Watching the United States hockey team win gold yesterday brought back a childhood memory of the 1980 gold medal team. I was 7 years old and remember watching that game on a black and white TV with rabbit ears and foil paper, just trying to get a clear picture. I remember feeling such a strong sense of national pride in that moment. It was a great feeling, and yesterday brought back a lot of those same emotions. As an adult, we see the world and our country differently. As a 7-year-old, I was just told the Russians were the bad guys and we were the good guys, and that’s just the way it was. I really had no understanding of politics or history it was simply a good-versus-bad story. The biggest difference to me is that back then it felt like the bad guys had been beaten. This time, it felt more like they just beat a really good hockey team. In 1980 it felt like they defeated an enemy this time it felt like they beat a rival, not an enemy. The 1980 team was a bunch of kids, college players who shocked the world, while the 2026 team was comprised of professional hockey players who are already among the best in the sport. Both accomplishments are incredible, just in very different ways. I am not trying to take away from what the team did yesterday. It was very historic and, like I said, it brought a sense of national pride, which is a tremendous feeling. It reminded me of how sports can still unite people, even if just for a moment. The beautiful part of this country is that we can still be proud of the nation, even when we are not proud of some of the things going on within it. It is a great feeling to be able to hold both of those feelings at the same time, which would not be possible in a lot of countries.
