Hockey Ping!
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For a rare time, I watched ESPN recently and aired was a documentary on Soviet-era hockey. The video was incredible in that some of it still exists. But replays and highlights of the 1980 USSR-USA game never loses its charm.
30 for 30 did an episode on this game and the Russian hockey team, doing background on the coach that started Russian hockey. The film focused on some of the Russian team members.
As are all of the 30 for 30 films I have seen, it was an excellent film that also touches on the lack of freedom and Communist treatment of the players. I highly recommend it.
hockey ping
Miracle on Ice video highlights ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSkc6c35A4Q
the action starts at 1:17 into the vid
never a greater moment in sports history in this nation...and the only good thing to come from the Carter presidency..
i have a DVD of the game and to this day i cannot sit down for the last ten minutes...
We sat the kids down the other day to watch the motion picture about it.
Even though Mama and I obviously know the end of the story, it’s as exciting as it gets.
Remember it like it was yesterday.
Went to an indoor soccer game at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena. The PA announcer told the crowd that “the United States has just DEFEATED the Soviet Union...” and the crowd went nuts. Shouts of “USA! USA!”, and pretty much nothing happening on the soccer pitch mattered after that.
Went home to watch the replay and walked in during the 2nd. period. My first reaction was “who in the hell is Boris Myshkin?” Soviet coach Viktor Tikhonov had pulled Vladislav Tretiak, one of the greatest goalies to ever play the game, after a substandard first period.
I knew right then why the US had won. If their thick-headed coach had left Tretiak in the game the Soviets likely would have come back and won.
(let me know if you want on or off the ping list)
Good times.... good times.
An that game is what turned a Texas teenager on to the sport of hockey...I’ve been a fan of the game ever since. Hard to believe it was 35 years ago.
So it was therefore possible for the USA and Soviet Union to play an Olympic hockey game in Lake Placid, NY and not have anybody in America know the result until it was showed later that night on tape-delay in prime time.
OK, people did know the results and there was a frenzy of phone calls ripping across the nation that day. Some media outlets also spoiled the surprise. But indeed, many Americans did not find out until the game came on TV hours after the fact. That could never happen today.
I lived in Revere, MA at the time. Next town over from Winthrop. I was there when Mike Eruzione had his homecoming parade. As all this was going on, the presidential campaign of Ronald Reagan was beginning to pick up speed. For me, the Olympic hockey victory was the official kickoff of the 1980s and the 1970s were finally over.
Mike has made a living on that one goal!
What a wonderful memory! And to think we hadn’t even started the Reagan years yet. I grow more and more nostalgic all the time.