In these times of (relative) peace, serving your country often means playing a sport for your national team. Players often talk about the honour of "playing for their country" in tones that would make it appear that they were sacrificing life and limb to do so.
It is rare that a sporting federation (with a vested interest in promoting the commercial appeal of the game) would be the one giving us some perspective.
http://www.iihf.com/nc/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/article/saying-no-to-your-country.html
Szymon Szemberg has drawn criticism for naming and shaming players who declined the call to represent their country at the Hockey World Championships and the lame excuses they give. He is right to do so.
Among his best observations:
"How can a player who is 22 or 25 or 27, and who was just eliminated from the playoffs be tired? Tired is a miner who works in a damp pit in Miktivka, in the Donetz Plateau in Ukraine, who never sees daylight and who provides living for a family of five in a modest two-room apartment. That is tired."
"Tired is a divorced mother with two young kids who double shifts as a nurse assistant and cleaning lady to make ends meet."
"Why is a 22-year-old Sidney Crosby tired when a 34-year-old Ryan Smyth is answering the bell for his country despite having represented Canada at the Worlds already on eight occasions?"
Professional athletes live a privileged life. They should remember that when they make such lame excuses.
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