Dear Friends and Virginians:
Times were tough. Inflation ran rampant. The USA had an unpopular President and was widely mocked around the world. Socialism was the future.
Welcome to February 1980. The world had gathered for the Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, a small town in upstate New York. (My cousin JJ got married there in 2005). Like today, there was anticipation for the marquee events: figure skating and downhill skiing. America’s Eric Heiden won five golds in speed skating.
But the stars of the show were the Soviet hockey team. They were not just the best hockey team in the world. They were the best team in any sport. Weeks earlier, they had hammered the NHL All-Stars in an exhibition game. Playing against amateurs was literally a joke.
The U.S. team was an after-thought: a bunch of college boys from the Great Lakes and New England. In their first game against mid-tier Sweden, they were behind and only tied the game in the last minute. Getting to the medal round was the dream.
Then things got interesting. Against a very good Czech team, the Americans exploded to a 7-3 win. In quick succession, they knocked off West Germany, Romania and Norway and earned a Friday night semifinal date with the Soviets. David against Goliath on skates.
I was a sixth grader, watching the game on the color TV in our basement with my Mom and Dad and older sister. We had no expectations. (The USA had lost 10-3 to the Russian B team a few weeks earlier).
The most famous match in Olympic history has been dissected many times. Here’s the reality: the American team was young and fearless. They were not as skilled as the Europeans, but they were tougher. They skated hard and hit harder.
The rest, of course, is history. America came back to beat the Soviets 4-3, behind an epic goaltending performance from Jim Craig and winning goal from captain Mike Eruzione. Two Boston boys on a Minnesota-dominated team. Miracle on Ice.
The USA went on to beat the Finns, 4-2, in the final — coming from behind in the last period. Because, of course, they did.
Forty-six years later, the names still resonate: McLanahan, Morrow, Strobel, Schneider. Many went on to successful NHL careers. Others never played again. A current Netflix program shows the USA boys walking down the streets of Lake Placid. They are older men now. Still cocky and defiant.
The USA hockey triumph united a nation, who fell in love with these working class boys. In a material way, the 1980 Winter Olympics opened a new decade — the Eighties — which reinvigorated the nation. By the end of the decade, the Soviet Union was dead, as was Communism as a competitive force.
And it all started in a high school hockey rink in Lake Placid, NY.
JCP Notes: On Thursday, a Fairfax County jury returned a verdict in favor of our client, De Clieu Coffee, who had sued to protect its unique brand of coffee — and was hit with a $3.55 million counterclaim. We won both cases. Here’s a photo of the winning team.
On Friday, the Virginia Supreme Court declined to take up the “10-1 Redistricting” until after the April 2026 referendum. That decision concedes any chance of legal intervention. Immediately, an out-of-state PAC donated $5 million to begin TV ads in favor of “Fair Elections,” i.e. those diluting and disenfranchising rural voters. (I expect the pro-gerrymandering side will have a 10-1 cash advantage). Expect that to continue until mid-April.
George Orwell would be proud.
Peace,
Chap