The Olympics are a unifying force for countries around the world. What’s not to love? Incredible athletic competition from those proudly wearing the colors of their nations. Bragging rights that hold strong for four years. Underdog stories that build a rallying cry of support.
One of these incredible underdog stories was captured in Miracle, the 2004 Disney movie about the amateur U.S. men’s hockey team at the 1980 Winter Games in Lake Placid, New York.
The United States hadn’t medaled in men’s hockey in 20 years, and the Soviet Union had won four straight gold medals. The U.S. Olympic Committee was determined to change that in 1980 and selected a former Olympian, the late, great Herb Brooks, to put together a team of college hockey stars to represent the United States since professional players weren’t yet allowed in the Games. Brooks was given a monumental task: beating the powerhouse Soviets with a group of players who had never been on a team together.
If you’ve seen the movie, directed by Gavin O’Connor, you remember the scene when all the players arrived for the tryout in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in the summer of 1979: These college hotshots were 18- to 22-year-old men and rivals from various colleges. They wore the colors that were so deeply engrained in them – the maroon and gold of Minnesota, scarlet and white of Boston University, and so on. When Brooks asked their names, where they were from, and who they played for, they proudly shouted their university names, often with a glare to a rival across the ice. After the team of 20 was selected, Coach Brooks started a punishing schedule of practices and scrimmages – all in effort to bring these rivals together as one.
But the group didn’t see themselves as one. They were continually asked who they played for and they kept shouting their university names, so the division remained. Sprints, hard effort, colors bleeding differently – there is no doubt these men were going to be prepared physically. What remained to be seen was if they were going to be prepared mentally. They were pushed to their limits, redefined where their limits exist, but still focused on their differences versus what united them as one.
The team was a microcosm of the United States of America, where each one of us has a different background, upbringing, traditions, and life. Like us, the team had a choice whether to allow differences to separate them or unite as one team, admitting that our differences should complement each other.
It took some doing. After they tied an exhibition game against Norway when distractions on and off the ice dominated their attention, Brooks was fed up. The players still weren’t performing as a team.
The arena ice was still theirs after the game, and Coach put it to good use. He made them do sprints. They were exhausted and struggling. The lights eventually went out. Yet there they were, still on the ice doing sprints.
That is, until team captain Mike Eruzione shouted out to the empty stadium:
“Mike Eruzione! Winthrop, Massachusetts!”
“Who do you play for?” Brooks asked.
“I play for the United States of America!”
“That is all, gentleman.”
Our nation is made up of people who hail from different cities, states, and even other countries. And it’s the beauty of our democracy that allows us to live in these differences, but skate on the same ice and proudly wear the same colors.
At the end of the day, it is the Miracle of our democracy that we all unite as one and play for the United States of America. And if 20 rival hockey players in 1980 can come together as one team, we can, too.
The team went on to defeat the Soviets and eventually win the gold medal, ending a 20-year drought. They united – one team representing one country. Sports commentator Al Michaels was calling the game in Lake Placid that day and famously called out “Do you believe in miracles? YES!”
We do, too, Al, and here at the George W. Bush Institute, we send our support to all the members of Team USA competing this month in Italy. We rally behind you in support of this nation and stand for the Miracle of our democracy.
