http://youtu.be/rcENEx81XqE
USA vs. Soviets (full game)
Time really does fly I guess. To those who didn't live through it, just another hockey game. To the rest of us, it was a miracle. In every sense of the word. Born of belief in being able to do great things and the understanding that hard work and teamwork makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts.
A masterpiece of coaching by Herb Brooks.
http://youtu.be/tdmyoMe4iHMMiracle Speech - You were born for this - Herb Brooks, Movie: Miracle
The victory meant a lot to this country at a time when our national psyche sorely needed a lift. It turns out that decades later it meant infinitely more to to some of the vanquished members of the Soviet Red Army team, as it meant freedom for them to play wherever in the world their talents would take them. Ultimately, they may have netted the greater long term victory for generations of Russians to follow.
I'm sure they didn't feel like winners that night though. The game was tape-delayed by ABC and the results apparently were displayed on an ESPN broadcast in advance of the ABC telecast. My dad blurted out the result and I still didn't believe it until Al Michaels was in his iconic countdown. I don't think any of really thought the US had a chance even if Jim Craig continued to stand on his head in goal as he had in tournament. The Russians were easily vanquishing professional NHL teams for sport and the Americans were just a bunch of collegians. I can't even make up a proper analogy other than maybe a college football team beating a professional football team in the Super Bowl or Kentucky beating the Spurs.
I guess as Herb Brooks said, if we played them ten times they beat us nine.....but not tonight.
P.S. - I'd have thought, if we played them 100 times, they beat us 99 before the game, BWDIK?
http://youtu.be/t2x9ITRY_ZA
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