While watching CTV's Olympic coverage this weekend I encountered an interesting segment narrated by Stephen Brunt which talks about how these Olympic games have instilled a sense of patriotism in all Canadians that has never been there before. He mentions that not only in communities in the Greater Vancouver area are you finding signs of patriotism but also in communities throughout the other Canadian provinces and territories. He states that we as Canadians "like to think of ourselves in contrast to our neighbours in the south, as self-effacing sports who don't need flag wagginf and pledges of allegions" and that in comparing ourselves to our overtly, and often obnoxiously patriotic American neighbours we have defined ourselves by knowing that this is what we are not. However, he suggests that these Olympics have brought a change to our country, giving us as a nation something to be proud of. Shani Davis, an American speed skater, mentions that he was not aware of how patriotic Canadians can be, that he always thought that Americans were the most patriotic fans, but that now his opinion on that has changed. I found this segment very interesting as I too have seen myself becoming more patriotic as these games progress. For example, I myself have never even watched Men's Moguls Skiing before but I found myself glued to the television cheering on Alex Bilodeau as he won the first Gold medal for a Canadian on Canadian soil. Within an hour of Bilodeau's win I watched his facebook page grow from 94 fans to 2,000 fans. I was wondering if anyone else has found themselves in this same position, acting more and more like our American counterparts as these games continue?
I have linked the video to this posting for anyone interested.
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I definitely noticed myself changing more and more as the games progressed. At first, I didn't care much for them. I mostly complained that many of my other television shows would be on a two week hiatus because of the games. But then I sat down with friends and watched the Canada vs Norway Men's Hockey game. After that win, I couldn't help but continue to watch the games. My channel was constantly on CTV, and the only time it changed was to check what was on TSN or Roger's Sportsnet. I've never cared much for sports, but this was different. I became enthralled in each and every event, from Alpine Skiing and Snow-Cross to Ice Dancing and Curling. And whenever we won a medal, whether it be bronze, silver, or gold, I was ecstatic for the athlete and our country as a whole. And now that the games have come to a close, I'm actually saddened that I can't continue to watch my country dominate on a daily basis.
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