You're Not in Lake Placid Anymore Dorothy
How far away 1980 seems. It was the end of disco and bell bottoms. It was certainly the end of Jimmy Carter, and a bunch of ragged tagged college kids would stun the world and declare the end of Soviet dominated Olympic hockey. For anyone old enough to remember, it was a rough time in America. We had made it through Watergate, and now were navigating the disaster that was Jimmy Carter. Inflation was sky high, gas lines were the norm, and the Soviet Union had invaded Afghanistan. Carter labeled it all “a crisis of confidence,” that was “threatening to destroy the social and political fabric of the nation.” The winter Olympics were held that year in a sleepy little town in upstate New York called Lake Placid. It was there that Americans would make sports history.
The national Soviet hockey team had been an Olympic hockey behemoth for decades. Their brutal no-mercy style of play had kept them at the top of the heap where no other team could touch them. But along came USA Hockey Head Coach Herb Brooks. Brooks had been on the American hockey team in 1964 in Innsbruck, and 1968 in Grenoble, and come home empty handed. He was determined that was not going to happen again. He assembled the 1980 squad from a list of college hockey players, some who had played for him, and others he recruited. They started out viewing themselves as individuals on a team. But by the time Herb Brooks was done with them, no other national team would be better trained, better conditioned, and move on the ice like one creature, more than the Americans. Brooks was a student of the Soviet style of play, and he made sure his players were as well.
There are a handful of sporting events in someone’s life, that they remember where they were when it happened. This was so much more than a game. It was even more than playing for national pride. It would determine whose culture, whose ideology, and whose way of life was superior. And when it was over, the United States won 4-3. The only other time in recent history that there was such a feeling among all Americans, an atmosphere of sheer unadulterated American pride, and knowledge that American exceptionalism does exist, could only be right after the terrorist attack on 9/11.
A lot has happened since that February day in 1980. A lot has changed in America. Some good and some bad. America has never claimed to be a perfect place, as imperfect human beings attempt to run it. But the one thing we could always count on, was that America would right its wrongs, and we would always be proud to be Americans. Fast forward to August 2023, and Melbourne Australia. The Women’s World Cup Soccer competition is being held in Australia and New Zealand. And the American women, well, let’s just say we are not in Lake Placid anymore. Let’s start at the top with the captain of the team, Megan Rapinoe. A few years back, Rapinoe began to kneel when the national anthem was being played before games, apparently in an attempt to show solidarity with social justice warrior, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaeperneck. While reportedly bullying many of her teammates into kneeling as well, Rapinoe has become more famous for being a social justice warrior than for her athletic ability. In 2019, after a win over The Netherlands for the Cup, the team was invited to the White House by President Trump. They refused the invite. Since then, it has been a never-ending string of America-bashing, totally insufferable antics.
After the team barely squeaked out a 0-0 tie with Portugal, you might have thought they might have been thinking a bit more practice might be in order. What was in order was dancing in the end zones, taking selfies, and signing autographs for fans. Clearly not a good look. But what was undoubtedly the finishing touch on the “it’s all about me” tour for the U.S. Women, was Megan Rapinoe’s spectacular penalty kick flub that cost her team a win over Sweden to advance in the competition. Rapinoe could be seen smiling and laughing after her complete miss of the goal. When asked about it later, she stated that it was “dark comedy,” that the game had ended the way it did. Rapinoe recently announced her retirement after the World Cup.
But then an interesting thing happened. There was not a lot of sympathy, or virtual pats on the back, or “best of luck next time” assurances. Instead, there were Americans, who were glad they had lost, Americans who were telling them to take their dose of anti-American karma, and swallow it whole, because quite frankly, they had it coming. As Americans, it takes a lot for us not to cheer on our fellow countrymen, and even more to wish for their defeat. But that is exactly what happened. Quite a thing to see.
We might wonder, did the players see any of those social media posts? Did it make them stop and possibly review their behavior in their own minds? We will never really know. They will go on to live the rest of their lives. Megan Rapinoe will blame sexism or racism for her less than stellar performance, and then no doubt go on to social justice warrior glory protesting someone or something. What they might think about, is what might have happened if they had spent a bit more time practicing. They should ask the 1980 USA Men’s Hockey team how that worked out for them.
