Directed by: Jacob Rogal, Max Gershberg
It's impossible to reference the 1980 USA Men's Olympic Hockey team and not refer to the words "miracle" or "miraculous". Those words will follow these players around for all time. There are other movies about the team like Miracle (2004), Miracle on Ice (1981), and now Miracle: The Boys of '80 which focuses on the players, their stories, and their complicated relationship with their late head coach Herb Brooks. The documentary reflects a time and place where the Olympics could be held in a quaint little town like Lake Placid, NY, where the opening ceremonies look like they were held on a local football field.
February 1980 was the height of the Cold War between the USA and USSR, but the Soviet hockey team was head and shoulders above all of its competition. They had won each four gold medals in a row and 1980's tournament was supposed to be merely a formality as they claim their fifth straight. The American team was made of players in their late teens or early 20's, but the Soviets were veterans (some in their late 20's or early 30's) who were ostensibly professional players who skirted the then-Olympic amateur-only status by through "Red Army employment".
Days before the Games, the USSR trounced the US in an exhibition at Madison Square Garden 10-3. Their hopes of even competing for a medal, much less beating the unbeatable Soviets. The USA managed a tie in the final minute of play in their first game vs. Sweden. Had they lost that game, there would be no Miracle on Ice to document and sports history would've been drastically changed. The economic and political climate in 1980 called for something to hope for and the US team provided that as they then tallied some unlikely wins. Then, they drew the Soviets in the medal round and the rest is history.
The Boys of '80 is moving because of how it sees the players, their stories, and their lives. Each played hard for Brooks, but they regret that they never got close to him. Brooks wanted it that way, and the players' ambivalence towards him resonates to this day. The players all sit in the arena where they upset the Soviets and ultimately claimed gold two days later, and we have to pinch ourselves that these men who captivated a nation were now older and histories of their own. Many gave thanks to their supportive parents and still get emotional when discussing how they won the gold medal in their honor. Each game is analyzed and the players themselves discuss what went through their minds especially in the final period of the win vs. the Soviets. It was the longest ten minutes of their lives as they clung to a 4-3 lead.
Then after the win, the team partied and basked in the glory, but Brooks, being who he was, said in harsher words that if they don't win the gold, all of this was for naught. The win was so huge that people still forget that the win vs. the Soviets was only a semifinal game. The Soviets likely came in overconfident after thrashing everyone in their path. When the U.S. tied the game late in the first period, the Soviet coach responded by benching their world-class goaltender. When the team trailed late, the coach didn't even pull the goalie to gain an extra attacker on the ice. They were not used to being behind late in a game. The players and Brooks were stunned, but they sure were not going to tell the Soviets.
Miracle captures the essence of the Olympics in 1980 and how the win wasn't simply an upset, but a defining Olympic moment. The players walk around Lake Placid today and many thank them. Is this staged? Possibly, but the sentiments are real. This week, the gold medal winning Men's Hockey Team faced criticism for visiting the White House and the State of the Union address. Years ago, such backlash wouldn't have existed. America was proud of its champions. They still are.
day, only
No comments:
Post a Comment