It was 46 years ago

To the day that the US won the gold this year, that the legendary Miracle on Ice took place.  I was in 7th grade when that miracle happened, and only vaguely aware that a sport called hockey existed.  This is football country after all, with the occasional nod to college basketball or baseball (see the Big Red Machine from a few years earlier).  But in February of 1980, on the 22nd, I became very aware of hockey.  

It was the Cold War.  And though you already had a significant portion of the American Left working overtime to turn as many Americans against our own country as it could, they were still a minority. Even if they enjoyed a disproportionate representation in many of our nation's elite institutions, the main gist seemed to be a desire for God Bless America to continue.  So needless to say, that underdog victory against the Soviets came as quite a patriotic boost.  Especially in the doldrums of Carter's last year as president.  

Fast forward to today.  We always try to watch the Olympics.  The first one I was aware of was the 1976 Montreal Olympics, when young Nadia Comaneci wowed the world in gymnastics.  Others would follow.  In most years it's a mix of astonishing victories and crushing disappointments.  

Perhaps the most enjoyable games as a spectacle were the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan in 1998.  Beyond the famous Hermanator's crash of the ages (He'll be back!):

it was probably the most interesting, for the media did wonders unpacking life in Japan, its history, its culture - you felt like you were there visiting in person.  

For my older boys, there will never be one like the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  You had Usain Bolt absolutely stunning the world in a track record that has yet to be beat.  Quite simply, he is bult like a distance runner but has the speed of a sprinter.  And of course, you had the aquatic phenom Michael Phelps becoming the record breaking gold medal winner in one of the most thrilling photo finishes in Olympics history: 

Phelps and Bolt would be back to do it again in the troubled, yet exciting, 2016 Rio Olympics, that also saw the rise of swimming superstar Katie Ledecky.  When the broadcast showed an animated map demonstrating how many miles she has swam and how many times that would circle the globe, the boys still chuckle thinking of it. 

So not only are there always thrill a minute moments, there's just a certain pride in seeing one's own country do well.  I know, there have been protests over the years.  In fact, my sons asked me this year if any Olympic athletes outside of the US have ever protested their own country at the Olympics like we've had happen. I told them I'm sure I don't know.  

But those are usually the exception to the rule.  And we saw it this time, as Americans couldn't help but be proud on the anniversary of the Miracle on Ice (and Washington's birthday to boot!), when the (once again) underdog USA hockey team pulled a stunner in yet another nail biter for the record books. 

We got home from Mass just in time to see the last seconds of regulation time before they went into overtime with a 1 to 1 score.  Knowing very little of hockey, I get the gist - get puck in goal.  And apparently the US goalie is legend, because through the entire Olympics I believe he allowed only two goals.  Without knowing much, I can tell that's impressive. 

But it was an exciting, nail-biting win.  And it was a good feeling, and a little bit of a return to Proud to be an American thinking.  Not a bad thing in these crazy times. 

From the man who made the winning goal