I might be mistaken, but wasn't that the game where a crowd for the first time, predominately used the
"USA, USA, USA" chant? And if this is true, Herb Brooks told the team before the 3rd period that "this is what you have done to them".
The Soviets did receive preferred treatment back in the USSR. They had nice cars, nice condos, made a decent Russian wage and were given military exemptions in some cases, their military duty was light and very limited.
If that game is played in Torino, I believe the Soviets would have won.
This is a classic example that if you let the underdog hang around long enough, it builds the confidence in the 'dog, they realize that "heck, we are just one goal away from winning!" and that is huge as compared to being down 5-2.
Originally posted by NoleMoreTears:
There is no doubt the game being in the USA was a huge factor. IMO not so much by Soviets doubting themselves but by the kids' increased confidence.
I honestly believe that even more than the home ice advantage and the "USA" chants, the Yanks feasted off of Vladislav Tretiak being pulled. Tretiak was believed to be Ken Dryden x 1,000, he was literally believed to be a brick wall with just a hole big enough for the puck to get through, and that whole was moving around at light speed.
Again, this was all beliefs, and when the USA realized that because of the way they played, Tretiak was pulled, and if the USA can put two past that brick wall, they believed they could put a few more pucks past God's backup. Tikhonov doubted Tretiak and the other Soviets skaters were all in disbelief and they doubted themselves and Brook's Boys could smell that doubt and they fed themselves a big plate of confidence as the sharks didn't smell a drop of Soviet blood, they smelled an arena full of Soviet blood and went for the kill. Their attitude wasn't survive and advance at this point, their attitude was kill and win!
The job that Herb Brooks did was the same job that Jim Valvano did with NC State, times 1,000 and IMO, perhaps the greatest coaching job in the history of sports. Again, I knew the outcome of the game and for exactly the last 10 minutes of play, I wanted to throw up as I was so nervous. Today, I still can't sit still and watch the game, and with every save that Goaled Medal Jim Craig makes, I still can't believe he made the save and somehow, the end of the game will be edited and the Soviets win, much like the 1972 hoops saga.
And let's not forget how selfish that Brooks was when he took the job, he wanted to win for himself, for being the last player cut from the 1960 gold medal winners, he thought team was spelled B-R-O-O-K-S. His attitude changed, and with that change, then did the great coaching that is now folklore come forward. Craig Patrick! Enough has never been said about the job that he did and that has to be one of the biggest injustices in the history of coaching!
Am I the only poster here, that when Al Michaels bellows ........."5 seconds left in the game, DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES..........YES!!!!!!!!!!! followed by a minute of silence except for the crowd, that I not only get goose bumps, but I get actual tears in my eyes!
This post was edited on 3/13 5:51 PM by Manch.