There can only be one "Miracle on Ice"

Hi there. Well after watching a great gold medal hockey game, as a patriotic hockey junkie I'm proud that team USA won a silver medal. They had a great tournament and Ryan Miller was outstanding. However its about time we stop comparing every Olympic team that does well and makes a gold medal run to the 1980 squad. They were a special group that shocked the world and gave us something more at a time when this country really needed something to feel good about itself and get its confidence and swagger back. What you saw from Team USA during the past two weeks should now be considered the norm. These were the NHL's best players playing. The true legacy of the "Miracle on Ice" will ultimately be the growth and increased exposure to the game of ice hockey in the U.S. Particularly in California, Texas, and Southeast. Growing up in NJ, there were 5 NHL teams within a 3 hour drive of my home. Unfortunately, there was only 1 rink within 20 minutes to skate at and even that place didn't stay open. Now high school hockey has taken off in Monmouth and Ocean counties. I grew up going to games and watching hockey on tv and not many of my friends were as passionate about it as I was.
If there was any so-called "miracle" at these games, it would be the nordic combined team and the medals that Johnny Spillane and Bill Demong won.
Back to hockey, do you think Mark Johnson gave his women's' team the same pre-game speech before the gold medal game against Canada that Herb Brooks gave the '80 Olympic team before its game against Finland? It's a classic and I would love to paraphrase it for you in this entry. It was short, sweet and to the point. But this is a family friendly blog.
There's something to be said about a woman who can play hockey, win a gold medal and celebrate it afterward by lighting up a stogie and knocking down an adult beverage like the Canadian womens' team did. Now that's the kind of girl you wouldn't mind bringing home to meet the folks and feel equally comfortable having her hang out with your male friends. Normally the only time I would see a female act that way is at a wedding before the bride tosses the bouquet.
To boost their medal count at these games, the host country started a program called "Own the podium." I want to take the time to thank Canada for building such nice podiums and allowing the United States to occupy the podiums more times than everybody else did.
I was really enjoying winter and the lack of significant snow on the ground until Tuesday night when I had to pick up my dad at the airport and it took 2 1/2 hours to get home and the snow didn't end until sometime Sunday afternoon. So its all my dad's fault. I wish he would do my taxes and go back to my Mom in South Carolina.
The Mets still have the injury bug. First Beltran, now its Kelvin Escobar and his achy, breaky shoulder. Plus to top it off Francisco Rodriguez has pink eye. I also wish the Mets would be totally honest with fans like me and admit that they want top prospects Josh Thole and Ike Davis to play at AAA this year so they'd be ready for the majors in 2011.
We know that Siena has had a great year and they'll be the top seed for the MAAC tournament this weekend, but some props have to go out to the Union College Dutchmen Men's hockey team who are in 2nd place in the ECAC.
I have gotten myself into something in two weeks that is totally crazy and at the same time a once in a lifetime experience. Details coming in the next edition.
It's good to see Oscar's Smokehouse open for business again. I've got this craving for some brats, bacon, and other sausage products.
The 2010 garden has officially started. Pepper and eggplant seeds were started last weekend and the tomatoes will be in next weekend.
Finally, I think it would have been totally cool if Doug and Bob McKenzie did the honor of dousing the Olympic torch at the closing ceremony with a couple of fire extinguishers. I'm going through curling withdrawl...Leccese out.