hoši děkujem!

(ha! i discovered that the czech diacritics work.)

the 10 million or so folks on this planet who call themselves czechs are sleeping with smiles on their faces tonight. they kicked some canadian booty. world champions with a score 3-0. good job, guys.

the first goal came early in the first period. the second in the middle of the third and the third goal late in third period, on a canadian power play with an empty goal to boot. Josef Vasiček sent it down the ice and into the goalie-less net. very nice aim, Pepa.

my friend rob and i joined 30,000-40,000 of our closest friends in old town square (staromak) to watch the games on big screens (AND be entertained at the breaks by a hilarious cover band called Las Vegas). by the end of the second period fireworks were already being lit and 'we are the champions' was being sung. maybe a little premature, but it all worked out in their favor.

the cameramen in vienna favored reaction shots of the supermodel girlfriends-slash-wives (no surprise) while the crowd in prague screamed, spilled beer (all over rob), and smashed bottles onto the cobblestones. all in all a fantastic night.

now the metro is full of shouting fans (the one night passengers are actually alive and breathing on public transportation it seems) and cars zip through the center, blaring their horns and hanging flags out the windows. i'm very happy for the czechs. they are extremely proud of their hockey, as well they should be. this is their 11th world champion title. the 6th, apparently, since 1996 (i had to look at fox sports for that stat--the story was listed 5th on a sidebar...pretty important news to americans, i know).

i'd like to say to all of the americans out there who are ashamed of their nationality when they travel and prefer to say they are canadian, thinking they'll get better treatment: well, tonight that was surely NOT the case! (and shame on you, anyway.)

the canucks played a very good, very physical game. the shutout was thanks to Tomaš Vokoun, the czech goalie who has done a tremendous job filling the very big skates of Dominik Hašek. they did, however, make idiots of themselves by picking a very large, longer-than-necessary fight in the last 45 seconds. gentlemen, gentlemen. please. so three very unhappy canadian players had to sit out the last few moments pouting in the penalty box. bad show.

it's easy to sound patronizing when saying that i'm glad czech won but i really am glad, grateful, proud for them. hockey is such a big deal here and there's so little for major national pride. and anyway, i doubt the canadians were gathered in a big public space in ottowa cheering on their players. these celebrations aren't typical in north america. so glad i'm here.

rob and i delayed our ride home by toasting the team in a nearby restaurant. we sat near the door and watched the happy czechs with flags blanketing their shoulders and faces painted red, white and blue walk past screaming their chants. and along came a sanitation worker dressed in orange, pushing a wheeled bucket with a broom sticking out of it. i wouldn't want his job tonight. old town square is covered in broken glass, strips of toilet paper and cigarette butts (i'm somewhat amazed my hair didn't go up in flames. rob was, too--about his own, which he said was FULL of product).