Part 1 of 2
(part 2 will be posted Sunday for obvious reasons)
It was 33 years today, February 22, 1980, in Lake Placid, New York, as the proverbial saying always went, where on this night the only thing that was placid there was the lake.
The XIII Winter Olympic Games were being held in the tiny village of Lake Placid. It was a spectacular Olympic Games, only matched by the village's audacity to hold those games there. Lake Placid had held the games in 1932 and the good folks there had wanted them back for a long time.
On October 13, 1974 the IOC officially awarded the games back to Lake Placid for the XIII Winter Olympic Games.
But the games would be held for the American people who was disheartened and cynical and who could blame them? The Ayatolla Khomeini had kidnapped and held 52 Americans imprisoned for more than 100 days. The Soviets had attacked Afghanistan and here we faced increasing domestic inflation, unemployment, and economic uncertainty (kind of like right now with another Democratic politician and dictator wannabe, eh?). This period may have been the lowest time for American self confidence.
One hockey team would make this country turn the corner. One team, one game and one goal.
Herb Brooks was the hockey coach for the University of Minnesota. He was given the job of coaching the 1980 U.S. team. Brooks was no stranger to the U.S. Olympic hockey program. After being the last man cut from the gold medal team's roster in 1960, Brooks went on to play on the 1964 and 1968 Olympic teams, as well as on five other U.S. National Teams. Brooks, who had just finished leading the University of Minnesota's Golden Gophers to the national championship in 1979, now had the responsibility of selecting the 20 players to represent his United States Olympic team. Brooks didn't take any chances, he went with what he knew; local boys. So, while 12 of the 20 players on the final roster were native Minnesotans, nine of those 12 were players whom Brooks had coached as Gophers.
The Americans, who, since the inception of the Winter Games, had won one gold medal (1960), four silver medals (1924, 1952, 1956 & 1972), and one bronze (1936), were eager to bring home some hardware on their native soil. Having finished fourth during the previous Olympics, in 1976 at Innsbruck, Austria, under coach "Badger" Bob Johnson, the U.S. knew it would never have a better opportunity than the one they had in front of them in Lake Placid, N.Y.
In early September, the team began as challenging an exhibition schedule as had ever been organized for an American Olympic squad. Beginning with an initial European tour in early September, the team played a 61-game pre-Olympic schedule against foreign, college and professional teams, ultimately finishing with a 42-16-3 record. It was during this time together that the players were introduced to Brooks' new offensive game plan called the 'weave.'
Brooks felt that if his club was going to compete against Europeans, they had better learn how to play like Europeans.
The Americans last game on the exhibition schedule was the true "BIG RED MACHINE", the Soviet Union in New York City's Madison Square Garden. It was no contest. The Soviets blew out the Americans 10-3. After the game Brooks stated "Our guys were applauding the Soviets when they were introduced".
So it appeared that the destiny of the two teams were set; the American would finish out of medal contention and the Soviets would blow everyone out and win yet another gold medal.
I think this is where my grandmother always said "Don't count your chickens before they hatch."
The first game in the XIII Winter Olympics for the U.S. was versus Sweden who was favored in the U.S. side of the bracket. The U.S. trailed 2-1 with 27 seconds left to play in the game when Billy Baker scored and the U.S. skated off with a tie AND most importantly, one point in that bracket. This would be THE catalyst for the young American team.
Game number 2 for the U.S. was versus the favored Czechoslovakia team and some said the Czechs were the second best team in the world. As Herb Brooks always told his players "use your youth" the Americans skated circles around the Czechs and dominated them 7-3. After beating Norway and Romania now only West Germany (the team that knocked them out of the bronze medal in 1976) stood in the way of getting into the medal round. Down 2-0 in the first, the Minnesota boys came through big as McClanahan and Broten each tallied to tie it up. McClanahan then scored again on another breakaway in the third, and Phil Verchota lit the lamp late to give the U.S. a 4-2 win over the Germans. This gave the Americans a round robin record of 4-0-1, and a date with the greatest team in the world.
But Herb Brooks had planned this moment for 20 years, studying the Soviets, playing against the Soviets and coaching against the Soviets and he devised a strategy to throw the Soviet game right back at them and take it to a realm they had never seen before. So on February 22, 1980 at 5:00 pm, the puck was dropped and the game of a lifetime began.
As expected, the Soviets' Olympic team began an immediate offensive assault against the Americans, but the Americans were staying with them.
Goalie Jim Craig looked sharp, as sharp as he ever had. The U.S. team was gaining confidence as the first period progressed, even if they were getting out-shot badly. With his team trailing 2-1 near the end of the first period, Mark Johnson skated through two defenders to drive hard to the net after Dave Christian cranked a long shot. Vladislav Tretiak, acknowledged by all the greatest goaltender in the world and maybe ever, inexplicably let a rebound bounce off his pads as if it had a spring attached. It went directly to Johnson, who drilled it past him with one second left. The goal gave the USA a major lift going into the second period. After Johnson's goal, Soviet coach Viktor Tikhonov stunned one and all by removing Tretiak and replacing him with backup goalie Vladimir Myshkin.
Years later, when Mark Johnson found himself playing on the same New Jersey Devils team with Slava Fetisov and Alexei Kasatonov, members of the 1980 Soviet team, he asked Fetisov why Coach Tikhonov had pulled Tretiak. Fetisov just shook his head and said two words with his thick Russian accent: "Coach crazy."
The Soviets went ahead quickly in the second period and they skated off the ice with the Soviets ahead 3-2 going into the third and final period.
The third period began and Vladimir Krutov was sent to the penalty box at the 6:47 mark of the third period for high-sticking. The Americans, who had managed only two shots on Myshkin in 27 minutes, had a power play and a rare offensive opportunity. Myshkin stopped a Mike Ramsey shot, then U.S. team captain Mike Eruzione fired a shot wide. Late in the power play, Dave Silk was advancing into the Soviet zone when Valeri Vasiliev knocked him to the ice. The puck slid to Mark Johnson. Johnson fired off a shot that went under Myshkin and into the net at the 8:39 mark, as the power play was ending, tying the game at 3-3.
At this point Brooks was short-shifting his players to keep them fresh. Two minutes after Johnson's goal, Team Captain and Boston's own Mike Eruzione jumped off the bench with a burst of energy.
And now everything lines up for the shot heard around the world.
Eruzione ended up in the slot, where Pavelich found him with a pass. Eruzione fired a 25-foot wrist shot that skipped through a screen and past Myshkin. In that arena, as well as all over, ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE! The USA 4, THE USSR 3. Problem was.... there was still 10 minutes to play.
Minute by minute, shift by shift and it seemed the minutes were hours. The Soviets, trailing for the first time in the game, attacked furiously. Moments after Eruzione's goal, Maltsev fired a shot which ricocheted off the right goal post. As the minutes wound down, Brooks kept repeating to his players, "Play your game. Play your game." Instead of going into a defensive crouch, the United States continued to play offense, even getting off a few more shots on goal. The Soviets began to shoot wildly, and Sergei Starikov admitted that "we were panicking." As the clock ticked down below a minute, the Soviets got the puck back into the American zone, and Mikhailov passed to Vladimir Petrov, who shot wide. The Soviets never pulled Myshkin for an extra attacker, much to the Americans' disbelief. Starikov later explained that "We never did six-on-five", not even in practice, because "Tikhonov just didn't believe in it." Craig kicked away a Petrov slap shot with 33 seconds left. Kharlamov fired the puck back in as the clock ticked below 20 seconds. A wild scramble for the puck ensued, ending when Johnson found it and passed it to Ken Morrow. As the U.S. team tried to clear the zone (move the puck over the blue line, which they did with seven seconds remaining), the crowd began to count down the seconds left.
Sportscaster Al Michaels, who was calling the game on ABC along with former Montreal Canadiens goalie Ken Dryden, picked up on the countdown in his broadcast, and delivered his famous call:
“11 seconds, you've got 10 seconds, the countdown going on right now! Morrow, up to Silk. Five seconds left in the game. Do you believe in miracles?! YES!”
Click here for last minute
The celebration that followed the game felt surreal to the players involved. Craig was buried by the crush of his teammates, and sticks and gloves were scattered everywhere. Euphoria reigned, and for the next few hours, players were besieged by well-wishers. Fans lined the short distance between the arena to the media center, forcing the team bus to inch it way toward the press conference. As fans banged on the bus, one player, most seem to think it was Neal Broten, started singing, "God Bless America." Other players quickly joined in.
In the aftermath of the game, Sports Illustrated reported in the Sportsmen of the Year issue of December 22, 1980 the immediate reaction that was going on around the country that was typical EVERYWHERE:
"In Babbitt, Minn., hometown of Forward Buzzie Schneider, guys went into their backyards and began firing shotguns toward the heavens. Kaboom! Kaboom! WE BEAT THE RUSSIANS! In Santa Monica a photographer heard the outcome of the game and went into his local grocery store, a mom-and-pop operation run by an elderly immigrant couple. "Guess what," he said. "Our boys beat the Russians." The old grocer looked at him. "No kidding?"
Then he started to cry. "No kidding?"
In Winthrop, Mass., 70 people gathered outside the home of Mike Eruzione, who had scored the winning goal, and croaked out the national anthem. Not God Bless America, which is what the players were singing in Lake Placid. The Star-Spangled Banner.
One man was listening to the game in his car, driving through a thunderstorm, with the U.S. clinging to a 4-3 lead. He kept pounding his hands on the steering wheel in excitement. Finally he pulled off the highway and listened as the countdown started...5...4...3...2...1...WE BEAT THE RUSSIANS! He started to honk his horn. He yelled inside his car. It felt absolutely wonderful. He got out and started to scream in the rain. There were 10 other cars pulled off to the side of the road, 10 other drivers yelling their fool heads off in the rain. They made a huddle, and then they hollered together—WE BEAT THE RUSSIANS! Perfect strangers dancing beside the highway with 18-wheelers zooming by and spraying them with grime."
Years after the event, it's easier to see that the Soviets badly underestimated the Americans' talent. After soundly beating the United States in Madison Square Garden, the Soviets never entertained the possibility that the Americans would give them a better game in their next meeting.
In part two I will explore the final game versus Finland and aftermath.
(Obviously this blog couldn't be written without Wikipedia, USA Hockey, ESPN, Sports Illustrated and I take absolutely no credit for it. After 33 years I still can't put this into words and translate it and live up to the standard it so richly deserves. I celebrate this day every year and it does not go by without me thinking back and tearing up.
I will cite all my references then.)
 |
| Official Poster of the Games |
It was 33 years today, February 22, 1980, in Lake Placid, New York, as the proverbial saying always went, where on this night the only thing that was placid there was the lake.
The XIII Winter Olympic Games were being held in the tiny village of Lake Placid. It was a spectacular Olympic Games, only matched by the village's audacity to hold those games there. Lake Placid had held the games in 1932 and the good folks there had wanted them back for a long time.
On October 13, 1974 the IOC officially awarded the games back to Lake Placid for the XIII Winter Olympic Games.
One hockey team would make this country turn the corner. One team, one game and one goal.
 |
| Herb Brooks |
The Americans, who, since the inception of the Winter Games, had won one gold medal (1960), four silver medals (1924, 1952, 1956 & 1972), and one bronze (1936), were eager to bring home some hardware on their native soil. Having finished fourth during the previous Olympics, in 1976 at Innsbruck, Austria, under coach "Badger" Bob Johnson, the U.S. knew it would never have a better opportunity than the one they had in front of them in Lake Placid, N.Y.
 |
| The 1980 team as it began exhibition play in September of 1979 |
Brooks felt that if his club was going to compete against Europeans, they had better learn how to play like Europeans.
The Americans last game on the exhibition schedule was the true "BIG RED MACHINE", the Soviet Union in New York City's Madison Square Garden. It was no contest. The Soviets blew out the Americans 10-3. After the game Brooks stated "Our guys were applauding the Soviets when they were introduced".
So it appeared that the destiny of the two teams were set; the American would finish out of medal contention and the Soviets would blow everyone out and win yet another gold medal.
I think this is where my grandmother always said "Don't count your chickens before they hatch."
 |
| The 1980 Swedes |
Game number 2 for the U.S. was versus the favored Czechoslovakia team and some said the Czechs were the second best team in the world. As Herb Brooks always told his players "use your youth" the Americans skated circles around the Czechs and dominated them 7-3. After beating Norway and Romania now only West Germany (the team that knocked them out of the bronze medal in 1976) stood in the way of getting into the medal round. Down 2-0 in the first, the Minnesota boys came through big as McClanahan and Broten each tallied to tie it up. McClanahan then scored again on another breakaway in the third, and Phil Verchota lit the lamp late to give the U.S. a 4-2 win over the Germans. This gave the Americans a round robin record of 4-0-1, and a date with the greatest team in the world.
But Herb Brooks had planned this moment for 20 years, studying the Soviets, playing against the Soviets and coaching against the Soviets and he devised a strategy to throw the Soviet game right back at them and take it to a realm they had never seen before. So on February 22, 1980 at 5:00 pm, the puck was dropped and the game of a lifetime began.
As expected, the Soviets' Olympic team began an immediate offensive assault against the Americans, but the Americans were staying with them.
 |
| Jim Craig |
Years later, when Mark Johnson found himself playing on the same New Jersey Devils team with Slava Fetisov and Alexei Kasatonov, members of the 1980 Soviet team, he asked Fetisov why Coach Tikhonov had pulled Tretiak. Fetisov just shook his head and said two words with his thick Russian accent: "Coach crazy."
The Soviets went ahead quickly in the second period and they skated off the ice with the Soviets ahead 3-2 going into the third and final period.
The third period began and Vladimir Krutov was sent to the penalty box at the 6:47 mark of the third period for high-sticking. The Americans, who had managed only two shots on Myshkin in 27 minutes, had a power play and a rare offensive opportunity. Myshkin stopped a Mike Ramsey shot, then U.S. team captain Mike Eruzione fired a shot wide. Late in the power play, Dave Silk was advancing into the Soviet zone when Valeri Vasiliev knocked him to the ice. The puck slid to Mark Johnson. Johnson fired off a shot that went under Myshkin and into the net at the 8:39 mark, as the power play was ending, tying the game at 3-3.
At this point Brooks was short-shifting his players to keep them fresh. Two minutes after Johnson's goal, Team Captain and Boston's own Mike Eruzione jumped off the bench with a burst of energy.
And now everything lines up for the shot heard around the world.
 |
| THE shot .... and the lead! |
 |
| USA celebrating after the Eruzione Goal |
Sportscaster Al Michaels, who was calling the game on ABC along with former Montreal Canadiens goalie Ken Dryden, picked up on the countdown in his broadcast, and delivered his famous call:
“11 seconds, you've got 10 seconds, the countdown going on right now! Morrow, up to Silk. Five seconds left in the game. Do you believe in miracles?! YES!”
 |
| The end of the game and pandemonium! |
 |
| "No words necessary, just pictures." - Al Michaels |
In the aftermath of the game, Sports Illustrated reported in the Sportsmen of the Year issue of December 22, 1980 the immediate reaction that was going on around the country that was typical EVERYWHERE:
"In Babbitt, Minn., hometown of Forward Buzzie Schneider, guys went into their backyards and began firing shotguns toward the heavens. Kaboom! Kaboom! WE BEAT THE RUSSIANS! In Santa Monica a photographer heard the outcome of the game and went into his local grocery store, a mom-and-pop operation run by an elderly immigrant couple. "Guess what," he said. "Our boys beat the Russians." The old grocer looked at him. "No kidding?"
Then he started to cry. "No kidding?"
In Winthrop, Mass., 70 people gathered outside the home of Mike Eruzione, who had scored the winning goal, and croaked out the national anthem. Not God Bless America, which is what the players were singing in Lake Placid. The Star-Spangled Banner.
One man was listening to the game in his car, driving through a thunderstorm, with the U.S. clinging to a 4-3 lead. He kept pounding his hands on the steering wheel in excitement. Finally he pulled off the highway and listened as the countdown started...5...4...3...2...1...WE BEAT THE RUSSIANS! He started to honk his horn. He yelled inside his car. It felt absolutely wonderful. He got out and started to scream in the rain. There were 10 other cars pulled off to the side of the road, 10 other drivers yelling their fool heads off in the rain. They made a huddle, and then they hollered together—WE BEAT THE RUSSIANS! Perfect strangers dancing beside the highway with 18-wheelers zooming by and spraying them with grime."
Years after the event, it's easier to see that the Soviets badly underestimated the Americans' talent. After soundly beating the United States in Madison Square Garden, the Soviets never entertained the possibility that the Americans would give them a better game in their next meeting.
In part two I will explore the final game versus Finland and aftermath.
(Obviously this blog couldn't be written without Wikipedia, USA Hockey, ESPN, Sports Illustrated and I take absolutely no credit for it. After 33 years I still can't put this into words and translate it and live up to the standard it so richly deserves. I celebrate this day every year and it does not go by without me thinking back and tearing up.
I will cite all my references then.)
| 1980 U.S. Olympic Roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Assistant Coach: Craig Patrick, Oxon Hill, Maryland General Manager: Ralph Jasinski, St. Paul, Minn. Trainer: Gary Smith, Minneapolis, Minn. |
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