Yesterday, the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver concluded in high-fashion, and I haven't even watched the closing ceremonies yet. I'm talking about the USA/Canada hockey game for the gold medal. The game was almost everything you would want out of a "championship" event. There was the neighboring nations rivalry, there was the "home" team on its home soil (even though technically Canada was the "Away" team), there were normally teammates now opponents, and you had a clear favorite in Canada's all-star team vs. a clear underdog in USA's very young team. I almost forgot to mention the previous upset where Team USA stood up to the favored Canada and dominated them just one week earlier.
What made this game so exciting though, was that it was a true case of the popular saying, "Win or go home." For the loser, there was no chance to tie the series up the next day. There was only one simple question going into yesterday's game: Who will step up when it matters and come out on top?
That is the fundamental questions of sports, and, when it gets boiled down, is why most of us watch. The particular sport has no bearing on the question because that question is universal. Ice hockey, ice skating, luge, skiing, track & field, gymnastics, baseball, football, swimming, and yes, curling all come out with an answer to that question.
Sure, you can say that Canada played defensive yesterday for the majority of the game, but so what? In the end, they have a gold medal and Team USA has the silver. Canada won, USA didn't - end. of. story. I love it. There are no questions about the outcome.
I know why MLB, NBA, and the NHL use the series system in their championships. The idea is that they help prevent flukes, and maybe they do to an extent. All you have to do, however, is go back to the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals winning the World Series to question how much they really prevent a weak team from winning. The real problem with the series format is that there is really no drama until at least game 4, and usually not even then. A team can have a bad day, and still have a chance.
In the Super Bowl, if you have a bad day, you're probably going to lose. Same in NCAA Basketball. Same in the Olympics. The question is, can you step up, and not let that happen? That's the question I love about sports.
