On Wednesday, Canadian media made a striking comparison of the U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team to “monkeys” in a “zoo.” This followed their attendance at the State of the Union address after a meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House.
The athletes showed up on Tuesday wearing “USA” sweaters and proudly displaying their new gold medals. This victory against Canada in overtime marked the end of a 46-year drought for men’s hockey since the famous 1980 Miracle on Ice.
When the players entered the venue, they received a warm bipartisan standing ovation, but Cathal Kelly, an opinion writer for Globe and Mail, critiqued their decision to attend. “This was a zoo. They were monkeys,” he commented in a Wednesday article.
Kelly expressed his disappointment, saying they were nothing more than “star props” and lamented, “I got nothing but sadness.” He also implied that he would be surprised if most players had read anything beyond the Harry Potter series.
He wasn’t shy about criticizing their choice of sweaters either, calling them reminiscent of an “early middle-aged glee club” with a “sycophantic” vibe. “It’s not very Michael Jordan-like to go out in public dressed like an early middle-aged glee club member,” Kelly noted.
Trump had extended invitations to both the men’s and women’s teams for the White House and State of the Union event. However, the women’s team turned down the invite due to scheduling conflicts.
The men’s team has experienced considerable backlash online following their visit. Some members were photographed with White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt, and while posing, they donned red and white caps, with a few even wearing “Make America Great Again” hats.
Kelly suggested that such political associations shouldn’t surprise anyone, remarking that the players were raised to be more group-oriented rather than independent thinkers. He implied that their response to Trump’s presence was instinctual, saying, “When a new alpha, like the current president, wanders into their midst, they instinctively roll over.”
He believed they should have kept a neutral stance, especially since many of the players compete alongside Canadians in the National Hockey League. “Their big idea was to lean hard to red, white and blue. Instead of sticking to Canada, they would stick to the Liberal Party,” he claimed.
Interestingly, while Kelly critiques the political slant, he also insinuates that the players aren’t motivated by politics at all, asserting, “If America elected a communist, they would join his party, too.”
