“Russia can’t seem to win Gold” article by Terrence Doyle

[Sensinitis]

Putin’s Russia Just Can’t Seem To Win Olympic Hockey Gold

Thoughts on this piece? Is it as useless and ridiculous of an article as I perceive it to be?

Click to read more...

 

[JackSlater]

Putin’s Russia Just Can’t Seem To Win Olympic Hockey Gold

Thoughts on this piece? Is it as useless and ridiculous of an article as I perceive it to be?

Yeah, it is.

 

[Baxterman]

I don't know if it is ridiculous, pointless maybe because I think it basically just points out that Russia hasn't won gold. There really isn't any insight or reasoning into why it basically just points out that they haven't won gold and Canada/Sweden have.

 

[Barrie22]

So the only reason he says this isn't the year is because it goes down as olympic athletes from russia. Not just russia.

I don't believe russia should have even the olympic athletes from russia tag line in the 1st place but that is another arguement for another day.

But since they are allowed to participate in the olympics this is still 100% russia. The name does not change that.

 

[Hanji]

The last paragraph is a dead giveaway of the author's intentions. What's with all the Russia hate everywhere? Yea ok they have the best chance for gold but for that reason it's been open season on them.

 

[Super Hans]

Nate Silver really needs to get over being wrong about 2016.

 

[Fantomas]

I replied to "Russia hate" going back that far, then I narrowed it down to "a half century of cheating Olympic amateurism rules." See where I said "keeping it on the ice" ? I didn't mention 1890 and hockey together.

Well what else happened in 1890 then, aside from the Olympics? That's an awfully long span for cheating. Maybe you can break this down for us. Should we blame Alexander III for jump-starting a cheating legacy? I would love to hear more.

Furthermore are you willing to drag Czechs, Finns and Swedes into your assertion of a cheating conspiracy? They had some decent fellas competing at Olympic hockey as well, the last time I checked. You may have heard of Sven Tumba and Ivan Hlinka. Was Russia a unique offender and if so then how and why?

 

[Fantomas]

Back to the OP/article: it's easy to explain the lack of post-Soviet Olympic hockey success: the Soviet Olympic hockey success was achieved under the false pretense of amateurism.

Or maybe... I dunno, it had something to do with the economic breakdown that happened when the Soviet Union fell apart, which ravaged not only Russia's hockey system but also that of its former republics? But that's just history, who needs it.

 

[Xokkeu]

I didn’t read it but you know who else hasn’t won gold since Putin became leader of Russia? Everybody except Canada and Sweden. Russia has like what. Four IIHF titles since he became president? Dumb click bait

 

[Garl]

It's bizarre that anyone would need to ask that. Pick a random year any time between about 1890 and the present and there are a dozen reasons. Keeping it on the ice, every one of Russia's Olympic golds is a product of a half century of cheating, flaunting Olympic amateurism rules by pretending Valeri Kharlamov and Sergei Makarov and Boris Mikhailov were army officers or factory workers or whatever. The latest doping scandal is just par for the course from Moscow.

What's your beef with Alexander III?

about cheating, just following your logic, 1988 and 1992 Golds are also product of cheating?

Latest doping scandal has no relation to hockey.

 

[Hanji]

Speaking of Olympic amateur status, anyone know how the Finns and Swedes circumvented that rule? Just like the Soviets, their teams were comprised of players from their respective elite leagues.

 

[Albatros]

Speaking of Olympic amateur status, anyone know how the Finns and Swedes circumvented that rule? Just like the Soviets, their teams were comprised of players from their respective elite leagues.

It was just about the NHL, even WHA players were technically eligible.

 

[Fantomas]

The article is also completely wrong about fairly basic history. For example this portion...

Remember, the Soviet and Unified teams only ever beat groups of amateurs

... if factually incorrect. Sure, Soviet teams never competed against professionals in the Olympics, but professionals never played in the Olympics. So that's a moot point.

But they beat professionals from North America in three non Olympic exhibition tournaments (the 1974 Summit Series, the 1979 Challenge Cup and the 1981 Canada Cup).

The Soviets also won numerous World Championships in which North American professionals participated, most notably the 1982 World Championships against a rather deep Wayne Gretzky-led team Canada.