Also known as the "Miracle on Ice," no sports event stands above this one for its all-time significance.
I start off this post with a bold claim, but I think what took place in Lake Placid, NY on February 22nd, 1980 stands alone as the most incredible sports event of all time. A brief recap of the event will help make my point.
Background
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| Courtesy of wikipedia.org(1) |
Yesterday was the 35th anniversary of the famously dubbed "Miracle on Ice." Thirty-five years ago, a young group of college athletes were brought together to compete under the world's brightest lights and biggest stage: the Olympics. This event which takes place once every four years (for the winter games, that is) invites the greatest athletes from across the world, whom proudly represent their respective countries.
But this was no ordinary (if the term "ordinary" can even be ascribed to the Olympics) tournament of elite athletes, in particular for athletes of the United States. It had been 20 years prior in Squaw Valley, California since the United States had participated in an Olympic event on its own soil (3). What's even more interesting is that it was also 20 years prior since the U.S. Men's Hockey Team won a medal, much less a gold one, in its own event.
I've already said that the U.S. hockey team had in fact not won a gold medal in 20 years was interesting. Not to repeat myself, but even more interesting than that resided in the diplomatic and political situation between the United States and the Soviet Union, known commonly as the Cold War. Without diving into specifics of the Cold War, it would suffice to say that tensions were very high on both sides.
How does this relate to the 1980 Olympics? The Soviet Union's Men's Hockey Team had won every gold medal event from 1964 to 1976 (3). So to have the USSR arrive on U.S. soil, being the 5-time reigning hockey champion, was not exactly Christmas and cookies for the United States, to say the least.
About the Soviet Union Men's Team
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| Courtesy of sportslogos.net(2) |
How does this relate to the 1980 Olympics? The Soviet Union's Men's Hockey Team had won every gold medal event from 1964 to 1976 (3). So to have the USSR arrive on U.S. soil, being the 5-time reigning hockey champion, was not exactly Christmas and cookies for the United States, to say the least.
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| Jersey of captain Mike Eruzione, courtesy of diamondgalleries.com(4) |
About the U.S. Men's Team
For most sports lovers out there, making your own fantasy team is a popular way to engage with one's favorite sport. And the concept is simple: choose the best players for the best chance of winning, and don't choose the bad ones.
Now imagine having an entire country of hockey athletes to choose from whom would represent the United States in the world's largest tournament. Instead of choosing the best athletes, you choose to pick the least experienced, youngest ones who have never proven themselves on an international stage.
This was the U.S. men's Olympic hockey team in 1980--under-proven, under-valued, and underdog in every way imaginable. And no one really thought twice about them, for there were no expectations of them performing well at the Olympics.
The game of all games
The United States and Soviet Union met in the semi-finals of the Olympic tournament and played it out on a sheet of ice in Lake Placid, the result of which reverberated around the world. I will spare myself the attempt of describing the game itself when watching it would work much better!
So I'd go check out the actual game tape itself or watch Disney's Miracle (2004), which depicts the entire story from that event. Miracle is one of my favorite movies of all time, and I will say (unashamedly) that I jumped out of my seat in the movie theater the first time I saw it; it's that good.
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| Courtesy of imdb.com(5) |
This game was a thriller from beginning to the end. It's worthy of the question usually asked after an event of great significance, "where were you that day?" I wish I had been there 35 years ago to see with my own eyes what took place on that sheet of ice in New York. And when taken into context the current state of affairs between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during that time, it made the U.S. victory that much more sweet.
In the meantime, go check out the movie and leave a comment on what you think of it! Or, tell me what you think is the best sports event of all time? Thanks for reading.
--Jordan
Source images and citations:
1. (Lake Placid logo) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_Winter_Olympics
2. (Soviet Union logo) http://www.sportslogos.net/logos/view/6564/_U.S.S.R/1976/Primary_Logo
3. http://proicehockey.about.com/od/olympichockey/a/olympic_medals.htm
4. (USA Jersey) http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/Home/4/1/73/1017?articleID=131003
5. (Miracle movie image) http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3414661376/tt0349825?ref_=tt_ov_i#
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