O Canada!

To some it may be a little late, even tired, to comment on the Olympics, and their impact on Canada and Canadians. However it seems that now, after two weeks of reflection we can carefully analyze the games.

As Stephen Brunt put it in his Closing Ceremony Video Essay "Let's be honest- the games did not start off the way we expected them too", and oh how he was right. A tragedy on day one, and a malfunction with the torch lighting set an awful tone for these Olympics. The European media had a field day--Vancouver's Games were being referred too as the 'Glitch Games', and our hopes of a great games were melting away as fast as the snow on Cypres Mountain. But it seemed so suddenly the games changed momentum in 23 seconds when Alexandre Bilodeau won gold with his brother Frederick cheering him. Oh the First Gold by a Canadian on Canadian Soil, after 34 Olympic days without one. We as Canadian became more prideful, everywhere in Canada (or so it seemed) people were cheering for our athletes like they were their own, and on social networking sites, status' changed and profile pics became hockey jersey's showing Canadian pride. In that first week we struggled to 'Own the Podium' and some of the critism came from me 'We own the podium- there is no denying that, it is OUR podium, we built it. We are just being Canadian about it and letting everyone else on it.' As it turns out we didn't care about the lower portion of the podium, only the top step, standing on it a record 14 times.

While everyone will remember tradegy to begin the games, and Crosby's Golden Goal to end the games, it was in between that was truly special. John Montgomery's famous walk through Vancouver and Joannie Rochette's inspiring performance bring about great memories for Canadians, but probably the best moment of the games was not seen on the competitive fields or by our athletes, but rather in the stands. We as people embraced being Canadian, for two weeks there were no Irish-Canadians, or English-Canadians, they were just Canadians, and in the weeks since it still exists. While Canada began as an immigrant nation home to mostly Europeans looking for a way out of their Country and to start a new, we have embraced being just Canadian.

And now we can define what a Canadian is- we could look to our results- we are now Gold Medalists and successful in 'Owning the Podium', but we are also passionate, proud, patriotic, caring, and loving, but so much more. More than one can list, and now after the Olympics we are Canadian.

This pride was not always on display, but in a little more than 5 years from now Toronto and Southern Ontario get to host the Pan-Am Games, and then the party can start again.

Tomorrow or Tonight- a look at the greatest tournament in sports- the NCAA Men's Division 1 Championship.