SPORTS

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 a2010 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 MIRACLE1980s Sports: THE MIRACLE

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 Rivalry 1980s Sports: The Rivalry

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 Announcement1980s Sports: The Announcement

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 Contract1980s Sports: The Contract

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.

1980s Sports: The Last Fight1980s Sports: The Last Fight