I rushed home from school on Friday, February 22, 1980. I headed over to my friend Mark's house. We were twelve year old boys and there was a hockey game on the radio. A lot of people misremember, but the game was not televised live. We sat in Mark's basement and listened to the broadcast of the US playing the Soviet Union in Olympic Hockey. Midway through the third period, Mike Eruzione scored the game winning goal of what became known as the "Miracle on Ice." We screamed and got even louder in the following minutes as the USA held off the vaunted Russians in the final minutes of the game. It was a joyous day. Ronald Reagan was out on the campaign trail and wouldn't enter the White House for nearly a year, yet I still consider that day to be the beginning of Reagan's America.
On Monday, June 15, 2014, I rushed away from work and headed to my regular Monday night watering hole. The US was playing Ghana in World Cup, and it happened to be on the TV. Late in the game, some guy from the US scored a goal to finish the scoring and give the US a 2-1 victory. The crowd went wild, as I concentrated on eating a slice of bacon & tomato pizza. I consider that day the culmination of Obama's America. Actually, it would have been more appropriate if they tied.
