Swedish Hockey Coach Shows Off his Bode Miller Side

Leitch|published: Tue 21st February, 13:35 2006

This image was lost some time after publication, but you can still view it [object Object] .

Once again, there's more head-shaking controversy surrounding the Olympics as Swedish hockey team coach Bengt-Ake Gustafsson suggested that his team would be better off losing to Slovakia tonight( or, right now, actually) in order to get a better match-up in the medal round. Obviously, the International Ice Hockey Federation is sending a representative to the game tonight to make sure Sweden is giving a full effort.

And here's where it gets a little more interesting: the betting lines on the game have gone absolutely apeshit. Betting maestro magazine Covers reports that most bookmakers are trying desperately to readjust their lines—which opened as a Pick game yesterday—and has now gone as high as Slovakia being a -190 favorite to win.

Hmm. Is Sven Svorgensen(or whatever the coach's name is; it's up in the first graph someplace) sandbagging this thing just to play some jedi crap against the Slovakians? Or he maybe he's just a dope.

If you see Swedish hockey players checking themselves or taking naps on center ice in the middle of the game, it's safe to assume he wasn't kidding.

L ine Going Crazy as Swedes Talk of Throwing Game [Covers]