Still Believing in Miracles

Thirty years ago, I came home from school on a Friday in February, and my father asked me if I wanted to watch the Winter Olympics. At age eleven, I was interested in two things - - girls and baseball. As far as I could tell, the 1980 Olympic games didn't offer either of these pursuits.

But my father was persuasive. He explained that the Men's US Hockey team would be playing against Russia, the fierciest team in the world; a world which was much different than it is today. The Olympics were carried on tape delay which wouldn't garner much interest now. However, before the advent of the internet, ESPN, and a myriad other ways to obtain sports scores, these games were as good as live. It was also a turbulent time for our embattled nation. The Iran hostage crisis was very much in full swing in the Middle East, and the Cold War with Russia was intensifying. The mood in the United States was somber.

Whether I realized or not, this was more than just a hockey game. This was also a time when professional American hockey players didn't participate in the Olympics. The same rules didn't apply to Russia, so it truly was a group of well disciplined college boys against highly skilled, highly intimidating adversaries.

My father told me how our odds weren't great, but he was getting a positive vibe about this hockey team. And so we watched. We watched the U.S. stay close in the first period and eventually chase the most notable goalie in the world from the Russian crease. The tension mounted in the third period as the score was tied, only to be broken by our captain's wrist which sailed past the back-up Russian goalie. As the final seconds ticked off the clock, Al Michaels asked us all if we believed in miracles. It wasn't exactly the parting of the Red Sea, but for modern sports, it was damn close. This wasn't a hockey game at all. It was a catalyst for feeling positive about America again.

It's now 2010, and our Olympic hockey team is back in the final round, hoping for a gold medal. The Cold War is over, but we still have issues with the Middle East. Our economy is under siege, and the job market is shrinking. People can't afford first homes nor the ones they're currently in. Our politics are divisive and our President's shine has come off his wagon. The country is somber once again.

A win on Sunday will pale in comparison to 1980. The current roster is filled with professional players from the NHL. We won't have a political score to settle with our opponent. We won't be asked about our beliefs in modern day miracles. But a win may feel like one anyway. It's been nine years since 9/11, the last time our country was truly united. We haven't had much to rally around since, so a gold medal will bring us back together again, even if just for a brief moment.

It's been thirty years since our last victory, but our Olympic hockey team still has the power to make us proud to be Americans.

USA.....USA.....