I'm Defecting

I never thought I'd have an image of Edward Snowden on my blog, but here we are today after the crimes of this nation's hockey powers need to be exposed. Granted, the term "crimes" may be a little strong, but yesterday's article gave us a pretty good idea that there is something wrong with those who decide on what Team Canada will wear on the ice. Today, it only gets worse as it appears that Hockey Canada has officially lost their minds. In saying this, I want to be up front in telling you that I make seek asylum in the US or Russia. Maybe Sweden. I like the Tre Kronor.

It all started with a tweet from Mr. Wyatt Arndt.

Most exciting part of media scrum: Luongo was asked about Canada jersey. Wouldn't comment but said there were three Canada jerseys he saw— Wyatt Arndt (@TheStanchion) September 6, 2013

Clearly, we have options here for Team Canada when it comes to what they will be wearing in Sochi. But it occurred to me, and to others, that this potentially opened Pandora's Box when it came to jersey design. While I basically begged for a traditional Canadian jersey yesterday, what would happen if Nike continued to push the envelope?

Canada has a tradition of wearing one-off uniforms in tournaments. From the Winnipeg Falcons throwbacks to the green Canada jerseys worn in Saskatchewan by the Canadian junior team to the LiveSTRONG uniforms worn by the women at the recent World Championships, there's a strong possibility that we'll see something out of the ordinary. I will go on record right here, right now: if it's a black uniform, I'm turning in my Canadian passport.

The Olympics are about your nation's identity. They are not some sort of fashion show. They do not require various alternate uniforms in a ten-game tournament. Nike doesn't need the extra aggravation of creating this alternate uniform, and Hockey Canada certainly doesn't need to carry three uniforms for three teams at the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. This is the epitome of idiotic, and I'm really losing faith in Hockey Canada.

The guys over at Icethetics decided to take the info they had about the uniforms and run with it. According to the Icethetics blog, Canada will indeed wear black uniforms at the Sochi Olympics based upon the above Roberto Luongo comment and some "secondhand source". I get that Canada has worn black before at various IIHF tournaments, but the Olympics is not where black should be worn for any reason if it isn't part of the country's colour scheme.

If this is true, there should be swift and brutal repercussions in this country.

Someone should lose their job over Hockey Canada's alternate jersey. http://t.co/x4zT3ojdso

— Andrew Johnston (@AndrewMJohnston) September 8, 2013

If there is one thing that I constantly hear about black uniforms, it's that the players like them. So are we catering to the players' whims on this team? Does Hockey Canada not represent the nation's interest in hockey, not 25 players' interests? FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS GOOD, WHY BLACK? And don't give me the rhetoric about looking tougher and being intimidating. The Olympic spirit is about neither of those traits nor should it ever be about those traits. If it were, why don't the boxers from Canada wear black? Why don't the judoists and Greco-Roman wrestlers all wear black? In those sports, they compete in hand-to-hand combat, and rarely do we see those athletes in black. So why does Hockey Canada need a black uniform?

Barbara Corcoran of TV's Shark Tank has some good advice for Hockey Canada and Nike.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!