Miracle Brings back Memories

Miracle Brings Back Memories
By Dave McCormick

In February of 1980, I was an eighteen year old Junior College student living in Saranac Lake, NY. Nine miles away, Lake Placid was hosting the Winter Olympics. Seeing “Miracle” this past weekend brought back a lot of memories for me. Memories of the most exciting time in US sports history. Memories of a younger man and a magical time.

Decisions, Decisions

I was working at an Ice Cream/Fast Food place right in between the two towns. Arctic Cream was a business ran by a nice family who had provided me employment over the last two years to help me earn tuition for college. I turned down a lot of great temporary jobs for the Olympics to continue working for them. I felt I owed them that. There was so much employment available at that time, that friends of mine had jobs like driving the athletes around in vans, working security at the events, and other jobs that put them right in the thick of the excitement. Most of our local teachers drove limos! ( The spring break was changed to match up with the Olympics, so they were available.) Despite the comparative normality of the restaurant work, I still do not regret that decision. I think loyalty has its place in this world, but I did find myself spending every free moment in Lake Placid, taking in the Olympic rush. I do have one regret. I worked part time covering sports for our local paper from age 16-18, but stopped doing it due to a fall out with the Sports Editor. I despised him, pure and simple. When he came to me a year later asking for help and providing me with a great opportunity to cover some Olympic events, I turned him down flat. My pride got in the way of my better judgment….life lesson learned.

The Olympic Arena, Lake Placid 1980 ... photo by Dave

“They arrested Klinger?”

The counter girls at Arctic Cream were often speculating as to what celebrities might come in during the Olympics. There was only one, and I just missed it. Jamie Farr, TV’s Klinger from MASH, accompanied by a State Police escort, stopped by for a sandwich one afternoon. The employees used a side entrance to the restaurant, so as I walked in, one of the gals was screaming, “Did you see him, did you see him?” “Who”, I asked. “Klinger, he was here! Didn’t you see the police walk him out? My response, in typical Dave fashion: “They arrested Klinger?”

Thanks Roni!

I managed to get a pair of tickets to the USA vs. West Germany Hockey game. They were a gift from Roni Raccoon, an Olympic mascot, who came in for lunch almost every day and became a friend. It was an amazing event to see. The packed house, the chants of “USA, USA”, the impressive victory… it was all there! The segment in “Miracle” that covered that game sent chills down my spine and a smile to my face. After the game, down to Mirror Lake to watch the nightly award ceremonies. Each evening, the athletes that won medals that day would be awarded them on the frozen lake, followed by a fireworks display that I have not seen equaled to this day. I thought of this as the most spectacular part of the Olympics, and it was free! Standing on the frozen lake, I thought of the exciting hockey I had just seen. Like everyone else, I thought it was a prelude to the eventual pounding they would take at the hands of the Russians. I had no idea the game I had just seen would become a piece of a legacy that would be talked about for all of eternity.

McClanahan bulldogs West German as O'Callahan and Johnson look on ... photo by Dave

History is made … as are ice cream cones.

Where was I during “the big game”? Serving food at the restaurant. The radio was on in the back. We all kept running back in the third period to keep abreast of the score. When the final seconds clicked off, you could hear our screams all through the restaurant. The patrons didn’t care, they joined in. The feeling was hard to describe. It was as they pointed out in the movie, more than a sports upset. It was a feeling of Nationalism. A feeling of Pride.

24 years later

“Miracle” did a great job of capturing the events and the emotions of that time. From Herb's plaid suits to the raucous crowd at the Olympic center, the authenticity is stunning. Sure, some of the events did not occur as shown, but it is a movie, not a documentary and should be enjoyed as such. For me, it was more than a movie. It was a trip back in time. A time with no precedent. A time that has seen no equal.