Miracle On Ice Miracle—defined by Miriam-Webster as, “an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs.” That’s what the dictionary would say, but the accompanying picture would show the 1980 USA Men’s Olympic hockey team with their gloves in the air celebrating their impossible victory over the powerhouse USSR. Widely considered as the greatest moment in sports history, the “Miracle On Ice” saw a group of college kids defeat arguably the greatest international hockey team of all time, the 1980 USSR team, en route to a gold medal. The main reasons why I wish I could have experienced in person include the improbability of Team USA’s victory, the electric atmosphere, and how it helped reestablish national pride in the midst of the Cold War. How unfathomable was Team USA’s victory? Just a
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Goliath matchup, it pitted the USA vs. the USSR at a time when American national pride needed a boost during the Cold War. In 1980, Cold War tensions between the two nations continued boiling and took its toll on American society. For example, the Soviets had just invaded Afghanistan, a group of Americans were being held hostage in Iran, and the US economy was struggling. America needed something to regain its national pride and the “Miracle” gave them that. While the matchup of freedom vs. communism didn’t seem like a fair fight on the ice, freedom proved that no matter what the odds are, it would always prevail. Although America’s victory didn’t tear down the Berlin Wall, many Americans certainly felt it was a turning point in the Cold War. Throughout the game, fans were waving the flag and chanting “U-S-A,” something that had not occurred very often during an era of political tension and unpopular wars. People were proud to be American again thanks to a simple hockey game. The rediscovered national pride not only helped the USA win the hockey game against the Soviets, but also helped win the Cold
Goliath matchup, it pitted the USA vs. the USSR at a time when American national pride needed a boost during the Cold War. In 1980, Cold War tensions between the two nations continued boiling and took its toll on American society. For example, the Soviets had just invaded Afghanistan, a group of Americans were being held hostage in Iran, and the US economy was struggling. America needed something to regain its national pride and the “Miracle” gave them that. While the matchup of freedom vs. communism didn’t seem like a fair fight on the ice, freedom proved that no matter what the odds are, it would always prevail. Although America’s victory didn’t tear down the Berlin Wall, many Americans certainly felt it was a turning point in the Cold War. Throughout the game, fans were waving the flag and chanting “U-S-A,” something that had not occurred very often during an era of political tension and unpopular wars. People were proud to be American again thanks to a simple hockey game. The rediscovered national pride not only helped the USA win the hockey game against the Soviets, but also helped win the Cold