Zurich Citizens News, 1972-10-05, Page 15THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1972
■ 1 rom my 1Ui11 dow
ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS
PAGE 15
•
Aren't you glad this week
you're a Canadian? Don't you
wish everybody was?
Wasn't that just the greatest
three periods of hockey you
ever saw in your lives last Thurs•
day when the Canadians took
the Russians in the last couple
of minutes of play? Didn't you
feel just a little bit safer when
you went to sleep that night?
You know what I mean, It
seems that lately, the Russians
are supreme at everything. In
the Olympics, it was Russia
this and Russia that. In the
space race, it is Russia you have
to beat. In the arms race, Rus-
sia is a kind of unknown quant-
ity. In people services ( now
don't give me any argument on
this) Russia leads the way with
things -to -think- about.
It just made me sick to think
that Russia could wipe the ice
with our hockey players. And
that's the way it appeared in
those first few games here in
Canada. Our boys looked whip-
ped and exhausted beside the
top -conditioned Russian squad.
Heavens, I thought. They even
play our national game better
than we do!
When I watched those Russians
racing back and forth over the
ice surface, I thought about all
the good, solid nutrition it took
to keep them that way. No
french fries and hotdogs like
our fellows. Probably raw fish
and rare beef with plenty of
cabbage to make it slip down!
Vodka? Maybe a little, but I
fancied I could see the Russian
team drinking goat's milk and
yogurt for a midnight snack.
You don't get to be he-men
like that on orange ade and
cookies.
And then there was Phil Esp-
osito's speech after the fourth
game in Canada. Boy, did I
feel like a roster. I was one of
those fans (well, not really an
avid fan) who expected more
from our NHL stars than they'd
produced. I had hoped we'd
teach the Soviets a thing or two
Saucy sixteen
prepare food
(by Elaine Gingerich)
Our second meeting was held
at the home of Mrs, Linda
Hendrick, We were taught the
proper way of preparing and
serving food for patio parties,
barbecues and picnics.
After our discussion three
girls demonstrated to us how to
prepare garlic bread, Our proj-
ect for the evening was, making
kabobs and so we each dressed
and decorated our own and later
enjoyed them.
BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER
while they were in our country,
and as it turned out, they
taught us not to be so all -fired
smug and to get down to basics -
like diet, exercise, fresh air
and hard work.
And Phil told it like it was.
He said he and the boys were
doing the best they could and
if that wasn't good enough for
the fans, then tough toe -nails
to them! (I nearly crawled
under the sofa cushion in shame!
So we went to Russia, more
determined than ever to win.
I think maybe Phil and the
boys said, "Let's show those
faithless fans in Canada what
we can do. Let's make them
eat crow. It will look good on
them."
By the fourth game on the
Russian ice, we had tied up the
series. As the hockey comment-
ator said, it wasn't a series any
more. It was a sudden -death
contest to see who was best.
For the first time, I began
to see a glimmer of hope for
the Canadian boys. The Russians
may be tough. They may be
strong. They may be condition-
ed. They may know how to
shoot and to pass and to sink
that puck into the net, But by
golly, they haven't had as
much practice as our fellows at
producing under pressure, and
they may just weaken a little --
enough to give Team Canada
the edge,
I don't know whether the
Russians weakened or not. It
didn;tlook like it to rne, al-
though they looked more tuck-
ered than I'd seen them before.
But there was a difference in
attitude. You could feel it in
our livingroom, thousands of
miles away from where the act-
ion was. Our boys were alive
and fighting for something real
and precious. The Russians
performed like robots, prog-
rammed to shoot and to pass but
denied the pleasure of truly
getting into the game with heart
and soul.
Our team was electrified. The
Soviets were simply reacting to
a situation.
When Paul Henderson tipped
that puck into the Russian goal
late in the third period, I
thought I'd die. Big tears welled
up in my eyes because I knew
those Canadian hockey players
were giving this country some-
thing more important than a win,
In that last period of hockey,
Team Canada pulled the nation
together unlike any hi -lingual,
bi-cultural scheme could ever
do,
In that few moments, I real-
ized that Canada isn't just a
country abutting the USA. It
isn't just another nation in a
world of many nations. No,
gosh darn it, I thought, Canada
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is MY country and those team
members are MY countrymen
and those fans standing there in
that Moscow arena singing 0
Canada are expressing MY
sentiments. And what's more,
for one time the Russians are
going to know about US --and.
respect US. How about that?
Charlie Thomas is a 44 year old Grey Township farmer. Charlie and his
wife Mary have a family of 3, Bob 19, David 18, and Dianne 15.
Member of Brussels Branch of Royal Canadian Legion
Past President of Brussels Lions Club
Member of Brussels United Church
Member of many farm organizations
Reeve of Grey Township
Served on Regional Development Council for 8 years
Past Chairman of Huron Planning Board
Member of Tax Review Committee and Social Services Committee of Huron
County Council
-or a non of action
Voto Thomas