One of the best ways to celebrate the greatness of a sport is by profiling it at the grass roots level and showcasing those who are the strongest representatives of the sport...everyday men and women and boys and girls for whom the game will always be just that...a game.
On Saturday, the CBC will train their cameras on the small town of Campbellton, New Brunswick on an inlet of Tracadish Bay to celebrate the simplicity of an event which amounts to be nothing more than child's play...the game of hockey.
For one day a year in Canada, a small town is featured to be shown in the context of a sport that is more than sport. It is an agent of community unity. A focal point of local pride. Campbellton will be putting its best foot forward this Saturday to display its love for an activity well-ensconced in the toy box of life.
And that is what will make the 13 1/2 hour celebration of the game on frozen pond such great television. It will feature ordinary folks doing their best to extend the legacy of hockey, a game of universal appeal that only has the strength it has from the thousands of communities across the globe like Campbellton, New Brunswick.
For those who have had enough of the drama of sports...the steroid scandals in baseball...will Brett Favre ever retire?...where will T.O. play next?...Hockey Day In Canada puts the game of hockey on stage for all to see in its simplest form of the community ice rink that is ubiquitous in villages, towns and cities all over the world. It's a program enveloped in the trio of games played by those who have made the simple sport a way to make a living at its highest offered level.
For those who have access to NHL Network, the programming from the CBC will begin at noon on Saturday. The first three hours will focus on Campbellton and there will be more features in between the play of the NHL games being shown that day.
Give Hockey Day In Canada a look on Saturday. It's one of the best showcases on all of television of the basic goodness and goodwill of sports.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
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