Fire Up, It's America Time.

We are about 90 minutes away from United States-Canada bloodbath. It feels like everyone is all in with this team right now. Mitch and I talk about on the podcast that will be up in 30 minutes, but everyone seems to have a different attitude about this team.  United States feels like the best team left. Yes, I realize how good Canada is, but the United States is playing great puck right now. There will be people across America calling it an early day at work and catching a buzz at the lunch hour. There will be others like me watching it from his lucky chair hoping things turn out for the United States. I love this video to get us ready for hockey. It does show the true growth in the spot beyond just Canada. USA USA USA USA.  (H/T Barstool Sports) 

Charlie.

Importance of United States Hockey Rivalry with Canada

Currently, United States leads the medal count right now at the Sochi Winter Olympics. After a rough couple of days,  U.S. really turned it around in the second week of competition bringing in the medals. But the biggest things left on the docket will be hockey for both the men and women.  The roadblock standing in each teams' way is Canada, their most hated rival. This could be one of the most meaningful two-day stretch in United States hockey history even though the U.S. men need another win to bring home the gold.

In about an hour, Canada and U.S. will be dropping the puck in the women's version. These teams have already met in Sochi where the Canadians took home their first victory against United States in the last five tries. This reestablished the dominance of Canada in women's hockey. Some people saw it as even though Canada lost many exhibitions games to the U.S., Olympics are a different animal. It has become like the men where Canada put its hands all over the gold medal. They have won in 2002, 2006 and 2010 beating United States a couple teams along with one victory over Sweden. They are the cream of the crop when it comes to international women's hockey and can the United States end its reign of dominance? 

Signs point to yes even though Canada notched a victory against the Americans earlier in Sochi. It is a contrasting style game with United States being more of a finesse team and Canada having a bruising style to them. There is no telling what will actually happen in this one. Gold medal games along with World Cup final and other international team competitions are truly unpredictable. It could go as expected with some of the stars of the team like Amanda Kessel and Brianna Decker, or something out of the ordinary ends up happening like what happens at the bronze medal game early today. 

As for the men, the importance of United States and Canada is very high and quite possibly bigger than people might give it credit for right now. The narrative today is United States might have a record-long streak of Stanley Cup winners with their organizations, but a majority of their players are Canadians. Look Chicago Blackhawks, the recent Stanley Cup winner, they have Patrick Kane, sure, but most of their star players, Johnathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and Duncan Keith are all Canadian. 52 percent of the NHL is filled with Canadians with about 22 percent being Americans. If United States were to win this game and then take home the gold, it could have an impact on the youth of America moving forward maybe pushing more children into ice hockey. 1980 had that sort of impact, and it is hard not to look past the slight comparisons with Lake Placid. 

Yes, both of these teams are loaded with professional athletes. Yes, there is no sort of political element to the it. But when it comes down to it, Canada is the impossible opponent. United States struggled in the last decade against them in international competition, and even if they beat them, one time like The Little Giants speech, this would be huge for United States hockey. The eerie thing is U.S-USSR was a semifinal game where they took on Finland in the gold medal game. The same could happen in 2014 if the Fins were able to take down the Swedes in the other semifinal game Friday. 

If U.S. can score two wins against Canada, our neighbors to the north might explode as hockey is their life blood. They could probably take the U.S. winning one, but if they were to complete a sweep plus the Ice Dancing gold for United States, Canada might go into a state of catatonic shock.  Either way, it is an exciting time to be a resident of North America.  

Charlie.  

Sochi Viewing Guide Day 14

I decided to change the format. It makes no sense to drop this in the middle of Sochi time. Why not do it around midnight, and make it run through the day until First Taste happens at 8:30 am. That's what we are going with here, and if you do not like it, I do not care. The format is changing basically giving you a timeline of what will be on television. I also will not post everything, just the marquee stuff.

What's on today?  
Happening Now:
Men and Women parallel slalom qualifying happening. All I know about these events is there are a lot of 'L''s in parallel and slalom.  Where can I find it: Stream

2:00 am - Men's Hockey - Sweden takes on Slovenia in the first quarterfinal of the game. Even though, this features a one seed, I might wake up with an upset. Slovenia is a tricky out, and Sweden has not played anybody. Where can I find it: NBCSN

4:30 am - Men's Skiing - Giant Slalom for the medal and if Ted Ligety of the United States loses, it will be a massive disappointment. He dominates this competition. Bode Miller will be there too just in case NBC wants to make him cry again. Where can I find it: Stream

4:31 am - Women's Snowboarding - There are no Americans in this competition... DOOOOONT CARE. JINGOISM YES.  Where can I find it: NBCSN

4:35 am - Men's Snowboarding - Parallel slalom is the only snowboard sport where U.S. is not primarily involved. The only one... Jason Reiter. Where can I find it: NBCSN

6:30 am - Men's Hockey - Finland and Russia settle the score from their wars in the past century. This has to be a rivalry, right? Like I cannot see the Fins and Russians getting along.  Where can I find it: NBCSN

7:30 am - Women's Speedskating - 5000m where we have Maria Lamb from the United States and Netherlands' girl Ireen Wurst.  Where can I find it: Stream

9:00 am - Women's Figure Skating - Short program where it is completely loaded with Americans' Gracie Gold and Ashley Wagner, favorite from South Korea Yuna Kim and Russia Juila Lipnitskaia. Pretty sure Eric is unfollowing me tomorrow. Where can I find it: NBCSN

11:00 am - Men's Hockey - Canada takes on Latvia in one if gambling were legal, load up on the Canadians. You're welcome. Where can I find it: MSNBC

11:00 am - Men's Hockey - United States takes to the ice again versus the Czech Republic. I have no boo on the Czechs, but I expect U.S. to put up around four goals. Where can I find it: USA Network

11:15 am - Women's Bobsled - Americans have two contenders in the top three right now with Lolo Jones hanging in eleventh. I doubt they will get a sweep here.  Where can I find it: Stream

NBC Primetime - Medal Events in Skiing, snowboarding, bobsled and the figure skating.

Images, links, pictures and everything else about the Olympics

Johnny Weir looking fabulous in prime time too pic.twitter.com/YLuu7jizii
— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) February 19, 2014

Keeping you updated on Johnny Weir because I have nothing.

Charlie.

U.S.-Canada Women's Hockey Brawl

USA USA USA USA USA USA. I know we probably should not condone fighting in an exhibition game, but this is awesome. As the U.S. women's hockey was on their way to beating Canada, 4-1, in a game preparing for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, all 'heck' broke loose according to the announcer as a brawl began in the corner. I believe Canada started it which is a classic Canada move. Cannot deal with the United States handing them a bald eagle's version of whoop ass on Friday night. Hopefully, this will carry over to Russia because I am convinced the U.S. is entirely in Canada's head. (H/T @brodiebrazil) 

Charlie.