It will be Sweden vs Canada in the Olympic hockey gold medal game on Sunday.
Both teams won low scoring semi-final games to advance to the finals and assure themselves of at least a silver medal.
Sweden won (2-1) vs Finland. Next, Canada won (1-0) vs the United States.
Finland and the United States, who met in the gold medal game won by the United States in Lake Placid, New York in 1980, will clash for the bronze medal on Sunday.
Canada also won a one goal game from the United States to take the gold medal in women’s hockey.
In the gold medal game, Marie Philip-Poulin scored in the last minute of regulation time to tie the game and then scored the gold medal winning goal in overtime.
The victory gave Canada its fourth straight gold medal in women’s hockey.
Baseball spring training is upon us and as the saying goes everyone starts even.
That means even the Chicago Cubs, sans a World Title for 105 years and a pennant for 68 get a fresh start.
The great Ernie Banks who played for the Cubs from (1953-1971) epitomizes the great spirit that baseball can produce. On a beautiful day, he will say “let’s play two.”
He was a great player, first as a shortstop and then played first base. He never got into a post season game but hit over 500 home runs. He is a deserving member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
When I saw him years back, I remember he and the great Curt Flood joking around. He kidded Flood as ballplayers do but quickly asked if I knew of Curt’s courage and contribution in challenging the baseball reserve clause.
I did know and he went back to kidding Mr. Flood. Ernie’s great spirit and gregarious nature often echoes his “let’s play two” philosophy.
That goes for baseball or kidding a respected friend, baseball opponent and great contributor like Curt Flood.
Finland dispatched of Russia by winning (3-1) in their quarterfinal game.
It was not that big an upset, as Finland was less than a two to one underdog in the game. Also it was one game and a hockey game at that.
However, I was clearly wrong as Finland eliminated Russia in the quarterfinals of Olympic hockey in Russia. I thought Russia would at least make the finals.
Sweden now appears to have a favorable path to the Olympic Hockey Finals.
The semi finals are set as Sweden will face Finland, while Canada will meet the United States. The latter is a rematch of the last Olympic hockey final, which was won by Canada on an overtime goal by Sidney Crosby.
Sweden
Matthew McConaughey is a prohibitive favorite to win the best actor award at this year’s Academy Awards for his role in “Dallas Buyers Club.”
I watched “Dallas Buyers Club” and thought it was an excellent movie. Likely, it will net McConaughey and Jared Leto the best actor awards at the ceremonies to be held on March 2nd.
For now, “Dallas Buyers Club,” which likely will not win the Academy Award, and both McConaughey and Leto, who likely will, all deserve critical praise. Their performances and the movie were outstanding.
Also important to me, McConaughey is turning in some outstanding work which includes roles in the film “Wolf of Wall Street” and the television series, “True Detective.”
Matthew McConaughey
Look out for Russia in the ice hockey Olympics. Not only are they an obviously talented team, but look at their draw.
No one knows what will happen and they do have to win an extra or qualifying game just to make the quarterfinals, but they avoid playing either Canada or the United States teams until the final.
The team from Sweden is unbeaten and on Russia’s side of the draw but I do not like their intangibles. In fact, I will predict that Russia at least makes, if not wins, the hockey event.
Right now I “sign” for Sweden or better yet Norway, winning the title, but the Russia loss to the United States and their favorable bracket almost makes them a favorite in my mind.
The team from Canada is a pretty big favorite at this point. Interesting games should follow.
I always try to see the credits after movies and many times it pays off with some good information.
Such was the case after “Field of Dreams” aired on TCM yesterday.
The credits revealed that the assistant baseball advisor/coach on the movie was former major league player, Don Buford. Good memories come to mind.
Don is best known as the leadoff hitter on some great Baltimore Orioles’ teams. The O’s won three consecutive pennants and one World Series from (1969-1971).
He lead off the bottom of the first inning in game one of the 1969 World series with a home run.
His former Chicago White Sox teammate, Tommie Agee did the same in game three playing for the New York Mets.
Another former White Sox teammate and 1969 Mets player, Al Weis hit the tying home run in game five.
The Olympics are not for me even if the United States won a non medal round game from Russia in ice hockey.
So instead, more thoughts on football and they are about the Seattle Seahawks.
They were a 1976 expansion team. One of their few outstanding players in their earlier days was Steve Largent. He later became a member of The United States House of Representatives.
Their first coach was Jack Patera now 80 years old. This year’s Seahawks were among the all time great defensive teams. Patera coached the defensive line at Los Angeles with the Rams. It was an all time great unit known as “The Fearsome Foursome.”
Want Olympics? Jack’s younger brother is Ken Patera, now 70 years old, a former Olympics weightlifter and professional wrestler.
Jack Patera
Ken Patera
“Dinner with Friends,” now playing at Laura Pels Theatre (111 West 46th Street), is an extremely well written play by Donald Margulies that explores marriage and friendship in a humorous but forthright, revealing way.
Another measure of the writing in “Dinner With Friends” is that it is a Pulitzer Prize winning play.
The cast of four were all excellent, each one displaying well timed humor and some entry into their character’s inner feelings.
“Gabe,” played by Jeremy Shamos is married to “Karen,” who is played by Marin Hinkle. The latter is best known to television audiences as “Judith” on “Two and a Half Men.”
They are the staple couple, even providing great food at their gatherings with “Tom” played by Darren Pettie and “Beth” played by Heather Burns.
An announcement by Burns’ “Beth” sets the story in motion and takes the audience on a meaningful journey into the vicissitudes of relationships; in this case marriages and friendships.
Jeremy Shamos and Marin Hinkle in “Dinner With Friends”
I truly get involved with the NHL playoffs. There will be many posts as 16 playoff participants will battle for the Stanley Cup.
Regular season hockey, due to the fact 16 teams make the playoffs, does little for me, save going to an occasional game.
With the NHL on an Olympics break, only one team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, has a big lead in its division. They are 16 points ahead.
Both the Anaheim Ducks and Boston Bruins, each a relatively recent Stanley Cup winner, have a 7 point lead in their division.
The other division has a tie at the top with the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks, who have won two of the last four championships, as one of the teams.
The other is the team that has gone the longest without its first NHL championship. That team is the St. Louis Blues, an NHL expansion team in 1967.
There are few NFL teams which had as great a season as the 2013 Seattle Seahawks.
First of all, the performance of their defense, especially the secondary, in this time of pass happy rules and games, was truly astounding.
Their dominance of the Denver Broncos is well documented. Earlier in the playoffs, they struggled to beat an excellent, albeit sans title, San Francisco 49ers team in the conference title game.
Seattle won fairly easily against a very good New Orleans Saints team in the divisional round.
Their regular season was impressive, a (13-3) record which included home routs of the 49ers and Saints.
All three losses were in close games. As stated in our December 10th post, the loss at S.F. showed me how good the Seahawks were.
Despite one of the great seasons, they are not the greatest team ever, not really close at this point. However, potential is there for a great run. Let’s see what transpires.
Andy B Sports 