Dear Scott: The Weather is Horrible...

5:21 pm; Never underestimate the power of the BIG cookie!
Congratulations to Team USA and the entire roster for a job well done. Here's to going for Gold on Sunday! And as usual -- Scott Gordon was right! They were staying until Sunday!




Original post: 10 am


"So why don't you win today and stay in Vancouver through Sunday. Okay?"

That was my email to him this morning.

Even without the "Snow Day" I have taken today, I was expecting to leave my office early so that I could sit in front of the big screen and watch today's match up with Finland at 3 pm on NBC. While it's nice to know that hockey will be on the main Peacock network, it is a 3 pm game, so I'm assuming the only thing NBC is doing is trying to cement a Pavlov's Dog theory that NBC carries Hockey in the afternoon. (NBC Carries Hockey In the Afternoon... repeat...)

My Team USA jersey is draped over the chair and ready and I've set out an offering to the hockey gods of chocolate chip muffins and spiked hot cocoa. (Okay, that was my breakfast, but the candles are still lit.)

I should have thought of invoking the Hockey Gods for last night's Women's game. Maybe it would have helped. As the saying goes, "You win Bronze, you lose to get Silver." What a heartbreak for the Womens' team. Some of them were truly inconsolable last night during the medal ceremony.

The shut out was stinging for them. Some of them have played for USA Hockey for half their lives. Some of them may never reach the Olympics again. But chin up girls! You are coming home with hardware. It is still a testament to the USA Hockey program and women's hockey in general.

Now, for the men -- well, they have played the underdog role this entire tournament. In all honesty, however they get the job done will be fine with me. You only need one goal to win -- one more than your opponent. That's all I'm hoping for.

USA 3 Switzerland 1

And that's ONE. Three points to start the what will hopefully be a successful run for Team USA at the Vancouver Olympics.

On Sunday, I didn't get a chance to wish Scott Gordon good luck before he headed off to Vancouver. I decided to send him a quick email from home. I smiled from ear to ear when he took the time to respond from his blackberry.

It took me almost a half hour to get the damn web stream working this afternoon. Much of that time was taken up by having to create a Cablevision account on-line so that I could actually stream NBC. I can't tell you how annoyed it made me that I now can't even watch something televised by NBC without having to go through Dolanvision.

The website didn't start streaming the game live for me until it was already six minutes into the game. I wasn't happy, but I wasn't giving up either. After all, as an Islander fan, I am exceptionally proud that our head coach is one of the three behind the bench for Team USA. I didn't want to miss it. I'm glad I didn't. And I also don't think I've ever heard Mark Streit's name so often in one game broadcast!

There is nothing like Olympic competition. Team US GM, Brian Burke, told a radio reporter he would have folded towels or driven the bus just to be involved with USA Hockey for this competition. He is driving the bus.

So congratulations to Team USA for today's win. Now get some practice time in as the games go on. Next up, Team USA will face Norway who was blown out by Team Canada 8 - 0 this evening. That puts an awful lot in the goal differential column for Canada. Hopefully, our USA team can do the same.

As much as I enjoy the Olympics and all they mean, I'm quite miserable without my NHL hockey. I'm feeling a little lost and out of sorts. I can't even imagine how bad I'll be by next week. Actually, I don't think I want to think of that right now.