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• The Canada/U.S. hockey game was everything I hoped it would be.  Like the U.S.A. "Dream Team" in basketball, "there are no points for second place" for Canada, but they're struggling under the all too intense lights.  Goalies are hockey's great equalizer.  From the moment the puck was dropped, you could see that Ryan Miller was focused and sharp, while Martin Brodeur was a nervous circus.  It was just a great sporting event and...all together now...LIVE!!!!
• In 1980, Russia outshot the U.S. 39 to 16.  Yesterday, Canada put 45 shots on Ryan Miller, while the U.S. made their 23 shots count.  Somebody needs to invite Jim Craig to the medal round if Miller is going to keep up the impression.
• Thank you Doc Emrick.  You constantly remind me why I chose play-by-play as a profession.  He matched the game's intensity from start to finish. 
• No Olympic recap would be complete without a little jab at NBC.  I can see men's and women's curling in HD, but they can't broadcast the biggest hockey game in high-definition.  Strange...
• They should play the 2014 Gold Medal game outdoors.
• Good for Bode Miller.  He did it his way and ignored the haters.  And, despite silencing his critics, he has not once played the "everybody was against me" card.  He's like a different person in Vancouver.  He's humble, yet wise.  Impressive...
• Ice dancing is embarrassing.  We don't give out gold medals for golf, baseball or rugby, but you can dance around the ice playing cowboys and indians and collect the most valued trophy in all of sports.
• New verb: Schustered.  As in, I should not have gone with the lobster ravioli at Applebee's, I really Shustered that decision.  Or, I have one stone to play and all I need to do is put it near the center to win, I hope I don't Shuster it.  How many times does the U.S. need to lose before they stop letting us curl? 
• In another part of the world, the U.S. World Cup chances are looking brighter by the day.  Since Landon Donovan arrived at Everton, the club has been the best team in the EPL, which includes wins over Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City.  And, the American star has everything to do with it.  He tormented my Red Devils Saturday.  They could not handle his pace and he made the right pass every time he was on the ball.  If he carries this confidence into South Africa, the U.S. will give England and the rest of their group fits. 
• As for Donovan, he is still expected to return to the L.A. Galaxy when the MLS season begins in April.  How do you go from beating Chelsea and Manchester United (two of the four best teams in the world) to trying to beat the Houston Dynamo or Columbus Crew?  The MLS could get a nice transfer price for their star, but is it worth more than keeping Donovan in the league?
• Between his wife's cancer and his rival's self-destruction, Phil Mickelson does not seem to care anymore.  Without its two biggest names, golf is all but off the map.  The final four of the match play tourney this past weekend featured two Brits, a Spaniard and a Colombian.  The U.S. is left with Steve Stricker and Stewart Cink carrying the flag.  Nice guys, good players, but the tour might be headed for tennis coverage at this rate.  Meaning, the majors get network spots, but the tour events are relegated to the Golf Channel and other cable outlets.
• Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse and Villanova have stood above the rest for most of the college basketball season.  While it goes against my "guard play is king" argument, Nova looks like the weakest link.  They are all too similar to the #1 seeded 2006 squad that fell to Florida in the Elite Eight.  On that day, Joakim Noah and Al Horford showed the guard-heavy Cats what NBA size looked like.  Last year, Villanova made a surprising run to the Final Four with big man Dante Cunningham leading the way inside.  Now, they're too reliant on the perimeter and need to set tempo to beat good teams, which they could not do in a grind-it-out loss to Pitt yesterday.
• Kentucky is not a great team.  They are immature, especially DeMarcus Cousins, and they don't bury weaker opponents.  However, you MUST bury them because John Wall has the innate ability to ignore 35 average minutes and win the game with a spectacular final five.  The kid makes play after play down the stretch.  He is the best closer in the college game this season.
• FYI, Kansas State and New Mexico are AP top 10 teams.  With only two weeks to go, it's time to start doing some research on the unusual suspects.
• Tim Tebow is aborting his throwing motion and gripping the ball differently now.
• The NCAA is expected to wait two months before sentencing USC, which means Seantrel Henderson's April 1st letter-of-intent deadline will come before the NCAA renders their verdict publicly.  Delaying was a good thought, but unless he wants to push it past the LOI deadline, which would be an unprecedented move for a big-time prospect (as far as I know), he'll have to go with his 300 lb. gut.

Don't invite snowboarders to the olympics if you don't want to see these pictures.