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1980s Sports: THE MIRACLE
The "Miracle on Ice" is the name in American popular culture for a
medal-round men's ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake
Placid, New York, on Friday, February 22. The United States national team,
made up of amateur and collegiate players and led by coach Herb Brooks,
defeated the Soviet Union national team, which had won the gold medal in
six of the seven previous Olympic games.
The “Miracle on Ice” occurred during a difficult time for the United States,
which was suffering through high unemployment, inflation, an energy crisis
and the Iran Hostage Crisis. Furthermore, the Soviets had invaded
Afghanistan in December 1979, raising Cold War tensions. Many Americans
were inspired by their hockey team’s victory. In a
2010 Op-Ed article, the New York Times sportswriter Gerald Eskenazi wrote
that Coach Brooks “spoke passionately of creating an American style of
hockey, a form of sport making use of capitalistic ideals — competition,
exuberance, youth. Forget the past. This was a new era. It could have been a
metaphor for an American template. Indeed, it was.”
1980s Sports: The Rivalry
During the 1980s, no rivalry was more famous then the one between the Boston
Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. These two teams dominated the NBA
throughout the 1980s, meeting each other in the finals three times. Of these tree
championships the Lakers won 2 and the Celtics won 1. The Lakers won a total of
fife titles in the 1980s while the Celtics won three. The determination exhibited by
both teams made their games some of the most exciting to watch during the time.
Both teams were led by star players. The Lakers had Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul
Jabbar, and James Worthy while the Celtics had Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and
Robert Parris. Each team drafted players specifically to counteract the players on
the other team. The greatest aspect of the rivalry, however, was the competition
between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. The two players represented more then
just the rivalry between each other. They represented the rivalry between the
Lakers and the Celtics, Hollywood flashiness and Boston blue collar grit, and
between blacks and whites. There strong contrast greatly added to the rivalry
between the two teams.
Throughout the NBA history no two teams have battled it out in the finals than the
Lakers and Celtics. They have met in the finals twelve times in total with the Celtics
wining nine to the Lakers 3. The rivalry really flurished in the 1980s, however,
because the Lakers began to win during this time. Today the rivalry is still very
strong with the Celtics beating the Lakers to win in 2008 and the Lakers wining in
2010. With talented players and the determination of both teams the rivalry is
sure to go on for years to come as one of the biggest in sports.
1980s Sports: The Announcement
After a physical before the 1991–92 NBA season, Johnson discovered
that he had tested positive for HIV. In a press conference held on
November 7, 1991, Johnson made a public announcement that he
would retire immediately. He stated that his wife Cookie and their
unborn child did not have HIV, and that he would dedicate his life to
"battle this deadly disease".
Johnson initially said that he did not know how he contracted the
disease, but later acknowledged that it was through having multiple
sexual partners during his playing career through the 1980’s. At the
time, only a small percentage of HIV-positive American men had
contracted it from heterosexual sex, and it was initially rumored that
Johnson was gay or bisexual, although he denied both. Johnson's HIV
announcement became a major news story in the United States, and
in 2004 was named as ESPN's seventh most memorable moment of
the past 25 years. Many articles praised Johnson as a hero, and former
U.S. President George H. W. Bush said, "For me, Magic is a hero, a hero
for anyone who loves sports."
1980s Sports: The Contract
Shoes were just shoes for the first 80 some odd years of the 20th century. Then in
the mid-80's, Nike released a pair of shoes for Michael Jordan. As legend has it, the
legendary sneaker series almost never lifted off. In 1984Nike also signed Michael to a
five-year endorsement contract worth a reported $2.5 million (plus royalties). There
was initially some skepticism over the hefty contract being given to an unproven
marketing commodity, but MJ was quick to prove the critics wrong. In 1985, Nike gave
Jordan and his signature line of sneakers and apparel a unique logo - clearly, this line
was created to be very different from Nike's previous basketball efforts. Designer Peter
Moore was given the task of coming up with the first Air Jordan shoe.
The Air Jordan 1 featured the Nike Swoosh on the mid panel and a newly designed
wings logo on the upper ankle. The first Air Jordan was similar in design to other
popular Nike models released in the 1980s such as the Air Force 1, Terminator and
Dunk. The Air Jordan I featured a Nike Air unit for heel cushioning, padded foam ankle
collars for additional protection and a toe overlay for added lockdown. Although the AJ
1 lacked technology, the colors and cultural significance set the sneaker industry on its
ear. The Air Jordan 1 paved the way for colorful basketball sneakers. It transformed the
way people looked at athletic shoes. During the 1985 NBA season, Michael wore the Air
Jordan 1, which retailed for $65 - at the time, the most expensive basketball shoe on
the market. The AJ I Black/Red colorway was banned by the NBA because of rules
regarding shoe colors; Jordan was fined $5,000 for every game he wore them (Nike
gladly footed the bill, as the fines created even more buzz around the Air Jordan 1).
MJ's rookie campaign resulted in an All-Star appearance, Rookie of the Year honors and
leading the Bulls to the playoffs after a four-year absence. Michael wore the Air Jordan
I Red/White/Black as he scored 63 points against the Boston Celtics in the 1986
playoffs. Although the Bulls ended up losing to the Larry Bird-led Celtics, Michael
showed that he was one of the bright young stars in the NBA.
1980s Sports: The Last Fight
On October 2, 1980, Muhammad Ali, one of the most popular and charismatic
athletes the sporting world has ever known, failed miserably in his quest to
regain the heavyweight boxing championship for an unprecedented fourth
time, taking a one-sided beating in a fight that many believe contributed to Ali's
eventual development of Parkinson's Syndrome. Showing a surprising lack of
vigor and energy, and being painfully slow of foot and reflex, Ali, at the age of
38, and after a two-year retirement from boxing that included very little
training but an awful lot of eating, was a shadow of his former greatness, being
thoroughly outclassed and trounced by the very capable champion, Larry
Holmes.
In a fight that many people feel never should have been allowed to happen in
the first place, the great Muhammad Ali, the same man who shocked George
Foreman and the world in Zaire and stopped Joe Frazier in a brutal yet beautiful
fight in Manila, was left battered and bruised at the end of ten one-sided
rounds, at which point his long-time corner man and trainer, Angelo Dundee,
put an end to the carnage and refused to let his fighter proceed with the night's
assignment. "Thank you," Muhammad Ali whispered to Dundee through
swollen and bruised lips. Ali's pride and courage, so spectacularly displayed
throughout his long and storied career, was still very much intact; if it had not
been for Dundee's merciful halting of the night's proceedings, Ali would have
no doubt continued to fight. He was a champion after all, and champion's fight!
But the questions still remain to this day as to why Ali was allowed to fight in
the first place. The trouble signs were plainly evident well before Ali's challenge
of Holmes.