Sidney Crosby slays the American Beast

It felt like a dream. And what a sweet, sweet dream it was.

17 days of Olympic bliss were capped off by a hockey game for the ages, in which America's dreams of gold were dashed by a Sidney Crosby wrister at 7:40 into overtime. Crosby was the gladiator. Ryan Miller was the tiger (or a dead Russell Crowe).

To be honest, I didn't watch the game very closely. I was too busy riding the wave of emotion that carried every other Canadian across the country, and apart from taking a brief respite to heckle Patrice Bergeron, I just wanted to win...badly.

You know that Sunday's game was a nail biter when your 87-year-old grandma had to take a walk to cool her nerves after Parise tied it up 2-2. You know it's even worse when friends text you to tell you they're crying from heartbreak. And you know it's a moment you'll never forget when friends you haven't talked to in months reach out to you, as you all share in the joy of Canada's record breaking 14th gold.

My friend and I ventured out into the streets of Vancouver an hour after the game finished, and fans were going celebrating like I've never seen before. We took the #16 bus across Broadway (the driver refused to cross the bridge downtown), and I experienced my very first spontaneous 'O Canada' cheer - it went a little something like this...

Poetry, no?

Downtown was even more chaotic, more dizzying. Big signs with Luongo's face and the words "NOT IN MY HOUSE/NOT ON MY LAND" were being bandied about. A man in nothing but spandex underwear danced in the streets. Huge Canadian flags were whipping in the wind, high above our heads. I couldn't express how proud I was of this city.

Also, can I get a "WHATWHAT" for my boy Sidney? The guy knows how to step it up when it counts. With The Goal, as it should now be called (peace Ovechkin), he cemented his legacy in Canadian hockey history forever, and he's only 22. He makes me motivated to work harder.

Also, here's a hilarious ad I found on craigslist.com while checking prices for gold medal tickets a day before the game...(click to enlarge)

That's all the Olympic "coverage" for now (and what extensive coverage I did). NHL, you better exist in Sochi 2014, OR ELSE.

[Image courtesy of Puck Daddy]