chuck Daly didn't have to call a single time-out. "The natural order is restored," the fans thought.

That didn't last long. By 2004, a U.S. team of NBA all-stars lost three games on its way to another bronze medal. The world's talent has largely closed the gap. Maybe the same will happen in women's hockey, eh?

They will eventually just because they do play against each other in various tournaments throughout the years.

Do the Softball teams ever play against each other any other time other than the Olympics? If not it makes it hard for the other countries to gauge their progress and get better.

Well, I glad this thread didnt open up a can of worms
I think the Can/Swe game was a closer game than the Can/US game. Canada was just finding their ways as a team against the Swedes. Even though Canada lost to the US, I think Canada played way better. With the US there was a couple give away goals, the last and first goals, for sure. Its not that the US looked bad, they didnt as a matter of fact they looked good, but Canada just looked alot better. Canada just totally dominated the Russians, they had their moments, but were no match for Canada that night. My prediction is Canadas just getting warmed up and the future is looking gold.

Edited: sorry, my self-deleted comment was because I had the wrong gender!