DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES was said by Al Michaels at the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid 40 years ago on February 22nd. It was a semi finals game against the US Olympic Hockey Team and the Soviet Union.
The Soviet Union players were more experienced, stronger, faster, and better than the US team, but NOT on that day. THE US team out played the Soviet Union and had the HEART to win.
Back on this day in 1980, all eyes were on the IRAN hostages. That was the headline in the news. President Jimmy Carter was in office.
The US Hockey team went in to the Olympics trying to win the bronze or at best, the silver. Little did they know, the coaching style of Herb Brooks would have them in the right frame of mind to do the impossible and that was to beat the Soviet Union. PLAY YOUR GAME!
It was more than just a game. It was more than HOCKEY. It was a moment in US HISTORY that uplifted a nation. It brought us together. It made us stronger. It gave hope to all of us. Later we would find out that it would give hope to the IRAN HOSTAGES when they were finally released.
The game made the US HOCKEY team instant celebrities and most likely none of them had to buy another beer at a bar for the rest of their lives. The Soviet players went back home disgraced with a lot of explaining to do.
BUT for 40 years, movies and documentaries have been made and for me, a 55 year old man, I always cry when that timer goes to ZERO and the US TEAM wins and celebrates and you hear Al Michaels and his most famous play by play call.
Where did DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES by Al Michaels come from? It just happened because he felt the emotion of the game and everyone watching or listening to his voice felt the emotion right along with him.
The game was not on LIVE television. It was actually recorded to play back later. The world didn't know the US won until a few hours after the fact. Back then, social media wasn't invented so we truly had to watch it on television or read about it in the paper.
Saturday February 22nd, 2020 will be 40 years. The US HOCKEY team will reunite and all but two players will attend. Coach Herb Brooks passed away in 2003. Al Michaels is still going strong.
THE US did win the GOLD that year on February 24th against FINLAND. BUT, the moment that everyone will remember and the reason why we celebrate was that semi finals game against the Soviet Union.
Do You Believe In Miracles? YES!
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