February 22, 1980

Where were you 30 years ago today? I was a junior at Miami University and had recently been elected Commander (President) of my fraternity, Sigma Nu. We had a small controversy brewing. It was our first social with a sorority since the new officers took over and as the US Hockey team kept winning, it was clear they were going to play the Soviet Union during the social. It all worked out and the win helped all of us celebrate (like we needed a reason).


Many of you weren't born 30 years ago. It seems like yesterday. If you didn't live through that time, it's hard to describe. The US was getting beat up everywhere. We couldn't rescue our hostages in Iran, inflation was in the teens, the economy looked like 2008, and we had lost the respect of the world. There were no cell phones, e-mail, I-Pods or Twitter. Hard to believe, there was no ESPN either. For those of you who don't remember, the Soviet Union and the entire communist block played with professional teams in the Olympics. The Americans (and others) were amateurs, consisting of mostly college players. To make matters worse, a few days before the Olympics began in Lake Placid, NY, the Soviet Union pasted the US 10-3 in an exhibition.


What happened in Lake Placid was a miracle. It was a shot of adrenaline to an otherwise downbeat nation. Every few years we have this swelling of national pride. This was one of those times. Two days later, the team would win the gold medal against Sweden. On February 22nd, it didn't matter. They had come face to face with the enemy and won!


This weekend, there have been several documentaries celebrating the 30th anniversary. As I look at the names on their jerseys, very few were superstars. This was truly a team effort spearheaded by one of the great coaches in our lifetime, Herb Brooks. For six months, he molded them into a team, pushing them beyond their physical limits. By all accounts, they were the best conditioned team in the Olympics. He was a master of motivation. The combination of the men on the team and Herb Brooks and his coaches was a unique recipe for success.


Mark Eruzione, the captain of the team, made a comment that said that the team needed Herb Brooks, but Herb needed the individuals of the team. He also said they genuinely liked each other and never want to let each other down. It's a good concept to remember. How good could your organization be if they felt the same way as the 1980 US Hockey team? It's worth giving it a try.


It was a wonderful trip down memory lane and yes, I believe in miracles!