UPEI STUDENT NEWSPAPER

MARCH 13, 2002

editor-in-chief Matthew DORRELL

copy editor Joel MEGGS

production manager Jeff COLL

news editor Erin FAGAN

entertainment editor Stephan MACLEOD

sports editor Adam GAUTHIER

photographer / style editor Jonah CAMPBELL

_ Yeporter Thomas LLOYD

advertising manager Kim TRAN

distribution manager Andrea STEELE

graphic design Bill MATTHEWS

contributors Brad DEIGHAN Marc MACDONALD Catherine SWEET George and John

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The deadline for submissions is Friday at 5:00 PM. _ The opinions expressed within The Cadre do not necessarily represent the views of UPEI or the UPEI Student Union Inc. Letters to the editor: mdorrell@upei.ca

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Editorial 17: Gold

I had intended to write some sort of Olympic wrap-up last week but the homicidal rage which continues to grip the world distracted me. People are no less murderous or stupid this week, just slightly less headline-catch- ingly efficient in their respective slaughters.

The Olympics, though. Must stay on topic. I'll talk about how, based on a single rivetting game, Canadian Men’s “ice-hockey” has regained the title of “best in the world.” How could a team staffed by Lemieux, Sakic, Iginla, Brodeur, et al., be denied? (Short of having to play Sweden in the final.) Gretzky, above and beyond the rest of the team, deserves many thanks, much respect, or whatever it is we give victorious executive directors. Looking at his face during the games prior to the gold-medal win, you’d think the man

had already been beaten several time -

over. Gretzky looked haunted, like he felt he couldn’t go home until he had proven himself; as if being the greatest hockey player in history wasn’t good

enough for Canadians. The frightening —

thing is that he may not have been wrong.

I’m not normally the most fer- vent patriot, or the most enthusiastic flag waver, but I admit, after watching both the men’s and women’s hockey

teams win gold, event the tackiest of ©

the ubiquitous “Canada” brand Roots-

wear was looking classy. I wouldn’t.

dare fault anyone for their excitement,

but I will suggest that the cheering over -

Canada’s victory against Belarus was a little sad. It felt as if Canadians thought that might be all we would have to cheer about. Clips of the game versus Belarus were leading national news- casts, and I was consistently disap- pointed by the lack of coverage of the women’s team.

The women’s team had not beaten Belarus, but an actual hockey team: the American squad, who came into the Olympics with a record of 8-0 against the Canadians. The Canadian women, who collectively make less than the lowest paid player on the men’s team, pulled off one of the great- est upsets of the Games by winning the gold, despite officiating that was astoundingly poor, even for the Olympics. For their troubles, the Canadian women’s win, in one of the most exciting hockey games I’ve ever seen, was preempted by the men win- ning a gimme-game.

The women -_ Charline Labonté, Sami Jo Small, Kim St- Pierre, Therese Brisson, Isabelle Chartrand, Geraldine Heaney, Becky Kellar, Cheryl Pounder, Colleen Sostorics, Dana Antal, Kelly Béchard, Jennifer Botterill, Cassie Campbell, Lori Dupuis, Danielle Goyette, Jayna Hefford, Caroline Ouellette, Cherie Piper, Tammy Lee, Vicky Sunohara, Hayley Wickenheiser and coach Daniele Sauvageau - deserved better.

Matthew Dorrell, Editor-In-Chief