The “Miracle” players have been keeping up with the news. Russia is viewed as an adversary by many today, but for different reasons. On the war in Ukraine, Eruzione said, “How many thousands and thousands of people are being killed for no reason at all whatsoever. It’s pretty frustrating to see something like that go on in the world. Forget sports.”
McClanahan and Schneider are from Minnesota and still live in the state. They have followed recent events there, the violent clashes between federal agents and protesters. “All I’ll say is, people just have to regain some common sense, and you have to start respecting one another,” McClanahan said. “Regardless of where your views are from. It’s a matter of having respect.”
“And treat people how you’d like to be treated,” Schneider added.
Eruzione reminisced about 1980, when the “Miracle” team made people “proud to wave the flag … proud of our country.”
“If you did a background check, we all came from hard, working-class families,” Eruzione continued. “We were the kid next door. Next thing you know, you’re watching him play in the Olympic Games. I think people saw the personality of our team, the closeness of our team, and they rallied behind it.”
That’s why he thinks we could use another “Miracle” moment.
“Just pulling this country together,” Eruzione said. “Getting people together. We’re so distanced from each other, whether it’s Republicans or the Democrats. People don’t respect people anymore. It’s frustrating to see that. People hate the president, but we elected him, so support the president. We don’t have that. We don’t have a togetherness.”
In 2020, Eruzione and members of the “Miracle” team appeared onstage with President Trump at a campaign rally in Las Vegas. Many players also wore red “Keep America Great” hats, which drew backlash online.
“If we knew we were going to piss off this many people, we probably would not have put the hats on,” Eruzione told The Washington Post at the time.
Then, just last month, the “Miracle” team visited President Trump at the White House and received Congressional Gold Medals. When Bill Baker, a member of the team, introduced himself to Trump, he mentioned he was from Minnesota and said, “I know that right now that doesn’t ring very well,” an apparent reference to Trump’s disparaging comments about Somali immigrants in the area.
“Any Somalians on the team?” Trump asked, drawing laughter in the room. “I don’t think so.”
The USA’s Mike Eruzione during the “Miracle on Ice” game against the Soviet Union in Lake Placid, N.Y., in 1980. Eric Schweikardt / Sports Illustrated via Getty Images file
On Tuesday, the “Miracle” players said they didn’t expect Team USA to be viewed any differently in Italy, despite the political landscape here.
“They’re athletes. They’re not political [figures],” Eruzione said. “I think they’re going to take great pride in representing their country and hopefully accomplish what they want.”
The “Miracle” players insisted politics hadn’t entered their minds in Lake Placid.
“It doesn’t even enter the equation,” McClanahan said.
“It wasn’t once talked about in the locker room,” Eruzione said. “Not once.”
“We were just so focused on playing,” Schneider said. “Having to play the best teams in the world.”
But what about the “Commie bastards” telegram?
“It’s inspiration,” Craig said. “Not political.”
“Exactly,” McClanahan added. “It’s inspiration.”
“The Olympics were a time of pause,” Craig added. “The Olympics represented sports where the best athletes in the world got together. There’s supposed to be no fighting. Really, the Olympics are about being — nothing about politics. I wish it was still like that.”
Rarely have the Olympics been apolitical, though, going back to Jesse Owens in Germany, Tommie Smith and John Carlos in 1968, or that scene in Lake Placid, when a group of underdogs upset the Soviet Union.
“The flags [waving], people singing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner,’ people singing ‘God Bless America,’” Eruzione said. “It was just an incredible atmosphere.”
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