Once I became of adult age, watching the games became my favorite pastime. I have to admit – it does surprise me how I can connect a particular sporting event with a time in my life. I do the same thing with music – Springsteen’s “Born to Run” reminds me of my senior year in high school; the Beatles’ “Hello Goodbye” – my first 45 record when I was nine; and the bluegrass version of “Rocky Top” – courting my would be wife at the height of the Urban Cowboy craze.
So sports is a big deal to me. I don’t get as excited as I used to. Now, a Super Bowl game or World Series is more a reason for a social gathering than something I look forward to (unless there’s a Philadelphia team or Penn State involved – then don’t call me, nudge me, talk to me – this is life or death, man).
So against that backdrop, I was keyed up all weekend for the U.S.-Canada hockey game in the Winter Olympics Sunday night. On paper, the Canadian roster – filled with All-Stars from the National Hockey League -- is almost unanimously viewed as the best in the world. But something told me the U.S. team would hustle and play well. They did just that in a 5-3 victory that has stunned the nation of Canada and left many Americans exhilarated.
Many of my social networking friends are of the opinion that a gold medal for the American hockey team would rival the U.S. “Miracle on Ice” triumph over the hated Soviets in the 1980 Olympics. I’ve noticed that most of those saying that were born after 1980 or were small children at the time. I’ve told every one of them today that there is no comparison.
The 1980 hockey gold medal is one of those sports memories that will be branded in my life forever – not because of anything personal – it was quite possibly the sports event that had the greatest impact ever in terms of emotion, surprise, and the mood of the country around us.
In February of 1980, the U.S. was in the midst of the “Cold War” with the Soviet Union. The U.S.S.R. had just invaded Afghanistan – and was soon to be bogged down in their version of Vietnam. Ronald Reagan would be elected president a few months later while talking tough about how to deal with the Soviets. Relations between the two countries were so bad that President Jimmy Carter wouldn’t allow American athletes to participate in the Summer Olympics that year in Moscow. The last years of the Carter Administration were not happy ones for the U.S. Fifty Americans had been taken hostage in Iran just a few months before, leaving the U.S. almost helpless to do anything about it. Gasoline prices increased to over $1.00 a gallon (gasp!) for the first time and there were long lines at gas stations because gas was in short supply. So even those who didn’t care much about politics knew a U.S.-U.S.S.R. hockey game was more than a simple rivalry in sports.
Today, professional hockey players make up the Olympic rosters. In 1980, all the athletes were supposed to be amateurs. The athletes from the Soviet bloc of Communist nations were paid to excel in their respective sports and represent their countries in international competition. The American hockey team consisted of college players – mostly from the hockey hotbeds of Minnesota and Boston. This game literally was boys against men.
The Soviet hockey team was considered the best in the world. They had won gold medals at the 1964, 1968, 1972, and 1976 Olympics. There was no reason to believe they wouldn’t win again.
But as you no doubt know by now – that’s not what happened. On February 22, 1980, a group of fresh-faced American kids outskated and outperformed the U.S.S.R and came away with a 4-3 victory. The Associated Press named that game as the biggest sports story of the 20th Century. Not the year – not the decade – but the century. It was the upset – in other words – the biggest surprise of all time according to many sportswriters.
As soon as the final horn sounded, Americans took to the streets in celebration. In Lake Placid, New York where the Olympics were held that year – the jubilation looked liked the end of World War II. American flags were flying everywhere. All those months of feeling inferior to our enemies seemed to peel away.
My personal experience shows how much life has changed. The U.S.-U.S.S.R hockey game was not televised live since no one expected the Americans to put up much of a contest. The replay aired in primetime that night on ABC. I hadn’t heard the final score or which team won when I watched it so I rooted and was on the edge of my seat like it was live. (Try doing that today). Play-by-play announcer Al Michaels exclaimed the iconic call at the end of the game, “Do you believe in miracles? YES!”
I still have the Sports Illustrated issue from that week in 1980. It is prominently displayed in my den with other sports memorabilia. When I look at what I have there – Phillies World Series, Flyers Stanley Cup championships, Penn State national title items – they all bring back memories. But I have to say, I don’t know if any of them can rival that 1980 hockey victory win over the Soviets for seemingly bringing a nation together and helping to get its confidence back. I would love to see another U.S. hockey gold medal, but nothing will ever top what happened in that tiny upstate New York hamlet 30 years ago. Those were the days.
Re-live the last 15 seconds of the "Miracle on Ice"
