USA pride from 1980 Olympics recalled

By Mike Brown

LAKE PLACID -- President Barack Obama’s inauguration ceremony captured the complete attention of our nation and the world, and sparked a mix of emotions ranging from patriotic pride, renewal, and a celebration of history many people thought they would never see in their lifetimes.

Those same emotions dominated the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid. Each year when television networks and publications name the “most memorable sports highlights,” at the top of the list is typically the miracle success of the USA Olympic Hockey Team.

“Do You Believe in Miracles?” was the classic television broadcast delivered so eloquently by a then little-known journalist named Al Michaels.

It was my pleasure to be sitting in the press box near where Mr. Michaels told the world about the pride of the hockey team. My assignment was covering the gold medal hockey game and other Olympic activities for the national Ottaway Newspaper Group.

Yet until President Obama stood in front of the world to become the historic new president of the United States, I haven’t personally experienced such a high level of patriotic positive zeal since the 1980 Winter Olympics.

The February 25, 1980 lead story in Ottaway newspapers around the nation said “The United States Olympic hockey team had more than enough magic left over from Friday’s stunning upset of the Soviet Union to claim the USA’s first gold medal in the sport since 1960 with a 4-2 decision over Finland.”

Most people want to think the USA beat the Soviets for the gold but it took a second day of miracles for the United States to win gold with a difficult victory over a talented team from Finland. The USA trailed Finland 2-1 late in the match.

Before that epic Sunday game in the tiny New York mountain village of Lake Placid, a place about the size of Edgerton here in Northwest Ohio, the anthems of both nations played. Standing next to me, a journalist from Finland stood stoically with tears streaming down her face as her national anthem played. I had never seen that level of patriotism from anyone in the United States.

She explained to me in broken English how much she loved her country, how proud she was to represent Finland and stand to honor the nation and its hockey team.

The lessons are valuable from the 1980 success stories, during a transition time in America after the 1970s were tarnished by President Nixon, gasoline shortages, and the documented slippage of national pride and economic strength.

Perhaps those years seems like ancient history to many of today’s teens and young adults who tend to think anything that happened last week is old news.

Ice hockey was an obscure sport in the United States leading up to 1980. The Soviet Olympic Team (remember the Soviet Union?) had beaten the USA by a ridiculous score of something like 20-1 at an exhibition match in New York City.

There was nobody in the world, outside of the late coach Herb Brooks and young skaters such as Ken Morrow from Bowling Green State University, who thought the USA would be competitive with any team in the Olympics.

After the USA skaters won the gold medal, they streamed outside single file through a crowd of amazed fans and headed to the nearby media center in the old dusty gymnasium of Lake Placid High School. Reporters from around the world were just learning how to operate primitive laptop computers through land line phone couplers.

The team liked to call themselves the Comeback Kids; the average age was 22 compared to 30 for the international teams. They were as stunned and proud as anyone else that they had won the Olympic gold medal. It was refreshing.

They were over-achievers, and never gave up. Given a chance, they proved the nation and the world wrong.

Those emotional and proud moments in the little villages of Lake Placid don’t come along often enough. They are enduring memories and lessons in life for every generation.

Regardless of your political viewpoint, ideally you can see where President Obama is trying to take this nation’s mindset and pride at a time of challenge and change. Did you see his televised remarks when the cameras turned high in the Congressional setting and the little girl who wrote him a letter was featured?

There were millions of Americans besides me shedding a tear of pride and joy during President Obama’s address. Perhaps we’re not sure why, but it’s a good thing; just like that European journalist listening to her nation’s anthem in advance of Finland going for the gold against the USA in the 1980 Olympics.