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Miracle on Ice. Do You Remember?

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I was born in '82. So I obviously don't remember. But I do study sports history, as I'm sure everyone does on here. So I have seen the game a thousand times. Watching Jim Craig stop everything in the 3rd was so impressive. Especially after that hit he took where he knocked his head on the ice.
 
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greatwhitenorth said:
Another example of the crappy job the American networks do of covering the Olympics. The game wasn't even shown live, and it was one of the greatest moments in American sports history.

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To be fair, at the time, they didn't know it was going to be that huge. Sure it was important, and about as close as we could get to coming to a war with the Soviets, but that game really didn't become huge until the after the cold war ended.
 
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Mike Eruzione items up for sale

More than a generation after the historic "Miracle On Ice" game in the 1980 Winter Olympics, 58-year-old Mike Eruzione is parting with his iconic No. 21 USA jersey, hockey stick and other Olympic paraphernalia.

Eruzione's white jersey alone is expected to fetch more than $1 million, but some sports memorabilia experts think it could go considerably higher. Eruzione scored the sensational winning goal against the Soviet hockey team in Lake Placid, N.Y, catapulting the Americans toward the gold medal.
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Unlike Olympians of today, Eruzione, who was captain of his team in Lake Placid, received no lucrative endorsements. But he said he's not hurting financially and is selling the prized items to help out his three adult children and grandson.
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The Americans beat the Soviets 4-3 -- perhaps the greatest sporting moment of the 20th century -- after Eruzione scored what would be the winning goal with 10 minutes left in the semifinal game. Two days later, the team clinched the gold when it beat Finland. The Soviets won the silver medal.

"As long as I'm alive, the gold medal won't be sold," said Eruzione, who is director of special outreach at Boston University and a partner in a nutritional supplement business that includes several other ex-Olympians, including gymnasts Nadia Comaneci and Bart Conner.

"The medal is what it's all about," Eruzione said. "That's what we played for."

But the sale does include "Miracle On Ice" forward Steve Christoff's gold medal, estimated to bring $400,000. He was the only player on the gold-medal team to score multiple points, and the first player from the "Miracle On Ice" team to be drafted and go to the NHL, playing for the Minnesota North Stars and the Los Angeles Kings.

It's estimated that Eruzione's hockey stick will sell for $50,000. In addition, he is selling the blue jersey he wore when he won the gold, estimated at $200,000, and the glove and warm-up suit he wore to the podium when he accepted the gold, both estimated to bring $10,000.

Entire article: http://espn.go.com/olympics/hockey/...ne-miracle-ice-jersey-equipment-going-auction
 
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Watched it. There were a few rumors that the US had won, but back in those days, real time news was very hard to come by, so it was still very suspenseful. The rumors could easily have been a sick joke.
 
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I remember seeing the scored flashed on Japanese TV when I was stationed at Yokota...one of the few times in my life that I was actually stunned when I saw the score of a game.
 
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I was born later in 1980. Mom and Dad were stationed in Germany at the time and basically everyone was shocked and stunned, but there was a hell of a party even in Germany.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gfD134ED54"]1980 USA Miracle on Ice. Best Quality. - YouTube[/ame]

That call still gives me chills.
 
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I turned 4 later that year. I didn't watch, nor understand what was going on. But I do remember that in 1984 and in 1988 we got to get out of class to go sit in the cafeteria and watch different Olympic events. I seem to remember some hockey in there. I'd guess that our teachers were trying to recapture another magical moment that wasn't going to happen.. probably ever again.

I remember talking to someone many years ago about this - before the recent movie came out. How recent was that movie? Anyway, I said that the Soviet team was like taking all of today's NFL players, going back to their births and training them to play football as a team. Not playing for themselves - for the country. And losing was unacceptable. The American team was a bunch of college kids - or maybe they JUST got out of college. Do you think you could create a team of college kids, train them for maybe 6 months, and get them to compete with my team of NFL players who have been playing together since birth, and hope to win a football game?
 
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This game was a long time ago, but my two biggest (foggy) memories were:
1. when the TV showed the American coach glancing up at the clock with only several minutes to play
2. the American coach saying "be positive" when the US lost a man due to a penalty. We walked around for days after that, saying with a deep satirical voice "be positive".

I wish the above video clip showed that part.
 
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Another memory (after the actual "Miracle on Ice" game):

The game against the Soviet Union didn't clinch a gold medal, beating Finland (4-2) two days later did.

jim-craig.jpg


After the American's captured the gold medal with a come-from-behind 4-2 victory over Finland, Craig skated around the rink draped in the Stars & Stripes. He scanned the crowd mouthing the words, "Where's my father?" When the two made eye contact, it created the prototypical Kodak moment.
 
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greatwhitenorth;150587; said:
Another example of the crappy job the American networks do of covering the Olympics. The game wasn't even shown live, and it was one of the greatest moments in American sports history.

Click to expand...

Sports coverage in 1980 was nothing like it is today - all sports, not just the Olympics. The NBA Finals used to be shown in tape delay on late night in those days, too. Think about that.

Also, after the Russians whupped us 10-2 a month earlier no one expected this game to be close. The Red Army were invincible..or so everyone thought. :wink:
 
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I was at my brother's rehearsal dinner the night of the game. We learned the USA won later that night.

What I really remember was watching the gold medal game against Finland 2 days later. We trailed after 2 periods before rallying to win in the 3rd.

You can win many bar bets asking people who the USA beat to win the gold medal in 1980. The game against the Soviets was a semi-final.
 
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