Posted on 02/22/2005 3:45:35 PM PST by Condor 63
25 years ago today, U.S. hockey team stunned Soviets.
By Phil Coffey | NHL.com Today, it's hard to imagine Slava Fetisov as the enemy. Thanks to the holes punched in the "Iron Curtain," the sight of Russian and players from other Eastern Bloc countries is commonplace among the rinks of the NHL.
In 1980, Slava Fetisov was regarded as one of the top defensemen in the world.
But back in 1980, Fetisov was part of the "Big Red Machine" -- and we're not talking about the Cincinnati Reds. This Big Red Machine was among the most imposing hockey teams ever constructed and it was a team expected to waltz through the competition at the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid.
The bragging rights on the sports arena were an important part of the Soviet propaganda campaign and the 1980 Games were vital in that role, coming at the height of the Cold War and in the wake of the United States government's stinging criticism of the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan.
"That's one of the reasons it was important," said Fetisov, now a beloved assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils. "I think it was the most political game in the last few Olympics with Afghanistan and all that stuff.
"Before we left the country for the Olympics, they got the whole delegation together in the Kremlin and the government held a meeting and they said we have to represent the country well. And it was like a joke. They said to the hockey players that we can lose to anybody except the Americans.
"Everybody was laughing."
Until Lake Placid.
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NHL.com>>> [url]http://www.nhl.com/hockeyu/history/miracle_25thanniv.html[/url]
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Greatest sports moment of all time.
I love hockey but the NHL is now dead. They will never recover from this lockout and cancelled season. They have commited suicide.
MSNBC http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6969410/
NHL.com http://www.nhl.com/hockeyu/history/miracle_25thanniv.html
USA Hockey.com http://www.usahockey.com/
Seeing them all pile on after the victory with the Russian team watching will always be the sports highlight of my life.
Every day I wake up clean and sober is yet another miracle.
Most people watch miracles, Laz. We live them one day at a time.
Reality itself is a miracle, only we don't recognize it as such because we're born into it and live it from day to day.
What about just clean...is that still a miracle?
Nope.
I used to have a problem with this concept, but I know better now.
Thinking of alcohol as different from other drugs has caused a great many addicts to relapse. Before we came to NA, many of us viewed alcohol separately, but we cannot afford to be confused about this. Alcohol is a drug. We are people with the disease of addiction who must abstain from all drugs in order to recover. -- Narcotics Anonymous Informational Pamphlet #1.
Congrats.
Thx. Second birthday coming up soon!
I need a miracle e v e r y d a y....
Sorry, a Greatful Dead flashback there...
Hang in there, I enjoy seeing your posts. Would hate to lose them.
Sober I understand. Do elves clean you during the night? Wow!
I know I certainly can't explain it.
I'll always remember Eruzione actually running (not skating) around the rink with his stick in the air after he scored the go-ahead goal.
Far and away the best.
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