I get ripped plenty for not talking hockey on my radio show each Sunday morning. Okay, it’s only two people I know that are upset. Regardless if it’s hockey season or not, my answer is usually the same. Hockey is not a talking sport on the radio and if you ignore it long enough it will go away.

Whether you want to believe the first part or not, it’s incredibly true and has been for the longest time. People love to watch hockey in person. Still the best sport  to watch live, bar none. Talk about hockey at the water cooler or try to find it on any talk show and you’ll be sadly disappointed to find out it’s nowhere to be found. Very few people talk hockey on a daily basis.

If your local team is playing well and in the playoff hunt, you’ll have your share of hockey chatter. Other than that, when is the next football game? Or baseball or basketball. I’m talking professionals too. Wait, we haven’t gotten through the colleges yet. All these sports pro and college fall way ahead of hockey talk or chatter every year except for one. The year of the Winter Olympics! That’s when even the non hockey fans come out of the closet to root their nation on.

Welcome back hockey at it’s best! I like hockey, just don’t love it. However, I LOVE Olympic hockey. Always have and always will. There’s something about players representing their countries and the colors on their chest.

At Lake Placid in 1980, the United States young hockey squad stood strong  and beat the supposedly unbeatable Russians to shock the world and still to this day have the biggest upset victory in the history of sports. If you didn’t like hockey before that game, you sure did afterwards. How could you not? Chants of U.S.A., U.S.A. were blasting through the rafters and into every television set in the country. We all remember where we were when the United States beat Russia in hockey at Lake Placid in 1980. How can anyone forget Al Michaels infamous call, “do you believe in miracles, yes”

Thirty years have passed and nothing can touch the excitement of that game  and what it was like for the Americans to capture the gold and shock the world. And yes, thirty years have passed and I still feel the same way about hockey. Not much since then has anything created a buzz for me like 1980 in Lake Placid. Not even close, until now.

Watching powerhouse and heavy favorite Canada and the USA squad skate around before face off last Sunday gave me that feeling I hadn’t had in thirty years. The American roster was loaded with good players but very young. The Canadian roster was a who’s who in the NHL. They were heavily favored and had an entire Canadian nation on their back. They’re favored to win the GOLD medal and nothing else, period! God for bid, don’t lose to the United States squad, regardless of what round it’s in.

Last Sunday the young Americans went back in time and played hockey like it was 1980 against the Russians all over again. However, this time it was the big bad Canadians who they beat 5-3. Spectacular action and a great hockey game. It had the feel of Lake Placid all over again. Oh Canada nation was in shock. They were stunned and in disbelief they lost to the United States. I’ve never seen so many Canadians walking and talking as if they’d lost a loved one. Losing a hockey game in Canada when you are supposed to win the Gold Medal and nothing else, is like losing a loved one. Especially if you lost to you know who….those Americans.

This Sunday night could very well be the most watched hockey game in history. As a matter of fact, mark it down, out it in the books. If all things hold to form, it will be USA versus Canada for the Gold Medal. As I type, the United States just pounded Finland 6-1. The United States will be playing for the gold medal Sunday night. Canada plays Slovakia in a few hours. It’s safe to say Canada was pissed off about losing to the United States as they pummeled Germany 8-2 and then manhandled a very good Russian squad 7-3.

I feel sorry for Slovokia in a few hours when they meet the Canadians. No, I don’t feel sorry for Slovakia. As a matter of fact, I hope Canada drills them and sets up the most watched hockey game in history Sunday night for the 2010 Winter Olympics mens hockey gold medal. You think that’s going to be a big game? Huh? Oh Canada?

So, for those of you who want more hockey talk and think it will be great  theatre to talk hockey on the radio. Sunday morning you get your wish for sure. I’m going to give you what you want, some hockey talk. Enough to wet your appetite for the game later that day. Remember one thing though….I only do this every few years because that’s when I start enjoying hockey. Hockey Olympic style.