I may be making a mountain out of a molehill
... or perhaps an iceberg out of crushed ice. The New York Times reported the 'lucky loonie' story very prominently on Monday without a hint of rancor. And no American of any note took any offence ... that I know of. I guess no-one believes in talismans any more ... if that's what it was. For the record, no-one has suggested that any Canadian hockey official was "in" on the ritual at the time it was performed. Which raises an interesting ancillary question. Does the victim of voodoo have to be aware that he is being voodooed before he can be voodoomized? (In other words, is voodoo just a placebo effect in reverse. If so, the secret Loonie had no power even upon the superstitious.) P.S. Here is Loonie story as reported in New York Times - for those who might be interested:
SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 24 — The coin is called a loonie, a Canadian dollar worth 63 cents in American currency and incalculable wealth in Canadian pride. Before the Olympic hockey tournaments, Canadian workers who make the ice in the E Center placed it beneath the frozen playing surface. After Canada won the men's gold medal with a 5-2 victory over the United States this afternoon, Wayne Gretzky held the coin in his fingers and said he would send it to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
"Just a cool idea," said Gretzky, the executive director for the men's team, as he gazed at the lucky buck, which had been dug up. On the other side of it, figuratively, was a gold medal for Canada's women's team on this same rink, against the same opponent, three days ago.
