Waddell choked back tears as he tried to explain why the team he built was bounced out of the games with just one win and no medals.
"We came here with higher expectations, and it's disappointing. But you have to move on," the Atlanta Thrashers general manager said.
This guy was one of the leaders of the USA hockey team. The General Manager. One of the doofusesseses responsible for putting together that scraggly collection of has-beens and never-weres that were Team USA and he's crying?
Is there any wonder why they didn't win?
There are damn few times when a man is allowed to cry.
In the movie "We Were Soldiers" Mel Gibson (playing Col. Harold Moore) cries at the end of the battle because his men died and he didn't. Allowed.
When the Elder took a slapshot with a frozen tennis ball from that wicked Northland stick he had held over the stove for an illegal curve that hit me where I live after I had just said "Wait a minute" and wasn't looking. Allowed.
When you put together a golden rolodex group of old whiners who can't score, then proceed to post a 1-4-1 record at the Olympics. Not allowed.
UPDATE: I guess the game wasn't a TOTAL loss:
United States penalties throughout the third period -including a 4-minute, high-sticking call against Derian Hatcher, who knocked out two of Teemu Selanne's teeth and bloodied his mouth--cut off any chance of a comeback.
After watching Selanne whine to the refs in the game against Canada, he had that coming. See, I can find the silver lining in anything! That's why people love my positive, upbeat attitude and utter lack of cynicism.
THE ELDER ADDS: Actually I believe that it was a wrister (and a twisted one at that) that got JB's attention on that cold winter day. God I loved that magical wooden Northland with the metallic blue stripe down the side and the ridiculous heat-induced curve. Backhands were a little tough, but on the forehand that baby was a lethal weapon. The laughter(mine) and tears(JB's) of all those years. Good times. Good times.
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