from Lawrence Martin at the Globe and Mail,

How philistine can you get, Canada? Ice hockey? Is that all you care about?

Our hockey obsession keeps growing. The lockout was supposed to dampen our appetite for the game, but it only heightened it. We defeat Germany in the World Junior Hockey Championship – it’s front-page news! Hockey adorns our currency – our $5 bills. Our Prime Minister is writing a book. It’s not about politics. It’s about hockey.

Check out the media. Of all the grave issues and cancers and maladies afflicting humanity, guess what took up practically more page space in the past year or so than any of them? A debate over hockey head injuries. It’s a serious problem, no doubt. But a priority?

Remember the age-old debate over what constituted Canadian identity? It’s over, Earthlings. The ballots are in. It’s hockey. It’s our religion, we’re told. It’s the culture. It’s who we are. After 145 years of history, that’s it.

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