A truly golden Plus/Minus

The training camp rosters that entertained us this summer, the team announcements that kept us talking during the holidays, the pre-Olympic predictions... all is said and done and Canada's gold medals have been handed out, to both our hockey teams and a slew of other very hardworking, deserving athletes.

PLUS
+ an awesome Salt Lake City rematch for Canada and USA's hockey teams at the gold-medal games. And again, Canada came through. (Ironically, I watched from Montreal when they won gold in Salt Lake, and I'm in the States this week to see them win in Vancouver.) I had my doubts about our men's team, but clearly I had nothing to worry about because they took care of business. And the rest of the world can say what they want about our women's team, but they're 3 for 3. I'm proud of our golden girls. I think everyone knows whose game this is.
+ Speaking of golden girls, how about our Wednesday medals in bobsleigh and speed skating? One day, four medals, nine amazing women. I couldn't be happier for Clara Hughes.
+ To setting a new gold-medal record for the Olympic Winter Games.
+ To all of the fantastic athletes who represented Canada (and the other participating countries) and gave all they could for their countries.
+ To Alexandre Bilodeau and Jenn Heil who followed the example of Clara Hughes in previous years and made significant donations to charity: $25,000 each! That's more than the grant that they received with their medals.
+ Now I'm very, very glad that CTV acquired the rights to the Hockey Night In Canada theme. The closing ceremonies' hockey segment was so cute! (And yes, a little bit off-putting with the jazz hands.)


MINUS
- to the west coast NBC affiliates who cut off the end of the closing ceremonies to premiere new reality series The Marriage Ref. Seriously? I'd rather see a performance by Nickelback and their tacky airbrushed guitar. I guess Americans will get enough of the Olympics after their already-famous medallists show up on Jay Leno.
- to the speed skater who skated over a cone (presumably not by accident) and pulled a hissy fit when he found out he'd been disqualified.
- How can there be scandal surrounding women's hockey? Instead of whining about whoever they want or threatening to cancel the event because every gold medal game comes down to Canada-USA, why doesn't the IOC do something about it?
- ETA: One reason why I'm glad the Olympics are over (other than the President's Choice Blue Menu commercials) is because of something I don't really hear from NHL commentators but that I heard an awful lot during the last two weeks was said after a player missed a shot on goal: "he didn't pull the trigger on that one." I know it's called "shooting" the puck, but taking the terminology any further is a bit disturbing and honestly quite unnecessary.


This week, we go back to normal. All there is to anticipate is the impending trade deadline (GMs have wasted no time so far) and the playoffs (which is still a big thing, I'm aware, don't worry). Countrymen will again be separated and teammates will be reunited, and superfan Mr. Canada will have to put away his posters until late spring. As for the Olympics, well, you've got four years to learn Russian and two years until settling for swimming and track.

My name is Rookie, and I'm a Canadian.