I wanted to see the Canadian basketball team qualify for the London 2012 Olympics like every other Canadian Olympic fan or Canadian basketball fan.
As I watched the dying seconds of their loss to Panama, my heart went out to the team. Winning that game did not mean that they were going to the Olympics there was still a long road ahead. The loss meant that the dream was over. At the time, a lot of thoughts went through my head but the last thing I thought of was blaming Steve Nash.
I was shocked to read Steve Buffery's article entitled Thanks a Lot, Nash! I chalked it up to a sports writer who didn't do proper research, preferring to check Steve Nash's tweets in the last couple of months instead of checking Steve Nash's history. I also imagined he was just looking for a reaction. I wasn't going to give him one.
This morning, I saw an article written by Michael Grange for Sportsnet entitled Same Old Story also blaming Steve Nash along with other NBA players by declaring "Until our players truly want to play for Canada, the basketball program will continue to suffer."
I couldn't keep quiet when another sports writer was pointing the finger at Steve Nash.
Twelve teams qualify for the Olympics, we are ranked twenty third. We lost to #28 ranked Panama. Are these sport writers suggesting that Canada should upset higher ranked teams, but no one should upset Canada?
The writers I imagine are assuming that our ranking wouldn't be #23 if Steve Nash was playing. I won't argue that point, but in 2003 Steve Nash played for Team Canada and they failed to qualify for the 2004 Olympics.
Having Steve on the team is not an automatic berth to the Olympics.
Buffery says that a hockey player would be vilified for not playing for Canada and so thinks we should vilify Steve Nash. This is like comparing apples to oranges. Canadian hockey players don't have to qualify for the Olympics. Their standing at the World Championships automatically qualifies them. The Olympics are held during the NHL season. The hockey players don't give up their summers to represent their country.
When Steve helped Team Canada achieve "Mission Impossible" to qualify for the 2000 Olympics, they upset much higher ranked teams. By winning their group at the Olympics, they upset even better teams. Being ranked higher in the quarter finals, they lost. Yesterday, Canada was ranked higher on paper, but lost on the court. This is what sport is about.
After the 2000 Olympics, Steve Nash said "Hopefully kids [in Canada] will be inspired to play. That's what I really hope."
This was more than 10 years ago. Where are those kids now? Where are the sports programs and sponsorships to help those kids become the next Steve Nash? The flame has passed. Steve Nash is 37 years old and the 6th oldest active NBA player. He's not the one we should look at to get us to the Olympics Games. He's been there, done that! And did us proud!
He has often talked about the toll playing at the highest level has on his body, especially with the style of play that he and his team play. He understands his body and knows its limits. He chose to allow his body to recover in between NBA seasons. Perhaps if he was a hockey player, he would still be representing his country. He's not.
Steve Nash has made Canada proud. He spent 10 of 12 summers playing for Canada between 1991 and 2003. He helped us qualify for the 2000 Olympics. He got Canada excited about basketball. He lit the Olympic cauldron at the 2010 Olympics. That is the thanks he deserves; not those articles.
Sports writers, feel free to point your finger here or there to explain why Canada's basketball team failed to qualify for the 2012 Olympics, but don't point it at Steve Nash!
I was a Nash fan...but have slowly come to the realization that he's only a "careful" self-promoter.
ReplyDeleteHe's a big soccer nut...but yet, he didn't even mention how important it was for Canadians to get out and supporter the National Team as they go through World Cup Qualifying.
Why?
Thank you for commenting and good question. I'll first ask back, who isn't a self-promoter? We promote and write about things we care about (me included). I will give him the benefit of the doubt that perhaps the majority of his followers (American and west-coast people) wouldn't care? or perhaps although a soccer nut, he doesn't follow ALL soccer so didn't know? (he follows Vancouver, Barcelona and Tottenham if I remember correctly). There were no Vancouver Whitecaps players (of which he's part owner) on the Canadian team when they played St. Lucia (I was there). You're right if I can elaborate on your point that if one of his players was involved, he would have promoted it.
ReplyDeleteAs a side note, Vancouver have 2 Canadian players on their roster. Toronto FC have 10. I was surprised to see that!
I'd be interested to know how many people outside Toronto even realized Canada is playing for WC qualifying. Even with my Toronto friends, they thought I went to see Toronto FC play. At least I was happy to see more Canadian fans than visiting fans, which is not always the case for our Toronto team. Now that's sad!