I believe in Miracles

No, not the miracle that would have to happen to see NHL hockey any time before 2025, the miracle that happened 25 years ago today in Lake Placid. Dubbing it a miracle is probably a stretch, but Al Michaels etched that title in stone.

We've all heard the underdog college kids from the US upsetting what amounted to a pro team from the USSR story a number of times. We've heard the comparisons of it being the equivalent of Mt. Union beating the New England Patriots in football.

How I remember is a bit different than all that, I was 8. Didn't really understand hockey, as it wasn't top of the "To Play" list in central Ohio in 1980. Also, I only watched bits and pieces of the game. Part of the reason was we already knew the result when it was aired, and my brother and I were busy re-playing the game in the kitchen with two yard sticks and a mayonaise lid. And, even though I didn't watch the game from beginning to end, I bought books and posters of the team, and watched whatever I could on it. It was an amazing story, and still is.

Now, I have the game on DVD (thanks to a buddy with a DVD burner and TiVo), and have seen it more than a few times. Yet, every time I watch that or Miracle and hear Al ask, "Do you believe in miracles? YES!" it still sends chills down my spine.