37 years ago today - the greatest moment in USA Sports history
- Thread starter john4psu
- Start date
The thing is - you can't top that. And it's not just us middle age and old guys waxing nostalgic - Team USA's victory at that time, in that political climate, against that awesome Red Army machine, was truly magical. It went far, far beyond sport. If you weren't at least around grade school age at that time, you will never grasp how special it was.
But just think if they had lost the Gold Medal match to Finland ("you will take it to your grave ... to your F*cking Grave!!!!!!"
But just think if they had lost the Gold Medal match to Finland ("you will take it to your grave ... to your F*cking Grave!!!!!!"
An unjustly sanctioned PSU team, rising from the ashes to win the B10 and capture America's heart has to be a close second. 
An unjustly sanctioned PSU team, rising from the ashes to win the B10 and capture America's heart has to be a close second.
PSU Wisconsin may be #2 on my list behind that hockey game! I recall watching USA Finland for the gold at Sears in King of Prussia Mall. (I think that was the mall) They put the third period on the musac system and I made my way over to the TV's at Sears. At the end of the game, people were crying (about 50 people), hugging and high fiving (if that was a thing in 1980). Actually, I think we "slapped five" at that time.
If memory serves, the Soviet game was only broadcast on tape delay. It was live in Canada but not in the USA at 5pm....I remember avoiding news until I watched it later that night-It was a Friday night. The gold medal game was live played at 11am that Sunday.
In 1980 ... that W was a huge emotional lift for this country. That team had so much pressure on them to win. Love the movie ....
I was on a cross country ski trip with my scout troop. We were driving up to the Tamaqua area and listening on the radio - madness!!!!
We listened to the Finland game on the drive back. Stopped at a gas station and celebrated after game ended.
Hockey is nerve wracking on radio - imagine the Soviet game on radio
We listened to the Finland game on the drive back. Stopped at a gas station and celebrated after game ended.
Hockey is nerve wracking on radio - imagine the Soviet game on radio
People seem to forget that the game was tape delayed in the USA. There really wasn't much drama in watching it for me. I've never forgiven ABC for that mistake.
Yep. I was in college and the kid in the dorm room next to me casually walks up and says "Hey did you hear we beat the Russians in hockey." I didn't even realize the game was over...thought they were airing it live later that evening. In any case, we threw a party and watched it that night...was still a ton of fun to see them win, even if most of us already knew the outcome.
I believe Michaels trying to describe just how big an upset this was, compared it to a high school football team beating the Steelers of the 70s. People forget just how good the Russians were.
My #2 will always be the 86 Masters. It had everything...
True. That Soviet team beat all the NHL teams and beat them handily. They were the best team in the world. I think they also beat a NHL all star team. It would be more akin to a college all star team beating a 100% healthy New England Patriots in today's terms.
one of the most unheralded pre-game speeches in sports history
for an interesting perspective, watch the documentary "Red Army" about that Russian team. There was a lot of turmoil on the team, but historically they dominated the sport for almost 2 decades. The Russian players looked at the USA win as one opportunity in dozens they failed to close.
I think one of the major issues with the Red Army team is they were one of very few Russians who actually saw how the West lived. So they actually had a comparison of Russian living to USA/Canada/Western Europeans. Remember this was the time before Internet and cable TV such that anybody living in Russia essentially had zero clue how the rest of the world lived as they only information they got was from the communist Russian government. So than a small amount of Russian government officials, the Russian hockey team members were about the only Russian citizens who understood the depths of what the Russian government was lying to their people about. Must have been a hard thing to comprehend and deal with.
Except the Flyers....
Just sayin'
And what has long since been forgotten is that those Russian club teams in 1976 were actually not what they purported to be. Both the Red Army and Soviet Wings teams had other players from other Russian teams added to them for the tour. But it's really a challenge to look back and find that info now (I know--I was the one that found the info for that wikipedia page).
PSU Wisconsin may be #2? Naa, I think "Intercepted Giftopolis" was much much bigger and like the Miracle on Ice, good vs evil.
After everything PSU was unjustly put through, it pushed that game in Indy over the top. They tried to kill PSU football, it only came back stronger.
One of the more realistic sports movies ever made. The game scenes were not "over the top". The actors all appeared to actually be able to play the game. I love the fact that Billy Schneider played his dad in the movie.
They tied Montreal too.
Flyers gooned them up, not saying its the reason they beat the USSR, but Soviets were very intimidated.
The Soviets-Montreal game is still considered one of the best exhibitions in NHL history.
And to think it took place in an intimate arena which seated just under 8,000 people. I wonder how many more thousands claim they were there.
Well, that the Flyers "gooned it up" in this game has always been a bit of a misrepresentation. There were no fights, for one. Now they *did* hit hard--and by today's standards perhaps a bit too hard. But not by 1970s standards. What really won that game for the Flyers was coaching. Shero saw a flaw in their system (just as he'd done vs Boston in 1974, when he go Orr to carry the puck more, and tired him out). He knew the Russians liked to skake the puck into the zone, so he set 4 across the blue line and forced them to dump and chase if they wanted to get the puck into the attack zone. That wasn't their style and they had a hard time adjusting. Of course, the smaller dimensions of NHL rinks compared to European rinks made this tactic easier. Of course the Russians were not used to the hitting and I 'm sure the crowd was intimidating too. But Shero's study of the game was what made the difference. He'd even gone to Russia on his own to learn from them.
Tretiak, however, was an amazing keeper. Not having him playing the second and third periods was a major factor in the US win in 1980. I got to see him play (on TV) in the 1978 World Championships final vs the Czechs in Prague (as I was living in Germany at the time--PSU exchange). A hugely hostile crowd, and the Czechs were buzzing from the start. He stoned them cold--and the Soviets won.
