An Extraordinary Night in Old Town Square with World Champions
Prague, Czech Republic
With apologies to Dan Nearing (my wonderful Canadian colleague), last night The Czech Republic won the World Championship of Ice Hockey beating Canada in the final game 3-0. The final was played in nearby Austria. In the old town square of Prague, thousands gathered, 30,000? 50,000? 100,000? The square was filled in front of two huge television screens, a huge stage for a band, and hundreds of waving flags. Some of the flags (Dan) were indeed of the Maple Leaf variety. Canada was here too.
The cheers and noise were intense, and then the quiet of the television announcer, and again deafening cheers. Fireworks in the air punctuated the night with songs and chants in Czech.
Toward the end of the tight game, the square filled with a familiar Chicago song (and Chicago is called the 2nd largest Czech city in the world after Prague) :
Na Na
Na na na na na
Hey, Hey
Cesko!
Ok the ending was different. The looks on peoples eyes, the pride, the tears, were extraordinary. Our country could be world champions ... ahead of Canada, Russia, USA, Sweden.
And then the explosion - WORLD CHAMPIONS!
The song then sung by the thousands was in English, We are the Champions.
The last timre I heard it sung by a huge crowd was in Chicago Stadium when the NBA title was claimed by Michael Jordan in a clinching game against Seattle.
This was different. This was a nation's pride bursting at the seams.
Cheers - Mel
With apologies to Dan Nearing (my wonderful Canadian colleague), last night The Czech Republic won the World Championship of Ice Hockey beating Canada in the final game 3-0. The final was played in nearby Austria. In the old town square of Prague, thousands gathered, 30,000? 50,000? 100,000? The square was filled in front of two huge television screens, a huge stage for a band, and hundreds of waving flags. Some of the flags (Dan) were indeed of the Maple Leaf variety. Canada was here too.
The cheers and noise were intense, and then the quiet of the television announcer, and again deafening cheers. Fireworks in the air punctuated the night with songs and chants in Czech.
Toward the end of the tight game, the square filled with a familiar Chicago song (and Chicago is called the 2nd largest Czech city in the world after Prague) :
Na Na
Na na na na na
Hey, Hey
Cesko!
Ok the ending was different. The looks on peoples eyes, the pride, the tears, were extraordinary. Our country could be world champions ... ahead of Canada, Russia, USA, Sweden.
And then the explosion - WORLD CHAMPIONS!
The song then sung by the thousands was in English, We are the Champions.
The last timre I heard it sung by a huge crowd was in Chicago Stadium when the NBA title was claimed by Michael Jordan in a clinching game against Seattle.
This was different. This was a nation's pride bursting at the seams.
Cheers - Mel
posted by Mel and Janet Muchnik | 8:43 AM
1 Comments:
Sounds exciting, Mel. In fact, Prague in and of itself sounds exciting. Also sounds like they love the game over there. At least Canada had something to watch for awhile -- now it's back to our ongoing endurance of extreme hockey deprivation. Still no end in sight for the NHL strike.
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