Miracle Monday: The Captain + the Captains That Could've Been

Guys, this is the first Miracle Monday for which I can take no credit for the topic! I got a prompt! Is that a weird thing to be excited about? Either way, shout out to my lovely friend Mary for giving me an incredibly interesting question to think about! :)

The original idea is as follows: "In the movie, Al Michaels says something along the lines of, “Mike Eruzione, newly named captain of this US team, for what Herb Brooks says is his leadership, ‘on and off the ice’.” What made Rizzo such a good captain? Was he the obvious choice? If not, who else could have filled the C roles? Dissect that!. :)"

Now, if you know me at all, you know that I love me some character analysis. So this is right up my alley, and I'm pretty pumped. Let's get to it!

In case you've been living under a rock or aren't an American, Mike Eruzione is the captain of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team. (Shocker, right?) It's a pretty well-known fact that he wasn't the most talented player on the team -- he'd be the first to tell you -- but as a player he was more characterized by his heart than his skill. He was always eager to be on the ice during those critical moments, and it's probably important to note that all of his goals during the Olympics came at important times: we all know about his game-winner against the Soviets, but his goals against Czechoslovakia and Norway were both the first of those games and kick-started the scoring rallies that would ultimately lead to victories. He came through when his team needed him to!

Off the ice, he was outgoing and not afraid to talk to anybody, including Herb Brooks. He was the second oldest on this team full of children, so his leadership role came pretty naturally. Herb knew about Rizzo's previous experiences on U.S. national teams (when he didn't play much but was always positive and pumping up his teammates) and had him tapped as his captain almost from the get-go.

Honestly, it's almost hard to even imagine anyone else filling this role. (I mean, 35 years of being the most visible face of the team speaks for itself!) But let's take a look at some other quality candidates.

Including Bill here almost seems like a cop-out, but I can't not include the alternate captain, right? ;) It's truly a tragedy that he (metaphorically) wore the A and nobody really knows about it, because Bill truly deserves that recognition. In college he was named an All-American in 1979 while serving as the Gophers team captain -- so, clearly, he had that leadership thing down pat. He was an incredibly skilled defenseman and ranked third on the Olympic team in penalty minutes because he wasn't afraid to mix it up to defend his teammates. And let's not forget his goal to tie Sweden, potentially the most important goal of the whole Olympic tournament. The dude came through in the clutch! Bill also happened to be a very uniting figure in the locker room: he grew up on the Iron Range, became a Gopher, and was so likable that he quickly earned the respect of the Bostonians. So basically, he managed to relate to everybody, and everyone wanted to be his friend. Throw in his soft-spoken nature, and he's really the perfect alternate to Rizzo's captain.

Also? At the 35th anniversary reunion, Bill was wearing a jersey with the A on it!

I didn't notice this until I saw video and photos several weeks after the reunion, and I'm not ashamed to say I yelled a little bit when I did notice. I'm so here for Bill wearing the A!

Fun story: Buzz was very nearly voted team captain over Rizzo. It's been speculated that he may have won if the vote was truly democratic. It was, technically, a fair vote, but Herb had been giving captain-like duties to Rizzo beforehand to try and subtly sway opinions in his favor. That's not to say Rizzo wouldn't have won otherwise, but it speaks to just how beloved Buzz was. It's impossible not to like this guy (or maybe that's my own personal experience talking?). Herb loved him because he never got ruffled and always managed to be pleasant and positive. Like Bill, he's an Iron Ranger that became a Gopher and played on years of national teams with Rizzo (a Bostonian), so he was able to bridge all of those gaps. He was another that was all heart when he played, and he could basically score at will on Vladislav Tretiak, potentially the greatest goalie of all time. And he's the oldest on the team, and the only returning Olympian from the 1976 team, so it was only natural that his experience made him a leader. I mean, tell me Buzz wouldn't have made an amazing captain, I dare you!

Poke around the interwebz long enough and you'll find a source that lists OC as alternate captain. I don't know where that false factoid came from, but whoever originated it shares my belief that OC was a hell of a leader on this team. I mean, he blew out his knee a few days before the Olympics and Herb kept him on the roster; he was willing to absorb the loss of an able-bodied player because OC's personality and off-ice presence was that valuable. That could really speak for itself, but have some more! He was captain during his senior year at Boston University, where coach Jack Parker praised him for his poise and determination. He was the highest-scoring defenseman on the Olympic team while leading the team in penalty minutes. He's one of those guys that has no fear, be it of a bloody nose or of sharing his opinions, and it's been said that he can get along with absolutely anybody from any walk of life. I'd certainly follow this guy into battle!

Mark is kind of my sleeper pick on this list, simply because of how softspoken he was (and is). He doesn't really seem like the take-charge leader type... but he was a captain in the NHL and has been the head coach of the University of Wisconsin women's hockey team for over a decade. So, y'know, never underestimate the power of a quiet man! Mark has that low-key sort of confidence that just makes you trust him, and it certainly didn't hurt that he was the best college hockey player in the country and the best player on the Olympic team. Any time an opponent got a little too rough with Mark, without fail there'd be someone there in the blink of an eye to defend him. Seriously, his troops would instantly rally around him, and if that doesn't speak to his value and leadership I don't know what does!

Well, this was super fun! And I'm still looking for a few more post ideas, so if anyone has a subject to suggest, send it my way! ;)

Miracle Monday: Best Bromances

Hello again, Monday! Does anyone else feel like this weekend flew by? Sheesh. I could've used an extra day off today. But moving on.

One of the (ahem, many) things I wish Miracle had showed more of were the individual friendships on the team. There are so many great stories in there that aren't even touched on; beyond the development of the Jack O'Callahan/Rob McClanahan relationship, you don't really get much of a sense of their friendships at all. And that's really a shame because... well, see below. ;)

Are you ready for an amazing narrative? Neal and Dave grew up in nearby towns in northern Minnesota, playing hockey for high schools that are bitter rivals. Then Neal went to the University of Minnesota and Dave went to the University of North Dakota, so once again they were playing for schools with a crazy intense rivalry. But then they both made the Olympic team, and these lifelong rivals ended up as roommates for the year. And they became best friends. Aaaand 35+ years later, they're still super close and keep in touch at least every few weeks. (This is one of my favorite things in the world.)

On the complete flip side, Bill and Phil were best friends long before they made the Olympic team. They were in the same recruiting class at the University of Minnesota and spent four years as roommates. During their senior year they were captain and alternate captain together, and people called them "the Odd Couple." (Will there ever come a day when I don't laugh about this? Doubtful.) Then came the Olympic team, where they continued their roommate streak. Nowadays they live pretty close to each other, still chat on the phone regularly and meet up to hunt and fish together. Also? Their names rhyme. Truly a match made in best friend heaven!

Before the Olympics, Mac played for the University of Minnesota and Mark played for the University of Wisconsin, and Mac has been pretty open about the fact that he did NOT think he'd ever be able to befriend a Badger. But Herb appreciated how similar these two were and put them together on the first line, and the rest is sort of history. They were both at the top of the stat chart for the entire pre-Olympic season (and the Olympics). And what's truly heartwarming is that, whenever Mac is asked about something that happened during a game, his answer always includes something along the lines of, "Mark and I looked at each other, and..." This was true for post-game in 1980 and it's true for 2015. Their Olympic experiences were so completely intertwined. :)

Pav and OC, honestly, wouldn't have made this list if I hadn't seen them together at the 35th anniversary reunion. The players sat in numerical order, which obviously put #16 and #17 next to each other, and these two had their heads together the entire night. They barely stopped chatting, and it was noticeable to the point where my mom leaned over during the ceremony and asked me who Pav was sitting next to because they just kept talking. Considering Pav is known for being all but perpetually silent, this is a pretty big deal. Do they keep in touch? Are they close? I have no idea. But if you think about it, despite all their differences, they're incredibly similar; OC is loud and outspoken while Pav is incredibly private and quiet, but they're both always unapologetically true to themselves. There's got to be a huge level of understanding and respect there, and clearly they never run out of things to talk about!

Of course, these are just some of my personal favorite friendships. There are (obviously) many more, and I'm (obviously) in full support of all of them. :)

Miracle Monday: 7 Players Cast Perfectly in Miracle

Happy Monday! Before we get started, is that picture not the cutest thing you've ever seen? Look at those happy faces. :)

Anywho, I was recently digging through my computer and came across something I'd made almost two years ago, when my Miracle fandom was still fresh and new: side-by-side comparisons of the real team and the guys cast to play them in Miracle. And, I gotta tell you, some of them blew my mind a little bit. I hadn't been aware that the casting directors, y'know, used a cloning machine. So in light of my re-discovering my discovery, I thought I'd post some of my favorites. Because, really, it's amazing.

I'll give Patrick O'Brien Demsey and Mike Eruzione an honorable mention. ;)

Nathan West / Rob McClanahan

I'm convinced that these two are secretly related, because they really look like twins. But they have matching personalities too; when Nathan was cast, he sent Mac an extensive questionnaire to learn every minute detail about him, and threatened to move in with him if he didn't fill it out. If that's not the most Mac thing I've ever heard, I don't know what is!

Michael Mantenuto / Jack O'Callahan

Again, do these two share genes or something? They've got the same crooked smile, and they were both the first guy to drop his gloves; OC led the Olympic team in penalty minutes, and Michael got into a fight with another player during auditions. Talk about accurate.

Eddie Cahill / Jim Craig

Gavin O'Connor, the director of Miracle, has actually commented on how uncanny the resemblance is between Eddie and Jim, and had Eddie pegged for Jim immediately because of it. (Eddie had never played goalie before, but that was neither here nor there.) And do you want to hear something cute? These two still keep in touch and tweet at each other occasionally. :)

Kris Wilson / Phil Verchota

Extra bonus points to the casting directors for finding Phil's doppelganger despite his relatively small part in the movie. Kris has both Phil's scary intense face and joyful smile (and we know how important Phil's smile is). And while Phil wasn't the goon he was believed to be, he certainly wasn't afraid to get into it… and Kris is the all-time leader in penalty minutes at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. Too excellent.

Nick Postle / Bill Baker

I can't find any information about Nick as a person. But between that smile and that beautiful blonde flow, I'm totally here for him as Bill.

Sam Skoryna / Steve Janaszak

Again, I couldn't tell you a single thing about Sam. Except that he's a complete dead ringer for Janny. (Excellent stache, my friend.)

Billy Schneider / Buzz Schneider

I don't even think Billy and Buzz look all that much alike. But casting a player's son to play him? You can't really get more accurate than that!

Miracle Monday: Superlatives, Part 1

Truthfully, I don't know where this idea came from. It hit me entirely out of nowhere. But what I DO know is that I haven't had this much fun with a post in a really long time! As much as I loved writing about games and Miracle and all that stuff, I really missed writing about the players. So let's get a little bit ridiculous for a second and pretend there's some sort of 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team yearbook.

...And let's also be glad I'm handing out these titles rather than the players, because they'd probably give each other things like "Best Bald Spot" and "Most Annoying." Have I mentioned how much they love each other? ;)

Every single team member that has spoken about the subject has called out Dave as the prankster of the group. Literally all of them. When the team was traveling, he was known for putting in bogus 3 a.m. wakeup calls to his teammates' rooms, and that "alleged" Christmas tree prank? It has gone "unsolved" for 35+ years. That's the mark of a true master of the craft!

Mark, otherwise known as Magic, was NCAA champion and the best college hockey player in the country, the leading scorer on the gold medal-winning Olympic team and an NHL captain and all-star. And when he retired from his playing career, he coached the U.S. women's Olympic team to a silver medal in 2010, brought the University of Wisconsin women's team from the bottom of the barrel to the top of the heap and led them to several NCAA championships. He can essentially do no wrong.

Phil wins this category for several reasons: 1) Have you ever seen a jollier smile? No, you haven't. 2) His smile is basically ever-present. He's just perpetually joyful! 3) Back in his playing days,  people thought he was the team's goon, because his game face was so mean and intense (to say the least). But off the ice, he was harmless and smiley! 4) Some of his teammates call him Grumpy. Yes, just look at what a complete grump he is! :P Guess I'll have to take their word for it!

OC is basically a shot of adrenaline into any situation. Olympic teammates called him Hollywood because when he went out, he went all out. But even if it's not partying we're talking about, he's the life of all "parties." He's the kind of person that can get along with anyone and everyone, except on the ice, where he led his teams in penalty minutes. He defines the phrase "go big or go home."

LOL, Bill Baker. As a hockey player, he won the Minnesota state championship in his senior year of high school in 1975, the NCAA championship in 1976 and 1979 (serving as team captain in '79), and the Olympics in 1980 (where he was alternate captain), and then played in the NHL for several years. When he was done with that, he went to dental school and is now an esteemed oral surgeon. And let's not forget he scored what may have been the most important goal of the Olympics, to tie Sweden. Like, are you kidding me? Talk about a Midas touch!

Things on Pav's resume: hockey, hunting, fishing, singing, playing guitar, flying planes, building houses… And as a hockey player, he starred in the NHL for several years because of his insanely creative style of play. People called him a hockey genius. Herb Brooks said asking Pav to dump the puck would be like asking Picasso to paint your fence. The jury's still out on whether or not there's anything he can't do.

Rizzo here has basically built a career out of being outgoing. He was named captain of the Olympic team because he wasn't afraid to talk to anybody (Herb Brooks included) and was such a great, positive presence in the locker room. And nowadays he does motivational speaking and all sorts of public engagements and interviews, and he's the same bubbly, gregarious person he was back then.

Bah's personality is probably this team's best kept secret of the last 35 years. Not only was he an incredibly hard-working hockey player, he's super chatty and tells amazing stories, can chirp his teammates like nobody's business and was (and still is) great at stirring the pot. I mean, at the 35th anniversary reunion, he had his teammates (and the crowd) literally crying with laughter. He's just pure entertainment!

All of his teammates have said that Bob was the guy you hated playing against and loved having on your team. He was the guy everyone wanted to go to war with. He was a win-at-all-costs kind of player and always, always had his teammates' backs. If someone fell victim to a dirty hit, it was Bob that'd be chomping at the bit to get revenge and unleash hell. And he was loyal to his community as well; after the Olympics he returned to his hometown of Madison, Wisconsin to grow the game of hockey and give local kids more opportunities. He was totally selfless.

I almost named Neal as Teacher's Pet, but decided that would ultimately be doing his utter likability a disservice. Yes, Herb loved him and largely left him alone (I know, right?), but his teammates loved him as well. He was like their little brother. He was always relaxed and happy and humble and kind, knew his place and kept his mouth shut, and despite his prodigious talent never got on his less gifted teammates. Everyone liked him so much they wanted to make him happy. :)

In the interest of post length, tune in next week for part two!

Miracle Monday: Jack O'Callahan

Does this post even need an introduction? If you've ever seen Miracle, you know who Jack O'Callahan is, and probably think he's pretty kick-ass and/or the actor playing him is really attractive (and I will argue about neither of those points). But the real Jack O'Callahan is far more than the sass and swagger that reached the big screen. So let's discuss, shall we? You will not be disappointed!

FUN FACTS:

+ OC grew up in Charlestown, Massachusetts... but Miracle already told you that. What Miracle didn't tell you, however, is that growing up in Charlestown was no picnic. It's a super rough area with high rates of drug use and violence, and his upbringing there gave OC a rather large chip on his shoulder. While a good number of the scars on his face are hockey-related, there are also plenty that came from just living in Charlestown (like the time a dude scraped a broken beer bottle down his face). All this fighting manifested itself in OC's style of play on the ice, as he was a take-no-prisoners, win-at-all-costs kind of guy. He would essentially turn demonic during games, was always the first guy to drop his gloves and even got into a fight at the 1978 Sports Festival (with Steve Christoff -- that OC-vs.-Rob-McClanahan fight in Miracle didn't actually happen. OC says that Rob "was much too smart" to pick a fight with him!). He's also missing a whole heck of a lot of teeth. That toothless grin of his was really something else, let me tell you.

+ But before we get too carried away with the thug stereotypes, we need to mention that OC attended Boston Latin high school (an extremely prestigious institution) and got grades good enough to warrant acceptance into Harvard University. He chose to attend BU instead because he thought he'd have a better chance at winning a national championship with the Terriers. In college he majored in American History and would take tours around Boston to learn the city's history and architecture, and even brought up the Battle of Bunker Hill in the post-gold medal press conference at the Olympics. He was BU's top student-athlete in 1978 and at one point, he also had law school aspirations. Basically, Jack O'Callahan was a giant nerd, and don't you ever forget it!

+ OC did indeed win a national championship with BU in 1978, and was named tournament MVP for his six assists. He was good enough to make it onto the world championship team in 1979, which was where he played for Herb Brooks for the first time. The U.S. didn't do particularly well in that tournament, and OC thought he'd played poorly, but Herb loved his character and attitude and told him not to sign a pro contract; he wanted him for the Olympic team, solely based on his personality. OC's personality ended up totally saving his butt in the end, too. I'm sure you're familiar with his knee injury in the pre-Olympic exhibition game against the Soviets thanks to Miracle, yes? Well, Herb decided to keep him on the roster instead of replacing him with an able-bodied player, again, because of his personality. Herb knew that Jack would keep his teammates unified and pumped up and ready to go, so he'd be incredibly necessary for the locker room dynamic even if he couldn't play. In fact, Herb said that in the last five minutes of the game against the Soviets, OC was basically doing most of the coaching on the bench, and all Herb was doing was changing lines. :) OC did get ice time, though, as he went absolutely nuts with rehab and managed to heal his knee sufficiently in record time. He missed the first two games but played in the next five (though in a limited capacity), and even notched an assist for his trouble. (He also happened to hit Herb immediately after they beat the Soviets. He was on the bench as the game finished, and he was equal parts overjoyed with the win and pissed off that he hadn't gotten to play as much as he'd wanted to. So when Herb went in for a hug, OC threw a forearm at his chest before running out onto the ice and tackling Mike Ramsey. Is that not the greatest story you've ever heard?!)

+ A draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 1977, OC turned pro after the Olympics and spent two years in the AHL before getting to the NHL. He played on the Hawks for five seasons, helping the team to the Stanley Cup semifinals in 1983 and '85. In '87 he was traded to the New Jersey Devils, where he played another two seasons before injuries started taking their toll and he decided to retire.

+ OC had no desire to stay too involved in hockey once he'd retired, and was all ready to start his next career... in finance. (I mean, I told you he was a super smart nerd, didn't I?!) He'd had some financial internships during hockey off-seasons, so when hockey was finished he jumped right into that world. Within a few years he'd reconnected with Jack Hughes (one of the last cuts from the Olympic team, who also happened to be OC's roommate for that pre-Olympic season), and the two started Beanpot Financial Services (named after the annual hockey tournament between BU, BC, Harvard and Northeastern) in 1992. So those two old hockey teammates have been business partners for 20+ years and are still killin' it.

And I mean, can we talk about this?

That, my friends, is how you get your movie alter-ego on the cover of the Miracle DVD.

Anyway, Jack O'Callahan is probably one of the most amusing human beings to walk the planet, and looking through videos for one to include in this post had me literally laughing out loud. So please, treat yo self and watch this video. It's impossible not to like this guy.



Also, this post is the 11th Miracle Monday, which means we have officially passed the halfway mark on the roster! (Wow, when the heck did that happen?) So if you missed any of the first 10 weeks, you can catch up here!

#1: Steve Janaszak (G)

#3: Ken Morrow (D)

#5: Mike Ramsey (D)

#6: Bill Baker (D)

#8: Dave Silk (RW)

#9: Neal Broten (C)

#10: Mark Johnson (C)

#11: Steve Christoff (RW)

#15: Mark Wells (C)

#16: Mark Pavelich (C)