Iceland goes for first ever gold medal - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Thor · 08-23-2008, 03:55 PM

I'm so excited, 1:30am Sunday morning Iceland in Handball will go up against the dirty smelly french for gold, a first ever gold medal in Iceland's history.

Can't tell you how excited the whole nation (300,000 strong) is freakin out about the possibility.

For such a tiny nation to win a gold, this would be something special.

GO ICELAND!

DIE FRANCE!

Btw any of you up at 1:30, check out cbcsport.ca for a live feed.

foofighter15 · 08-23-2008, 04:03 PM

Lets hope for Icelands sake that Zinedine Zidan's temper runs through the french handball team as well

OBCT · 08-23-2008, 04:46 PM

Go Iceland!!

Iowa_Flames_Fan · 08-23-2008, 04:58 PM

Áfram Ísland!

They´re underdogs, but I think if they play their game--high-flying offense, physical play and just dominate the French defense with their sheer size, they have a shot. Some of these guys are absolutely huge.

Also more fantastic goal-tending won't hurt.

Hack&Lube · 08-23-2008, 04:59 PM

Locke · 08-23-2008, 05:16 PM

Iceland is a lock for this. Anyone who has ever tried has defeated the French. As long as the Icelanders show up its theirs.

GirlySports · 08-23-2008, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

Áfram Ísland!

They´re underdogs, but I think if they play their game--high-flying offense, physical play and just dominate the French defense with their sheer size, they have a shot. Some of these guys are absolutely huge.

Also more fantastic goal-tending won't hurt.

How do you goaltend in handball? I see the scores are 30-30!
I think the goalie just does jumping jacks and prays he doesn't get hit in the nads.

GO ICELAND!

Iowa_Flames_Fan · 08-23-2008, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GirlySports

How do you goaltend in handball? I see the scores are 30-30!
I think the goalie just does jumping jacks and prays he doesn't get hit in the nads.

GO ICELAND!

It's an unusual technique, that's for sure. It's a big net, and most goalies are big guys with long arms and legs.

My dad used to be a handball goalie--he could tell you more than I could, I suppose. But I think you're right that there's an element of playing percentages as well as an element of reflexes.

Thor · 08-23-2008, 07:29 PM

Just spoke with my brother a few hours ago, his entire neighbourhood is meeting at the local sports hall where they will all watch on a large screen.

I even found my Icelandic flag, just wish I had a flagpole!

Bought a few red bulls, hopefully keep me going till 4am.

Áfram Ísland!

HelloHockeyFans · 08-23-2008, 07:32 PM

Just to be different - Go France!

Iowa_Flames_Fan · 08-23-2008, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HelloHockeyFans

Just to be different - Go France!

You have made a powerful enemy today. A powerful enemy.

Iowa_Flames_Fan · 08-23-2008, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thor

Just spoke with my brother a few hours ago, his entire neighbourhood is meeting at the local sports hall where they will all watch on a large screen.

I even found my Icelandic flag, just wish I had a flagpole!

Bought a few red bulls, hopefully keep me going till 4am.

Áfram Ísland!

I have to admit to being a little more of a lightweight--there is absolutely no way I can stay up late enough to watch this. Maybe if I go to bed now and get up early....

Ah, who'm I kidding? I'm an old man--no way I can stay up to watch a game that starts at 3:30 my time.

Thor · 08-23-2008, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

I have to admit to being a little more of a lightweight--there is absolutely no way I can stay up late enough to watch this. Maybe if I go to bed now and get up early....

Ah, who'm I kidding? I'm an old man--no way I can stay up to watch a game that starts at 3:30 my time.

lol, yeah its gonna be tough, but this is a once in a lifetime thing for Iceland you'd think.

Take a nap now!

I'm trying to find an alternate feed just in case the CBC online one fails.

So if anyone knows of one, let me know.

Iowa_Flames_Fan · 08-23-2008, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thor

lol, yeah its gonna be tough, but this is a once in a lifetime thing for Iceland you'd think.

Take a nap now!

I'm trying to find an alternate feed just in case the CBC online one fails.

So if anyone knows of one, let me know.

As a test, I just watched the relegation match between Denmark and South Korea on NBCOlympics.com. Worked well enough.

Denmark absolutely wrecked the South Koreans.

But yeah, I may have to stay up for it. I was on the phone with my mother-in-law, and I explained that "Iceland has a chance at their first gold medal to-morrow morning."

She said: "They don't have a gold in this Olympics yet?"

I hesitated before saying "No. Their first gold medal.... ever. In any Olympic event. In history."

So yeah--I should probably try to stay up...

Displaced Flames fan · 08-23-2008, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

I hesitated before saying "No. Their first gold medal.... ever. In any Olympic event. In history."

So yeah--I should probably try to stay up...

Are we talking just Summer games or are they 'goldless' in the Winter games too?

It must be something to be so closely connected with your heritage. 3/4 of my family tree has been in North America for 300+ years. The other 1/4 came over in the late 19th century from Russia, but they were Germans. I didn't really know much about them 'til recently. So I've always kind of been just a generic American.

I envy you guys.

Iowa_Flames_Fan · 08-23-2008, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

Are we talking just Summer games or are they 'goldless' in the Winter games too?

It must be something to be so closely connected with your heritage. 3/4 of my family tree has been in North America for 300+ years. The other 1/4 came over in the late 19th century from Russia, but they were Germans. I didn't really know much about them 'til recently. So I've always kind of been just a generic American.

I envy you guys.

Yeah, Iceland sucks at Winter sports too, actually. It's just part of being such a tiny, tiny country. In fact, I'd say the one sport Icelanders are really, really good at (considering the size of the country) is team handball. They're still usually not in the league of powerhouses like France and Croatia--but good enough to mount a big cinderella run like this one.

I was born in Iceland and moved to Canada as a kid. I do consider myself Canadian, but my family speaks Icelandic at home and we keep in touch with family there. I think Thor's situation is similar, actually.

Thor · 08-23-2008, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

Yeah, Iceland sucks at Winter sports too, actually. It's just part of being such a tiny, tiny country. In fact, I'd say the one sport Icelanders are really, really good at (considering the size of the country) is team handball. They're still usually not in the league of powerhouses like France and Croatia--but good enough to mount a big cinderella run like this one.

I was born in Iceland and moved to Canada as a kid. I do consider myself Canadian, but my family speaks Icelandic at home and we keep in touch with family there. I think Thor's situation is similar, actually.

Yeah, when you factor in its a nation of 300,000 people, the fact they produce top athletes for Soccer, and especially Handball you appreciate how special it is for a tiny country to be competing for gold.

Iceland also has a really cool music scene with tons of great talent, some of the more famous is of course Bjork (uggh) but others like Sigur Ros are quite famous world wide, not so much in North America.

Yeah IFF is right, my family moved here when I was 8, so I definately identify myself as both Canadian and Icelandic, most of my family in fact has moved back over the years to Iceland, so I have lots of ties there and lived there most recently from 98-2001.

Awesome little country to visit, long as you do it in summer or new years

Thor · 08-23-2008, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

Are we talking just Summer games or are they 'goldless' in the Winter games too?

Hehe yeah, no medals I think in winter at all if I recal correctly. Think of it this way, we have a tiny ski hill, probably truly called a 'hill' and not much more. Wouldn't dare do cross country, most of the country is lava.

Very few people skate, very few people play winter sports like hockey or anything to do with skating, skiing, etc..

The only sports people really love are Soccer, Basketball and handball. So those are really the only 3 we'd hope to win stuff at, although one of our olympic medals I believe came from high jump, so weird stuff can happen sometimes

Displaced Flames fan · 08-23-2008, 08:42 PM

I should've intimated that I do some have knowledge of the geography and geothermal nature of Iceland. I also knew they aren't a country that dominates winter sports, but I wasn't sure about the medals.

I would love to visit someday!

Locke · 08-23-2008, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HelloHockeyFans

Just to be different - Go France!

Boo-urns friend. Boo-urns.