30 years ago today. Miracle on Ice.

[Bluzmann57]

"Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" Those are six of the greatest words ever said by Al Michaels after the United States hockey team defeated the then mighty USSR team in arguably the greatest sporting event and upset ever. It was more than a sporting event though. The U.S. was in a down period with the Iran hostage crisis and a bad economy. The hockey game, which quite honestly, a lot of citizens didn't care about until after it happened, helped to revitalize the USA. I remember hearing about it while driving home from work. When the announcement came over the air, I, along with others, pulled over and started hollering and yelling. It was a magnificent scene in our mid sized city far from Lake Placid. And indeed, it was a magnificent scene all over America. And the game wasn't televised live, although NPR did cover it live. My my, how times have changed.

[MadHound]

1. Ah yes, one of the key moments in resurgent right wing nationalism

I was happy that the US won, but I hated how Reagan and the RW in this country used it to pump up jingoistic nationalism in this country.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. It was also a purely great sports moment.

[MadHound]

6. It was, for one moment.

But that moment go lost in Reaganesque nationalism for the next twenty years. Hell, you can see the echoes of it down to this day (U-S-A! U-S-A!) and the effects of that nationalism continue to grow.

I don't blame the hockey team for this, they skated a great game and I was and am happy for their victory. I'm just pissed that the RW propaganda machine took this victory and spun it into something truly ugly.

[onenote]

10. nationalism in connection with the olympics has a long history

remember the 1972 Russia/US basketball game and the feelings that aroused?

[MadHound]

11. Yes, but the long term effects of the Miracle on Ice far outweighed anything previous to it

Those effects are still being felt today. Hardly anybody remembers the '72 bball game, everybody has a memory of the Miracle on Ice.

[AwareOne]

8. I was there

I was a college student at a nearby school and got a temp job as a security guard at the olympics. I worked there for about a month and used my security pass to sneak into many venues including hockey games. I didn't see the Russian game but saw several other USA games. I was living in Saranac Lake at the time. I think back on that now and can't believe I was a guard at the Olympic Village with only about a half days training in security, what a joke. All I had was a panic button to push if something went down. Things were so simple pre 9/11.

[justgamma]

2. We were such underdogs.

I've never been a hockey fan. That was the one and only hockey game, I have ever watched. I'll never forget it. It was thrilling.

[11 Bravo]

3. What I remember is anchorperson Rene Pouissant on Chanel 7 in DC giving the results ...

out hours before the game was to be shown on tape delay ON HER OWN FUCKING NETWORK! I was driving to the beach later on that night and listened on the radio anyhow, but damn!

[Stinky The Clown]

4. A little recalled fact is that the match was not the gold medal round.

The US still had to go on to beat the Finns.

But yes. That match was, indeed, magic that happened for the USA at just the right time. I still get weepy when thinking of it. My take-away was goalie Jim Craig, wrapped in the flag, skating a victory lap with his team, but searching the stands for his (very ill) Dad.

[PCIntern]

7. True fact...

the game with the Finns was anti-climactic...had the US lost, Reagan would have started bombing Finland :sarcasm:

JUST KIDDING!!!

Well, maybe...you never know...naaahhh. Bush Jr.might have, though...

[Bluzmann57]

9. Carter was still President in 1980

But Reagan may have bombed Finland in '81 in retaliation. Yes, that is sarcasm.

[paulsby]

14. correct

kind of like the fact that once it was said and done kerri strugg's heroic vault with the #$#$( ankle actually wasn;'t necessary on a points basis for the gold

[indy legend]

12. One of the last great moments in American history........

.....before Ronald Reagan became president and the right wing began dismantling and destroying a great nation, giving power to the corporations to make sure no true underdog story like this could ever happen again.

[paulsby]

13. great movie btw

memorializing this moment is the movie "miracle"

kurt russell does an excellent job fwiw.

and most of the hockey players in the movie are real hockey players not professional actors, and it works great

[ellie]

15. Oh what a difference 30 years makes.

Right now, I am watching the Russia/Czech game and rooting for Russia, who lead 1-0 by the way.