As we await the next Ranger game vs. the Sabres I thought we'd go off on a slight tangent for a bit.
I was reminded by a poster on the Rodents board that today is the anniversary of the miracle on ice......the 1980 Olympic hockey team defeated the Soviets to advance to the gold medal game.
As a high school senior at the time I had stopped playing hockey and missed it. I loved the sport as much as anyone could......but playing then was just not possible. There was little to no ice available, the economy was crap and I was getting into the music biz.
The Nixon/Ford/Carter years had taken it's toll on America. I personally had led a large group of students from several local schools to protest the hostage crisis in Iran. The Soviets had invaded Afghanistan. People wanted to have American pride but it just wasn't happening.
The lop-sided loss at MSG to the Soviets didn't fill me with much hope going into the games at Lake Placid. I mean c'mon.......a bunch of college kids against the best hockey team in the world? Those guys were beating NHL teams.
Of course you all know what happened. But for those of you not alive at the time, understand this. That team did way more than win a hockey game. They helped the USA regain it's voice.....it's heart. Overnight it seemed that everyone had suddenly become hockey fans and proud Americans. I can't even discuss this without getting emotional.
My country of which I was and still am very proud, found itself because of a hockey team. My sport had helped change my country........do I believe in miracles? Yes.
That leads me to one more tangent. I have been remiss in that I haven't done this in a while. I want to thank all the members of the US Armed Services, Coast Guard, our Police and Firemen. I respect all the readers of Hockeybird but it's you I am most proud of.
----}- Bird
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