Canadian Content

My only issue is that Nash has openly said that he did not want to participate this summer. His reasons, crappy or not, should be irrelevant. The point had been made by him and I think very clear. How are people looking to blame him after his intentions are made clear from the beginning?

I have no problem with the criticism but the nature of it annoys me. Because someone is a very good surgeon, it doesn’t mean that he indebted to perform every surgery that he specializes in. He doesn’t want to play, so be it. Move on and get at those who say they will but don’t play – that’s all I’m saying.

Him being a Canadian basketball player might move him to play but he shouldn’t be guilted into playing simply because he’s got a Canadian passport. There are other players that could have filled roles that weren’t even invited to the workouts. Could they have made the team, maybe, but the added competition would have been better for the team (I would think).

That’s all my beef. I don’t think anyone should be any harder on Nash than any other players but simply because he’s who he is.

Buffery and Gallagher are writers who specialize in doing hatchet jobs on whoever provides them with a convenient target. We are not exactly talking about Ernest Hemingway and James Joyce here. Defend them if you like, but personally I think you have more right to criticize Nash than they do. At least you are a fan with some emotional investment in the team’s success (citizen, patriot or whatever else you like). Those guys are just talking sh*t to get page views.

No other player on team Canada would be taking the same degree of risk. The rest of the team are all younger (ie. less injury prone, faster recovery, more years left in their career).

For what it’s worth, here is another person’s take on the situation:

http://nba-point-forward.si.com/2011/09/09/nash-doesnt-owe-team-canada-anything/?sct=nba_t11_a0

I don’t remember Wennington but Fox I do. It would still be back to my point though. Those teams were successful and they made it to the elite events (meaning the the Olympics). They outcry I don’t think would be at the level that Nash has received since we’re missing the Games again as a country. I think the outcry would be far less if we did qualify which is to my point – the media only bothers to make a bigger stink if the failure is large. Minor successes require none or little talking because they made it in spite of people missing like the making the Worlds.