There has been a lot of debating and talk lately about whether or not Team USA defeating Canada Sunday night is a "miracle". I myself have pondered the same thing and if you compare both story lines, they are pretty close to the same deal. Both this team and the 1980 team were young talented players who weren't really given a chance and weren't expected to amount to much during the competition. Then you have the competition. Both the 1980 Soviet team and this years Canadian team were favorites and expected to win gold with their all star, high profile roster. And in both games, it was said that the Americans would need stellar performances by their goaltenders to even have a chance. Well thats exactly what we got out of Ryan Miller.
Ryan Miller was spectactular in goal Sunday stopping almost everything that came away and withstood wave after wave of Canadian offensive chances. When you look at it, the Americans won because Miller was awesome and the Americans wanted it more. Its that simple.
Just watching the emotion and excitement they displayed when a goal was scored made them look like kids out on the pond playing just for the fun of playing. That may be so because for the most part, this year's edition of Team USA was a bunch of "kids". USA fielded the youngest team in the tournament, brought only three players with past Olympic experience. Only five members of team USA were even alive when the Miracle On Ice even happened and the oldest was five years old at that time.
You really gotta credit the selection committee of Team USA for taking this approach when they did. They could have easily chosen the same usual guys that have gotten the job done but what the hay, they got the experience and know what it takes to win in this kind of event. But they chose a different route this time. They wanted to bring back what brought them their success in the first place. Young skillful talent that are the products of the college hockey system. So here stands the group of 20 something who all played for the top hockey colleges in the country. Minnesota, Michigan, Boston U, Boston College, and many more.
To add the bringing back of the youth they brought back similar style uniforms that they wore in 1980 and a special throwback uniform to resemble the look of the 1960 Olympic team, which so happened to be the last team to beat the Canadians.
But back to the comparison of the 1980 Miracle on Ice. That win brought the nation closer together and gave them something to hold on to during a rough time in the country. Here we are in 2010 facing rough ecomonic times as well, tho may not be as bad, still Americans are struggling. Enter the USA hockey team. This game was the most watched hockey game in America since the Miracle on Ice and was nearly MSNBC's highest rated program of all time. And all over Americans were huddled in front of the tv's pulling their emotions every way possible with how things went down on the ice.
Even though it occurred in a lesser fashion, Sundays win did indeed give Americans everywhere hope, a reason to come together, and something to believe in. Like that 1980 win, this win is bigger than just the event itself. Even though what was at stake was a far lesser value, how Americans looked at a team changed. At first everyone felt that the team maybe had a shot at a medal but they weren't quite there yet but after Sunday a majority of fans believe that this team can win the gold medal. And with the draw they got in the playoffs, you can't help but think so. The win over Canada didn't ensure USA the gold medal game but it did give them the best possible path to it. With Sweden, Canada, and Russia, the three teams favored to medal in this Olympics, all USA has to do is take care of their business and thusly will only have to worry about one of those teams. Really the only team standing in USA's way from playing for a gold medal is Finland, whom I personally show confidence in that they can be the Fins.
This will be the second time in less than a year that a national team has given the country something to hold onto and become a part of. Who woulda ever guessed that the two sports to provide these great moments for us are the two least popular major sports in America, soccer and hockey. Thanks to Team USA's strong outing in last years Confederations Cup which included a win against them #1 Spain and a very close to winning but fell short at the end but still great effort against the royalty of soccer in Brazil. Then once the World Cup draw came Americans everywhere couldn't hold back their excitement after learning they'd get to take on England in the first round. All those events combined led to Unite States soccer fans lead the world in most tickets purchased to this summers tournament in South Africa.
Now you got all eyes on USA hockey. Which is really what the sport has been needing. This kind of showing at the world stage should and will bring in new fans and new athletes to game just as it did in 1980. USA hockey may not have yet hit it out of the park like it did in 1980 but it's come pretty darn close and has given us all in something to believe in.
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