For almost any American, the most vivid memory of a Winter Olympics is the U.S. hockey gold medal in 1980.
From goalie Jim Craig draped in the American flag to fans chanting "USA! USA!" to Al Michaels shouting, "Do you believe in miracles?" this improbable achievement became etched in our Olympic folklore.But for subsequent U.S. hockey teams, that vivid memory has become an indelible stamp of expectations. Every move is scrutinized for comparisons to the Miracle on Ice.
So far, all have fallen woefully short.
In the three Olympics since 1980, the U.S. has failed to win any medal, much less the gold. The closest America came was in 1992 when it played for the bronze but was whipped by the Czechs, 6-1.
The team heading to Lilleham-mer is well aware of the 1980 legacy. At the same time, these young Americans are trying to distance themselves from that accomplishment. The wider the gap of time, they figure, the less pressure and fewer comparisons.
The Olympics are hard enough without the burden of recreating a miracle.
"I think most of the guys on this team are too young to remember the 1980 team," said captain Peter Laviolette, 29, the oldest man on the roster.
Part of what made 1980 such a big story was the Cold-War implication: us against them, Americans vs. Communists, USA over the USSR.
The breakup of the Soviet Union, coupled with a flow of foreign players to the NHL, has helped level the playing field. A record eight Europeans played in the recent NHL all-star game.
Aspiring to win the gold, no matter what has happened in the past, is what motivates this team.
"I remember watching the 1980 team," recalled Laviolette. "When we beat the Russians, my whole family was jumping up and down and hugging each other. That, to me, was the greatest thing to happen in sports.
"I'm trying to get this across to these guys: Playing in the Olympics will be the greatest thing you ever do. I don't think winning a boxing match or any Stanley Cup compares with winning a gold-medal game."