Weekend Watch: The Miracle on Ice

With nearly every major sports league suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic, fans around the world are yearning for a return to normalcy.

The sports we love will be back, but in the interim, as we wait out the virus that has turned our world upside down, it's important to stay connected to the games we love.

Our Weekend Watch feature touches on the most significant moments in sports history, and luckily for us in this modern age, many of them are viewable online, in their entirety.

1980 Olympic hockey semifinal: USA vs. USSR

I initially resisted the Miracle on Ice, but this series really is incomplete without arguably the greatest moment in American sports history.

Everyone knows the context and symbolism of the Cold War, but watching the broadcast softens some of that, at least for me.

It's still a hockey game, after all, as Al Michaels put it so well to kick off the broadcast. Two teams on the ice, full of players who probably weren't thinking about the implications on a geopolitical level in the moment. And the level of Soviet dominance cannot be overstated. The Soviets had won the last four gold medals before 1980 and won three straight immediately after (although 1992 was technically the "Unified Team" of former republics of the Soviet Union).

I was struck by the way the game is played in comparison today, which is not uncommon for this series. Outside of the goaltenders — with their absurdly unsafe facemasks and stand-up style —  the speed of the action is the most noticeable aspect of change. Compared to the blindingly fast players at every advanced level of modern hockey, 1980's Olympic hockey more resembles my local pickup game.

The Americans' first goal, by Buzz Schneider from just inside the blue line, changed the complexion of the contest — never let an underdog start to believe it can hang around — but it was the wonky second goal, to tie the score at 2-2 at the end of the first period, that completely turned the game on its head and sent the Soviets into disarray. If you want to read the inside story about the in-game Soviet goaltending saga, I'd suggest Wayne Coffey's The Boys of Winter, which includes the best telling of the USSR side that I've encountered.

Goaltending was not an issue for the team in red, white, and blue, though, and watching Jim Craig 40 years later — although it's akin to viewing the high jump before the Fosbury Flop — is the most enjoyable part of this game.

So take a load off and watch Craig embody the "stood on his head" cliche, and cheer on Mike Eruzione and the boys.