Am I a bad guy for rooting for non-U.S. athletes in the Olympics?

I didn't share in the joy of U.S. hockey fans following the Americans' win over Canada Sunday in the Winter Olympics.

Part of me was glad, mind you, because the Americans were underdogs. The way the U.S. players reacted to the win -- you couldn't see that and not smile. Unless you were a Canadian.

Plus, it was a whale of a game.

But the event and the sport means so much to more to Canada as a nation. It was odd that NBC dumped that game off on MSNBC so NBC could air some ski cross competiton and, I guess, some bobsledding.

The hockey isn't over yet, though. Watch Sweden or Russia end up winning the thing.

Anyway, I find myself often rooting against the U.S. in Summer and Winter Olympics. More accurately, I root for some other nations' athletes. Why? Am I an America-hater. No way, Jose. I may have been born here, but the choice to live my adult life here was mine. Not that I had a lot of other offers. I'm told Italy offered to trade a dented pizza tray to the U.S. for me, but Uncle Sam backed out at the last minute because he knew I would faithfully pay my taxes.

I'll root like crazy for the U.S. men's soccer team to bump off England and all other road blocks in this summer's World Cup. Because we're -- yes, we're -- underdogs. Without underdogs to cheer, there would never be a single movie made about sports.

Plus, it would be fascinating to see how this nation rallies around a soccer team and the sport itself if it made a deep run in the World Cup. And, interesting to see how Europe and South America react to us crashing their party.

Like those of you who are 45 or older, I vividly remember the day the U.S. hockey team beat the Soviet Union in 1980. It was as good a day in sports as this nation as ever had. We were an underdog's underdog against one of the finest hockey squads ever assembled. Sunday, NBC ran a special about that U.S. team's path to the gold medal. It was wonderful television about a wonderful story.

And I rooted for Shawn Johnson in the '08 Summer Games. She was an Iowan and I liked her personality.

But if I have no personal or provincial interest, I'll quietly cheer for Switzerland or Denmark or Austria or Canada. We've got 300 million people. Another gold-medal winner isn't going to make a dent in our national psyche. I'd rather see a nation with far less population have something to feel good about.

Truth is, I have no favorite teams, period. I like good stories. I love great stories.

To me, the Olympics are like anything else. I like Ireland's U2 as much as any American band. I think Englishman Ricky Gervais is as funny as any living American. But it doesn't mean I'm in the mood to burn a U.S. flag.

Maybe I'm writing this out of guilt. (I'm not, of course. Of all the things to feel guilty about in life, this isn't one.) What do you think? Do you automatically pull for Americans in the Olympics? Why or why not?

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm hungry for a hot dog and a slice of apple pie.