>No, Lake Placid was 30 years later. The "Miracle on grass" was the U.S. over England in the 1950 World Cup. I doubt many Americans noticed.
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What I meant was, that the term "Miracle on Grass" was dubbed as such only recently (because of the fact that there had been the Miracle on Ice in 1980). The only references I found were from around 2000.


>Also, the U.S. hockey team didn't beat the Russians for gold. That was in the semis on Friday. The gold medal game was against Finland Sunday morning.
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Sorry but when Canada was knocked out I didn't pay much attention! :)...I was cheering on the "Crazy Canucks" in men's downhill. I don't recall if I was still there when the U.S. played Russia but I did see a lot of events at the Lake Placid Olympics. It was truly a life-changing experience. I was very fortunate to go, and as you mentioned below, some memories are etched in my mind.


>Funny how things said the other day escape us and things that happened decades ago remain in our memories with eerie specificity. I was living in Madison with a girlfriend while looking for a job. (A few weeks later the job came along, in Dallas, and that was the end of us for all practical purposes. I still wonder sometimes about that untaken road). We were having dinner Friday night at Cyndi's mom's house when her uncle Don called and blurted out the news. This was back in the days when there was no internet or other form of 24/7 news other than radio. There were three TV channels and anything of interest was shown in prime time, even if tape delayed. Uncle Don, a big hockey fan who had let us sit in his seats for several Badger games, heard it on the radio and couldn't wait to share the joy. I guess it didn't matter. We watched the game anyway, knowing the outcome, and literally came out of our seats when Madison's own Mark Johnson knocked in what proved to be the game
>winner. "Do you believe in miracles?!" -- Al Michaels with the call. Goalie Jim Craig scanning the crowd for his father. The team pigpile on the ice. Flags waving. The "U.S.A.!" chant when it was new, not obnoxious. It remains one of my favorite sports memories.
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I vividly recall the opening ceremonies, outdoors, freezing cold, daytime...I felt proud and humbled by the American response to Team Canada's entry into the stadium. I overheard one gentleman saying to those around him, "Stand up, it's the Canadians." The respect paid was due to our embassy in Iran smuggling some Americans out of Iran with phony Canadian passports during the Iran hostage crisis.

For many (now older) Canadians, it is also a hockey game that ranks as a favourite sports memory. Back in 1972, it was finally our turn to play our very best players against USSR's best. The problem with the Olympics (back then anyway) was the prohibition of professional athletes from participating. Do you remember those days?

I just started grade 6 and I remember watching it in black-and-white on a tv in the classroom. It was quite a remarkable series:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summit_Series

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>>I doubt it was originally described that way... it is a reference to the U.S. victory over Russia for Olympic gold in ice hockey, dubbed "Miracle on Ice" (and I thought *that* was a martini). From the cbc website:
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>>Thirty years before a bunch of American college hockey players stunned the powerful Russians at Lake Placid, the U.S. soccer team pulled off the greatest upset in World Cup history when it defeated England. Late in the first half, Walter Bahr launched a long-range shot on the English net. Joe Gaetjens dove headlong and made enough contact with the ball to send it past the reach of the goalkeeper and into the back of the net. The U.S. went on to beat England 1-0 in the "Miracle on Grass."
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>>>Ah yes. I'd never heard the expression though.
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>>>>U.S. over England in the 1950 World Cup. More of a fluke than a miracle, but it still happened. "You could look it up," to quote the noted American philosopher Casey Stengel.
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>>>>>Say what?
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>>>>>>1950 Miracle on Grass?
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>>>>>>>>Figure the odds on the U.S. beating England in soccer (I don't think there are many 'Miracles on Grass' in one lifetime)? We stand a better chance at wrestling :0) I think it was meant as a compliment on your debating skills... :o)
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