The moments preceding the image above, and those to follow, set off a great chain of events that may redefine my country as I know it. A pride of patriotism sweeps across Canada like I've never felt, and among other things, last night this NFL fan had his Super Bowl moment. (Credit Getty Images)
Living in Canada, I’ve often watched the NFL’s biggest game, and lamented that I would never know the experience of having my home team win the Super Bowl and bring the trophy home. Alas, I’ll still have to live without the euphoria but I’ll continue to love the game.
As a resident of the great white north (or, more accurately Canada’s answer to New York, a city not-so-affectionately referred to as the big smoke rather than an ice-box community of igloos, I’ll have to settle for the Grey Cup – which no true NFL fan can tolerate, or, I’ll settle for hockey.
Naturally, I grew up playing and following our national pastime, among other pursuits, and there is little doubt that hockey is the nation’s game much like football and/or baseball, depending on which side of the argument you are on, is America’s game. I’m an avid hockey fan, I don’t watch all 82 regular season games, but I follow along and earn my Canadian stripes in the playoffs, but truly, there is nothing like watching your national team compete on hockey’s highest stage.
That’s why, last night, as the story book hero, the kid who was once a polarizing figure on the ice, and now is without a doubt the sports hero of the nation, I felt it. Due to a number of circumstances I watched the game in humble surroundings – my apartment, with my girlfriend, and the cats. I still felt the heartbeat of the nation stop, and resume again at 7:40 of the extra frame.
That’s all well and good, it was a fitting end to an Olympic Games that I feel Canada did an excellent job in – both as organizers, and competitors. In fact, it was (although not the prettiest) the greatest goal I have witnessed in my 20ish years as a hockey fan. I’m a young man, so I don’t have summit series, and ‘87 Canada Cup memories, but I’ve now got a great memory of a 22 year old kid, with the weight of the nation on his shoulders, cementing his legacy as one of this country’s greatest- with 15 good years left in his skates.
But, that isn’t the moment. My Super Bowl moment came afterwards. At 7:30 pm (Eastern) right around 2 hours after the fateful goal, I found myself on the world’s largest street – Yonge Street, in Toronto – some 3000-4000 kilometers (I’ve earned the right today, as a Canadian not to put the mileage reference in parentheses) and well out of the downtown core, and the scene was memorable. The sidewalks, the middle of the street, passing cars with bodies flung out of them, were awash in Red and White. I have never known a prouder moment as a patriot, and I doubt I ever will. The scene was nuts, horns honking wildly, and in rhythm, passerby high fiving strangers – from one car window to another. Traffic was stalled, but no one cared, it was a sea of good will, of shared experience, of pride in ones country, and I’ll never experience anything like it again. Last night, I had my Canadian Super Bowl – and then some!