Saturday, February 9, 2002
US women's team has four-letter word for media
By CHRIS STEVENSON -- SLAM! Sports
SALT LAKE CITY - Ben Smith has a four-letter word for anybody who asks about his USA women's hockey team being the overwhelming favourites for the gold medal.
"P-A-T-S," is what he says.
The reference, of course, is to the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots who were 14-point underdogs against the St. Louis Rams and pulled out their first-ever Super Bowl victory.
"Pats, Pats, Pats," he said. "Way to go media."
The message: heavy favourites are media creations and anybody can be beaten.
Just not the Americans in the last few months, which is why they are being cast in the team-to-beat role.
They are 31-0 in their pre-Olympic tour, including eight straight wins over Team Canada.
Smith is not putting too much stock in the Americans' record during their tour.
"It's not like we were playing the Central Red Army every night," he said.
"There were a couple of cupcakes on that tour.
"It's like the dog jumping over the refrigerator on (David) Letterman. That's an exhibition, not a competition."
USA star Cammie Granato, a member of the 1998 gold-medal winning team, which beat Canada in the final, said they don't look at themselves as huge favourites.
They must be the only ones.
"The media is really playing up the fact we're the Olympic favourites," she said. "We're not thinking like that. We've lost seven world championships in a row. Every year the other countries have been getting better. We know how close our games with Canada have been. They know how to turn it on in a big game, if that's what it comes down to."
The Americans can count on two goalies - Sara DeCosta and Sarah Tueting - who are about as good as there are in the women's game and great depth through the blue line and forward positions. Smith said he will continue to rotate the two goaltenders until either injury or dominant play separates them.
"We've got an outstanding team," said Smith. "We've got balance from the goal out. We've got two goalies who have been with us for four or five years and have been through the pressure of Olympic-type hockey in Nagano. On defence, we've got eight players who can take a regular shift if they are forced to and four forward lines who can attack. Balance is the key to what we are trying to accomplish here.
"We've still got a couple of days to put a couple of coats of polyurethene on it."
2002 Games Women's Hockey Coverage
