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CNN Sunday Morning
U.S., Canada Face Off for Ice Hockey Gold Medal
Aired February 24, 2002 - 09:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yesterday we were a bit embarrassed, a bit red-faced you might say, when our own team of correspondents could not explain the rules of curling.
NANCY NEWMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here we go.
O'BRIEN: Phil Jones is going on and on about argy-bargy -- whatever that is -- and then we said so what is with scoring?
NEWMAN: It's rather simple.
O'BRIEN: Now, this is a person who has actually curled, quickly.
NEWMAN: It's rather simple. I'm no expert, but basically there's a bulls eye and however many rocks you have closest to the center before an opponent has one, there's a point each.
O'BRIEN: Thank you very much. Very well done.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Look how simple that was. If we just had Nancy yesterday.
O'BRIEN: The rest is just curling minutia.
NEWMAN: Oh my goodness.
PHILLIPS: Oh.
O'BRIEN: So.
NEWMAN: Welcome back from Antarctica.
PHILLIPS: Thank you very much. Nice to be back.
NEWMAN: Good to see you.
PHILLIPS: Although it's still cold sometimes here on the set.
NEWMAN: I feel it.
O'BRIEN: That's just not right.
NEWMAN: You guys.
PHILLIPS: We were talking hockey.
(CROSSTALK)
NEWMAN: That doesn't mean I'm cheering against the United States of America.
PHILLIPS: No.
NEWMAN: Absolutely not.
O'BRIEN: Of course you are.
NEWMAN: No I'm not, really I'm not. You know why? I am a fan of the fame, and I am a journalist. Should I do a little work?
O'BRIEN: Maple Leaf all the way. Anyway, go ahead. Tell us about the game.
NEWMAN: OK, here we go. Don't you believe me?
O'BRIEN: No.
NEWMAN: When arguably the most brilliant skater that has ever graced hockey ice calls this the greatest thing that has happened in the game for a long, long time, you know we're in for something special. I think we kind of figured it out anyway.
After all, this is the event that gave us the 1980 Miracle on Ice. Team Canada Executive Director Wayne Gretzky, who uttered those words, leads the country for which hockey is home. Home ice advantage, though, belonging to the U.S.A.
Head-to-head the dream match up for stakes higher than most of these NHL players will ever compete for, despite Russian cries that the fix was on. For four years these two nations have endured relentless criticism for going medal-less in Nagano.
Friday, the Americans did their part, downing Russia 3-2 on the expansive international-rules ice. Meanwhile, Canada advancing after driving a 7-1 surge versus Belarus. Canadian Billy Martin Brodeur lives just minutes away from U.S. counterpart Mike Richter in New York.
Teammates for the Red Wings, Chelios and Hull for the Red, White and Blue, Yzerman and Shanahan for the red roots and maple leaf. North America is stoked.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL GEURIN: It's because it's two North American teams. I don't think it's going to change.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) EREIC LINDROS, TEAM CANADA CENTER: I didn't know if it was Canada-U.S. I was just hoping that it was Canada and we were certainly there. But we found our way into it, and we're playing better and it's going to be a good game.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN SMYTH, TEAM CANADA FORWARD: We just want to go out there and play our game and we don't want to put any pressure on ourselves. Obviously, it's in the United States here and there's a little more pressure on them, but for the most part, we just want to go out and put in a good effort, and you know, it's do or die.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWMAN: The U.S. team has been the best team from the get-go in these Olympics, while Team Canada seems to just be hitting their stride at the right time. And, Kyra and Miles, I will say this too in reference to what we talked about just before we went into that, in Canada it's a different thing. Hockey is almost a way in which we identify them.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
NEWMAN: So.
PHILLIPS: Like Green Bay and the Packers.
NEWMAN: You got that right. Very good analogy.
O'BRIEN: So you got to explain to me then, as a citizen of the Great White North, why has it been 50 years. That is a hard luck story. That's like being a Red Sox fan.
NEWMAN: It is. It's an outcry up north. That's a good analogy too. People are upset. They say, we're old. We're old. Mario Lemieux is 36 years old and he's leading the squad, and where is the future. Eric Lindros was supposed to leave. We've got Paul Kriya (ph), Michael Peca. It's a good solid team, but where are the superstars of 10 years ago.
O'BRIEN: And the truth of the matter is, the U.S. Hockey programs in the youth levels.
NEWMAN: Outstanding.
O'BRIEN: Finally have gotten to the point where there's some more parity, right?
NEWMAN: You know why? I believe a direct result from the 1980 Miracle on Ice.
O'BRIEN: There you go.
NEWMAN: Just fueled an interest in hockey in the United States and it came to fruition today. Isn't it a beautiful thing?
O'BRIEN: It's a beautiful thing.
NEWMAN: The U.S. team looks spectacular. It really does.
O'BRIEN: Yes, but we know who you'll be rooting for.
NEWMAN: You guys.
O'BRIEN: All right, Nancy Newman.
NEWMAN: So good to see you.
PHILLIPS: Good to see you too. The team is back.
O'BRIEN: Yes. Hockey facts, sports facts from A to Zed from Nancy Newman.
NEWMAN: Thank you.
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