The 1980 USA
Hockey Team
The “Miracle on Ice”, probably one of the greatest moments
in USA sports history. Even though, I wasn’t even alive at the time, I thought
this would be a good “What-If” to start with. The heavily favored USSR team
(considered to be the best team in the world at the time), where expected to
win the Gold Medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics. However, the USA squad led by
coach Herb Brooks (made up of amateur and college players) pulled off one of
the greatest upsets in sports history, winning, 4 to 3. What some people don’t
remember is that the USA squad still had to beat Finland to win the Gold Medal.
The USA hockey team has only been able to attain a Silver medal twice (2002,
2010) since the “Miracle on Ice”, truly the 1980 USA hockey team had one of the
greatest moments in USA sports history.
“What If”
It’s hard to imagine what it would be like not having the
“Miracle on Ice” as part of our USA sports history. If they don’t beat Finland,
for the gold medal, maybe the game against the Soviet’s might not have been as
memorable to remember. Coach Brooks probably would have been slammed (he
already was getting some heat) for putting together a team of amateur’s and college
players. They would have been no Miracle movie starring Kurt Russell. Of
course, what would Al Michaels be remembered for if not for this game?
Hail Flutie
November 23, 1984, the Miami Orange Bowl, was the site of
one of the greatest plays in college football history. Doug Flutie #22
connected with WR Gerard Phelan, giving the Boston College Eagles a dramatic 47
to 45 win over the Miami Hurricanes. The play is known as “Hail Flutie”, and
for some people, its believed to have catapulted Flutie to winning the 1984
Heisman Trophy (though the Heisman ballots had been collected the week before).
Some other notable stats from that game, the Hurricanes’ QB Bernie Kosar threw
for a school-record 447 passing yards, while Flutie threw for 472 yards and 4
touchdowns, becoming the first college QB to throw for over 10,000 yards in his
career. Clearly, one of the greatest college football plays of all-time.
“What If”
What would sports history be if Flutie didn’t get the pass
away or if a Hurricanes’ defender would have batted the pass down? He ends up
winning the Heisman, but he would be left without that “Heisman play” to be
remembered by. Flutie had a wonderful 1984 senior season, but would people have
remembered much about it, if not for that one play down at the Miami Orange
Bowl? What sort of career would he have had afterwards, if not for “Hail Flutie”?
