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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| 25 years ago today -- "Do you believe in miracles?" |
| 2005-02-22 |
| chanting of USA -- USA. It was that hockey team that first heard those words USA -- USA The Miracle on Ice was more than just an Olympic upset; to many Americans, it was an ideological victory in the Cold War as meaningful as the Berlin Airlift or the Apollo moon landing. The upset came at an auspicious time: President Jimmy Carter had just announced that the United States was going to boycott the 1980 Summer Games in Moscow because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and Americans, faced with a major recession and the Iran hostage crisis, were in dire need of something to celebrate. After the game, President Carter called the players to congratulate them, and millions of Americans spent that Friday night in revelry over the triumph of "our boys" over the Russian pros. As ABC hockey announcers Al Michaels and Ken Dryden walked through Lake Placid one afternoon a quarter-century ago, they talked about the sliver-sized hope they had for the upcoming game at Olympic Center. No, not about the United States hockey team beating the mighty Soviet Union -- that would have been ridiculous. Maybe, they reasoned, the U.S. could keep it a game for two periods. It would be great if they could keep the score to, say, 3-1. That's all anyone could ask for. "Just give us a game that isn't a complete rout," Michaels said. Several hours later, the United States clung to a 4-3 lead. The Olympic Center was in a frenzy. Finally, as the puck skittered toward center ice and the last seconds ticked off, another thought -- a single word -- replaced "ridiculous" in Michaels' head. Michaels then translated that spontaneous thought, that word, into the single most famous phrase in sportscasting history, one he swears was unscripted: "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" "I don't know where 'Yes!' came from," Michaels said last week. "I still don't know where 'Do you believe in miracles?' came from. It was a stroke of good fortune. . . . It provided a signature for what had taken place." |
| Posted by:Sherry |
| #11 "Frigate Class Starships"? You're no Trek nerd. |
| Posted by: gromky 2005-02-22 9:44:08 PM |
| #10 In these days, Michaels and Dryden would be censured for outright rooting for the US team. Just give us a game that isn’t a complete rout. Are those the words of an unbiased journalist? No. The NYT would have a reported embedded with the Soviet team. (Name of Duranty, probably.) |
| Posted by: Angie Schultz 2005-02-22 5:32:57 PM |
| #9 It's because they don't have a large enough rink on the Frigate Class Starships to field a decent size team. Therefore they foregoed it. I thought everybody knew that. It was mentioned several times by the Chekov in Trek On 1992, 1995 and 1997. It was also part of a trivia question on TREK GUM Card. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-02-22 4:27:32 PM |
| #8 And why would that be, Shipman? |
| Posted by: Bud Abbott 2005-02-22 1:35:19 PM |
| #7 On the other hand, one of the more poignant themes of Star Trek-DS9, was Commander Sisko's devotion to the dying, if not dead, sport of Baseball. I didn't care much for the series, but the way the writers weaved that theme throughout selected episodes, at certain times, really made one think, "Yes, nothing is forever. Cherish what you have and enjoy it now, for it may not be around for your descendants." |
| Posted by: Ptah 2005-02-22 1:02:52 PM |
| #6 You never see or hear mention of hockey in Star Trek. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-02-22 12:08:24 PM |
| #5 I remember people honking their horns and shouting "USA" on the streets. Yes! It was a big deal at the time. |
| Posted by: Spot 2005-02-22 11:47:57 AM |
| #4 Sorry 'bout that, gromky -- but I have seen the movie about ten times. |
| Posted by: Matt 2005-02-22 11:34:59 AM |
| #3 Shaddap, you dorks, this is one I like to enjoy. There's an excellent film called "Miracle on Ice" that deals with the 1980 U.S. hockey team. It uses real footage from several games, including the win over the Russians. The crowd counting down the seconds before the win is chilling. I remember it well...I hadn't heard the end of the game since it was on originally. The movie is a worthwhile watch if you can pick it up cheap. |
| Posted by: gromky 2005-02-22 11:21:05 AM |
| #2 6- Ward Churchill calls those who get injured on the field "little Eichmanns." 7- Intl. ANSWER cries foul whenever the American team gets a goal. 8- The UN rules against America unless the other team is Israel. 9- Kofi Annan bribes the referees. 10- The ELF booms the zamboni. |
| Posted by: Steve from Relto 2005-02-22 11:03:33 AM |
| #1 And if that had occurred today: 1- Howard Dean says he supposes that's a good thing. 2- Amnesty International reports on vicious bodychecking by the American players. 3- A columnist in the Boston Globe writes, "The Game Is Lost." 4- John Kerry explains that he used to deliver hockey pucks to the Cambodian National Team. 5- Hillary barges into the team's post-game buffet. |
| Posted by: Matt 2005-02-22 10:56:51 AM |