Last weekend was a massive weekend in Canada. For those who didn't hear the shouting, Sidney Crosby scored a goal in overtime to win Canada the gold medal for the hockey at the Winter Olympics... and the crowd went wild (across the country).
I said to a lot of people that I'm not aware of another sport that a country expects or wants to win in as much as hockey at the winter games for Canada. Maybe basketball for the US at the summer games, or the World Cup for England (I'm leaving out sports like cricket that not many countries play), but there are very few. It's Canada's game, and they want to win it more than anything.
When Crosby scored the goal Sunday night, the response was incredible - this clip from Vancouver being an excellent example... That win, added to the record number of gold medals Canadians won at these games gave a swagger to a nation that has, for a long time, sat in the background, going about their business, trying not to get in the way.
It was fascinating, because even with the wins, there wasn't a hint of arrogance, just a genuine "we did really well" attitude, and an awareness that they do belong on the world stage - an even fuller self-confidence that they can do things their way and be successful... very successful.
The question for me is what does Canada do with it? Is it just euphoria that lasts for a few days/weeks, then goes back to normal or is it something that causes a genuine change in attitudes? If so, what does that look like? It'll be interesting to watch...
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