Why the 1980 Winter Olympics was a big deal

           The USA vs. USSR hockey game of the 1980 Winter  Olympic games is considered the greatest sporting event of the century. When team USA played their first game there were not many fans in the rink. When they were winning and played against the USSR the rink was packed and people were crowded outside of the building. Hockey, especially during this time period, was not popular in America. So why were so many Americans paying attention to the USA team made up of college kids?

            America was going through hard times during the 70s. Yes, there was the Cold War, but there were other events that did not help. America experienced two oil shortages; one in 73 and the other in 77. People had to wait in long lines to get a small amount of oil. The use of nuclear energy came into play to take place of natural resources. However, the Three Mile Island had a melt down in 79. Doctors were able to prevent most of the radioactive gasses, but some still got out of the factory. The factory was expensive and hard to maintain and it took a long time to rebuild the reactor. On top of all this was the Cold War. It is obvious that prior to the 1980's, America was not in great shape.

           The USA hockey team acted as the spiritual leaders for the nation. They were considered the under dogs as they were the seventh seed out of twelve. The USSR hockey team was considered the best in the world. They practiced every day and they all played together for a long time. The USA team did not start playing together for years and years like the Soviets. They were also a young team. But they had passion and they came together as a team. They showed America that we could beat the USSR during hard times. It reminded everyone what it means to be an American.