Ah yes!  I have been smiling reading all these accounts of the game, live
and replay!

In Minneapolis, we had a great interest in the team as quite a few Gophers
were on that 1980 Team!!!  Herb Brooks was a friendly coach who always had
time to chat and take a look at the photos I shot of the Gophers games.
Herb always had time to say hello whenever I saw him at the arena, even as
recently as three years ago.  I had cheered them on as Gophers and as
Olympians.  I had been a hockey fan for almost 10 years at this point.

I remember that the game started at 4PM Central time and I had a radio with
me at work, so on went the headset and I listened.  Work ended at 4:30 so
me and my radio took the bus home and then turned on the radio full blast
when I got home.   I remember pacing the floor and yelling.  I was alone,
and surprisingly no one called the cops! :-)

At the end of the game I called my brother, all excited: "We won!  WE
WON!!!"  He was calmly eating dinner, had no clue. (not a hockey fan)

I had made plans with some friends to go over to their house that night and
watch the game, and I agree, knowing the score made no difference!  On my
drive home that night it was incredible!  It was like the whole world took
a happy pill!

Of course we all reconvened at my friends house for the Gold Medal game and
were so excited when they won!  We went driving around and honking horns,
waving, there was such jubilation!  What a rush.

I only watched parts of the replay last night, but the joy in hearing...
"Do you believe in Miracles?  YES!!!" ...will never go away!

-Carol
Go Gophers!!!


-----Original Message-----
From: - Hockey-L - The College Hockey Discussion List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Mark Lewin
Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2005 11:35 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: it all comes back

Just finished watching the replay of US vs USSR from 1980. I never saw the
game televised live (it wasn't televised live in this area) but I remember
seeing numerous replays and highlights after the fact. I was a big hockey
fan even back then and I remember that I was working at bingo that Friday
night at my volunteer Fire Company.  Whenever I had a minute, I ran into
the kitchen to listen to the latest update on the radio.
When the final was announced, I screamed so loud, they stopped bingo and
the EMT's came running into the kitchen thinking that I must be dying.

It just seems like it was such an innocent time. In restrospect, of course,
that wasn't true.  The Soviets were invading Afghanistan, the Iranians had
kidnapped Americans.  It was anything but innocent. But the American team
was made up of amateurs and the Soviets were experienced professionals.
And the unthinkable had happened, just when America needed it the most.

It's truly amazing how it brings a lump to my throat and makes my heart
pound again after all those years.

Tell the truth: how many people watched the game and still cheered when the
US team scored