Thursday, February 22, 2007

27 Years Ago Today...

(reprinted from 2005 with permission from Xmastime)

1980 US Hockey Team: the Babe Ruth of all "Chokes Xmastime Up Moments." If that damn HBO doc was on a loop, I would never leave my house. By the time I've worked myself up about the enormous political innuendo, and the fact that they really were a bunch of kids playing the greatest team ever assembled, I'm at fever pitch when Mike Eruzione talks about Coach Brooks telling them before they skated out to play the Russians "You were born to play hockey. You belong here." At this age, I can barely get through another viewing of the medal ceremony when he calls all his teammates to jump up on the podium with him. Man. Can't imagine this one being topped, with all the periphery stuff going on.

See also: http://www.sheilaomalley.com/archives/006066.html



1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I'm surprised at you Xmastime, you didn't mention the end of the story.

After beating the Ruskies, the US still had to beat the Czechs to win the gold medal. Before they took the ice, coach Herb Brooks told his players that if they didn't win they would regret it to their graves. "Yer fuckin' graves."

RIP Herb, and Dennis Johnson. Gonna pour a 40 later.