The Olympics were EPIC in Canada! I'm writing just as the Canadian boys bring home the hardware in the Gold Medal Match against the US, and Canada delivers the best Winter Olympics performance to date, leading the Gold Medal count with 14! My mom tells me there is incredible honking in downtown Oakville and downtown Toronto is just jammed with celebrations.
I also hear that the American men and ladies show visible upset whenever they are handed a Silver medal. It's obviously the Middle Child Syndrome of the Olympics. Gold and Bronze are the best medals to get.
You know why Silver sucks? Well let's consider why the others are better. Gold is amazing for obvious reasons – you are the best in the world. Bronze puts a big grin on your face because you almost missed the podium but sneaked away and have become a part of Olympic glory. As for Silver – you're already really amazing; you are Gold medal calibre. You get Gold and Bronze by winning something, but you get Silver by losing. It's the consolidation prize, and that's why you cry when you get it.
Now that's a bit harsh, but this is the athlete's psych. Us average folk know that a Silver Olympic medal is amazing, glorious, enchanting. Yet the people who get it really are in fact Gold standard people. This may have been their only chance to reign in their world – I get it. But you know what – in the world of professional sports, you have to focus on your positives, and in front of millions of fans, show a bit of good-hearted sportsmanship and grin with success as you are honoured with the Silver Olympic Medal.
Cheers to a good Games and on with "Hysterics in the Homeland!"