Sunday’s 2-1 overtime win for the United States men’s hockey team over archrival Canada is arguably our nation’s most significant 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 just made it all the sweeter.
You may recall that, from the outset of the games in Milan Cortina two weeks ago, there were American athletes chiding and criticizing our nation from their press podiums, and while correlation is not causation, many of them didn’t fare terribly well.
Take Hunter Hess, the American freestyle skier who said about representing the U.S. prior to competing, “It brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now. It’s a little hard. There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of.” He added, “I think, for me, it’s more I’m representing my friends and family.”
Hess finished 10th — and his 15 minutes of fame ended.
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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 “try to encourage people to stay strong.”
It’s worth noting that Iran had a winter Olympic team this year. One wonders how Glenn thinks gays and lesbians are treated there.
Notably, while her teammates helped secure a team gold in figure skating, Glenn finished a disappointing fifth in singles, missing the podium — which hopefully gave her extra time to focus on gay rights.
America did win singles gold, through figure skater Alysa Liu, who not only did not complain about her country but chose to compete for the United States instead of China, as fellow Chinese-American freestyle skier Eileen Gu did. Liu and her family, after all, found freedom here.
Then there was hockey — the glorious men’s and women’s tournaments in which both U.S. teams took gold. There was no whining about America or President Donald Trump. Instead, there was downright pure, unapologetic patriotism on display.
Take women’s hockey star Taylor Heise, who told Fox News Digital, “Playing for your country and the pride of the place that you live in is pretty amazing and to wear that USA emblem on your chest every day is something you don’t want to take for granted.”
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 right now. I love the USA. I love my teammates — it’s unbelievable. The USA Hockey brotherhood is so strong, and we had so much support. I’m so proud to be American today.”
Not long after, the boys in red, white and blue were speaking with President Donald Trump in the locker room via speakerphone, excited about the chance to attend Tuesday’s State of the Union address — the same event many Democrats in Congress are petulantly skipping out on.
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There is no scientific way to know whether feeling patriotism, rather than ambivalence and dull shame, when competing for your country at the Olympics impacts performance. But it certainly seems like playing for millions of people — instead of just your “friends and family” — could provide a boost.
By definition, top Olympic athletes compete at such a high level of talent and ability that the slightest advantage can make all the difference. Some of these sports are decided by fractions of seconds.
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Maybe it’s cheesy, but it certainly sounded as though the winners drew inspiration, courage and energy from knowing the American people were cheering them on. They weren’t winning for Boston, Dallas or Philadelphia — they were winning 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 just might be a competitive advantage. And yes, I’m looking at you, men’s basketball team.
On Sunday morning, millions of Americans shared something very special — a victory as unlikely as our great nation, similarly won through guts and determination. And now we get to watch viral videos of sad Canadians shocked at the result.
So, thank you to the patriots of Team USA. You made the dark days of winter a little brighter and made us proud — not just of you, but of the remarkable nation we share.