Sunday’s 2-1 overtime victory for the U.S. men’s hockey team over archrival Canada may be our nation’s most important winter gold medal since the last time our boys were kings of the sport during the 1980 “Miracle on Ice,” and the team’s pride in its country made it all the sweeter.
You may recall that from the start of the Milan Cortina Games two weeks ago, American athletes were reprimanding and criticizing our nation from their press podiums, and while correlation is not causation, many of them did not do very well.
Take Hunter Hess, the American freestyle skier who said of representing the US before the competition: “It’s a mixed feeling to represent the US right now. It’s a little bit difficult. There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of.” He added: “I think for me it’s more about representing my friends and family.”
Hess finished 10th – and his 15 minutes of fame ended.
Then there was figure skater Amber Glenn, who said members of the LGBT community in America are “having a hard time” and that she would use her voice to “encourage people to stay strong.”
It is worth noting that Iran had a winter Olympic team this year. It makes you wonder how Glenn thinks gays and lesbians are treated there.
While her teammates helped secure team gold in figure skating, Glenn finished a disappointing fifth in singles, missing the podium – hopefully giving her extra time to focus on gay rights.
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America did win gold in the singles, through figure skater Alysa Liu, who not only didn’t complain about her country, but chose to compete for the United States instead of China, as fellow Chinese-American freestyle skier Eileen Gu did. After all, Liu and her family found freedom here.
Then there was hockey: the glorious men’s and women’s tournaments in which both American teams took gold. There was no whining about America or President Donald Trump. Instead, there was nothing short of pure, unapologetic patriotism on display.
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Hear, hear.
Or consider Jack Hughes’ postgame interview on Sunday. His broken teeth and game-winning goal were emblematic of Team USA’s grit. He said: “It’s all about our country now. I love the USA. I love my teammates – it’s incredible. The US hockey fraternity is so strong and we’ve had so much support. I’m so proud to be an American today.”
Not long after, the boys in red, white and blue were speaking over the loudspeaker with President Donald Trump in the locker room, excited about the chance to attend Tuesday’s State of the Union address — the same event that many Democrats in Congress are sullenly skipping.
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There is no scientific way to know whether the feeling of patriotism, rather than ambivalence and dull shame, when competing for your country in the Olympics affects performance. But it certainly seems like playing in front of millions of people – rather than just your ‘friends and family’ – could be a boost.
By definition, top Olympic athletes compete at such a high level of talent and ability that the smallest advantage can make all the difference. Some of these sports are decided in split seconds.
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Maybe it’s cheesy, but it certainly sounded like the winners drew inspiration, courage and energy from knowing that the American people were cheering them on. They didn’t win for Boston, Dallas or Philadelphia – they won for all of us.
As our focus shifts to the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles later this year, American athletes should take note: patriotism and pride in America could be a competitive advantage. And yes, I’m looking at you, men’s basketball team.
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On Sunday morning, millions of Americans shared something truly special: a victory as unlikely as our great nation, similarly won through grit and determination. And now we’re seeing viral videos of sad Canadians shocked by the outcome.
So thank you to the patriots of Team USA. You have made the dark winter days a little brighter and made us proud – not only of you, but of the remarkable nation we share.
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