The Miracle on Ice

I went down to North Carolina over the weekend to visit my Mom and Dad. Along the way, some horrific little organism inside me demanded retribution on my system that forced me to spend the first night of my visit largely in bed, or in the bathroom. For a short while though, I managed to find my way into where my Mother was watching TV, and there she was watching the movie "Miracle on Ice" about our 1980 Olympic Hockey victory in Lake Placid. Although the movie is a dramatization, the acting is great (lots of authentic Boston area hockey players) and Kurt Russell does a wonderful Herb Brooks (coach of the team).

Watching that movie brought back unbelievably real, nearly 29 year old memories. Here's a clip I pulled from Youtube, with an announcing crew that is presumably Canadian. We've all heard the Al Michaels "Do you believe in miracles--YES!" call, but I wanted to hear something different. Spend the ten minutes or so watching this clip and tell me that you don't wind up with big tears in your eyes....just like you did the very first time you saw it.

I was not quite fifteen at the time, and the game happened the night of a party at Jackie McQuade's house. Jackie was a high school classmate who had a ton of great parties, and she sat near me in homeroom for four straight years. A great girl, all in all. This was one of those early high school parties before there was a lot of drinking...but there was a ton of getting to know the other sex, if you know what I mean. If I remember correctly, the game was played at 5PM but tape delayed to be shown in prime time....so on the way to the party, I had heard that we won the game. But no one at the party seemed to know....

Basically, the game took the legs right out from under the party. The whole group of 14 and 15 year olds spent their time in front of Jackie's TV nervously watching the game. When it was over, there was pandemonium in that living room.

I told my Mom the other night while watching the movie that I thought this was the most amazing and meaningful sporting event I'd ever witnessed (followed closely by Franz Klammer's 1976 Downhill at Innsbruck that in which he carried an entire nation on his back). Remember what February 1980 was like? Jimmy Carter was still President. The Soviet Union hadn't quite figured out that it was going to fall in 9 years, and it gave the very outward appearance that it was a real threat to displace Western Democracy. Oh, and they had just invaded Afghanistan. Remember inflation? And Viet Nam had only been in the rear view mirror for five years (though it still dominated politics and culture). The thugs of the Ayatollah had only recently taken hostages at our Embassy, and they held them for the following 444 days. Bottom line--the US was on the ropes. We were in a real rut...the greatest country on Earth was in the midst of an identity crisis...when a bunch of 21 year olds reminded the world what it was the Americans are made of. Brooks drove those kids....he got them into shape....he created a team dedicated to each other. He told them on the night they beat the Soviets (not the Russians. The Soviets) that they'd lose 9 of 10 games they'd play against them. But not that night. That moment was theirs.

I just watched that clip I've linked to again, and I'm all teared up again. Thanks 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team, and thanks Ronald Reagan, for turning the corner on a time in our history where our country's leadership position was in doubt.