The United States was really struggling in 1980. The Iranian revolution in 1979 iresulted in  52 Americans being held captive for 444 days.  The second oil crisis in less than a decade strapped Americans with fuel restrictions. The prime interest rates of 16.5% lead to home sales 30% lower than 2009, as stated in a New York Times article by David Leonhardt.  Combined unemployment and underemployment was ascending to its eventual peak of 16.3%. On February 24, 1980, all of these problems disappeared, if only for a day, when the U.S. Hockey team defeated U.S.S.R. in the 1980 Olympic games.  This is still considered a sports miracle, as the U.S. team comprised of college kids defeated the modern equivalent of professional all-stars. As I watched the U.S. Mens team get eliminated from the World Cup last week at a jam packed restaurant, I could not help drawing a comparison between the two sporting events and the times in which they were played. ...(Read Full Post)