If Al Michaels was the voice of the Miracle on Ice, Jim McKay — ABC’s only studio presence on the evening of Friday, February 22, 1980 — was surely its face. I was too young to remember the McKay of Munich; in my adolescence of ‘80 I hung on his every word.
We lost McKay last weekend, and so we lost a towering figure of broadcast excellence, a broadcast personality perhaps more associated with the Olympics than any athlete. But most painfully for fans of American hockey, we lost a vital touchstone to one of the greatest moments of our lives, and certainly sports’ greatest moment.
Those in my age cohort will remember well the extraordinary role McKay had to play that remarkable February Friday. ABC made the decision to tape-delay the U.S.-Russia medal round semifinal, which faced off at 5:00 p.m. , and so by broadcast time that night McKay was in on one of the best-kept secrets in the history of television news; virtually the rest of his nation of 230 million was clueless. Perhaps like the rest of his countrymen two hours later — ABC didn’t broadcast the game in its entirety — in the upset’s immediate aftermath McKay simply didn’t know how to process the significance of the world-altering American triumph, and so he could manage those opening couple of setup minutes with his well-practiced professionalism.
Still, looking back, McKay’s prime-time composure seems nearly as miraculous as the feat of Herbie’s charges that day.
Because he was a pro’s pro who undoubtedly sensed the culminating effect of the American team’s feats to that moment, McKay played it straight as he came on the air at 8:00. He graced a studio set that to today’s around-the-clock-and-channels, sports-devouring eyes would seem spartan. Actually, it wasn’t so much a set as a grand stage for one: just McKay, the dean of American broadcast sports journalism, in his ABC Sports blazer. It was a very newsy shot for a very newsy occasion.
Looking back on that extraordinary moment — I have a VHS copy of it, and badly am in need of a digital one — one can see and hear the standard McKay setup for a significant moment: an eloquent and efficient chronicling of the Americans’ unbelievable underdog ascent into Lake Placid’s hockey medals qualification round. But with the benefit of hindsight, you can also detect a glimmer in his eye. That glimmer was joined by the slightest upturn in the crease of his mouth as he concluded his intro with, “You definitely want to stick around for this one.”
Were truer words ever uttered on television?
What a wonderful moment in time to be free of the Internet, I think now.
I remember McKay principally for that evening but also for his less dramatic duties hosting ABC’s ‘Wide World of Sports’ on Saturday afternoons. McKay seemed to celebrate the totality of athletic excellence in his broadcast career, which is perhaps why he cherished working the Olympics — in their less vulgar incarnation, obviously. He played it straight then, too, although I seem to remember that when it came to American excellence in sport his narrations bore a subtle but unmistakable pride. We could use more of that today, I think.
In reading memorials of his career this week I was struck by the breadth of events he covered. He was ABC’s go-to guy for special events, for decades. He was a seminal media figure at horse racing’s Triple Crown races, and with ‘Wide World of Sports’ he’d anchor one of the most successful sports programs in television history.
Televised sports in America in the ’60s, ’70s, and early ’80s was far different from what we know today. It was almost singularly male in the composition of its competitors, and it was also at times kitsch-ish in its made-for-TV moments: If it was sporting Americana taking place — the Indy 500 or Evel Knievel attempting to rocket-jump the Grand Canyon — McKay was there to cover it. In reflecting on this it strikes me as Hollywood-script-perfect for McKay to have been there as he was that fabulous Friday night, isolated in that studio shot.
“Here were these college kids beating the Soviets and going on to the Olympic Gold Medal,” McKay said in an interview in 2003. “To me, that’s the greatest upset of all time in any sport that I can think of.”
Maybe it’s the effects of nostalgia’s dominating spirit, but what I remember about February 23 and 24, 1980, was McKay’s voice interrupting what by then had become marginalized competing Olympic sports, for his narrating over scene after scene of thousands of delirious Americans draped in Old Glory, painting a small New York town in our nation’s colors.
On February 22, 1980, and for the remainder of that unforgettable weekend, we Americans, beleaguered in so many respects as we then were, needed a shepherd of first composure and then appropriate and eloquent ecstasy for an event that forever changed our lives. Jim McKay was that and much more.
It was, truly, a winter Friday night of miraculous innocence. Gone, now, like the broadcast hero who ushered it into our lives, forever.
13 Comments
“We could use more of that today, I think.”
If you meant subtlety, I agree. We don’t need any more USA rah-rah-ing that’s for sure.
Nice write-up. Makes me wish I’d have been alive to experience both McKay and the Miracle.
I guess one (older) man’s “pride” is another’s (younger) “rah-rah-ing.” And yes, I too wish you’d been alive to experience it.
Agree with everything you said about Jim McKay. One memory of that day was due to the tape delay broadcast — here in the DC area Channel 7 cut in prior to the 3rd period and anchor Renee Pouissant (sp?) said something like “tune in at 11:00 for our coverage of the USA’s big upset win”. Argghh!
OldPhil, you’re right about the WJLA anchor-ditz moment-kill — she may even have blurted out the result prior to McKay’s on-air arrival (I’m getting too old to recall exectly). I didn’t encounter it myself, but I was aware of it, as it made a bit of a buzz locally for a day or two afterward. Pouissant has a Wikipedia entry, one that on my last visit to it omitted any mention of perhaps her most (in)famous broadcast moment in her lengthy Washington career. I think you should bring that entry greater integrity!
Another great article/post. I just shared it with a bunch of people. I think it’s really hard for people that weren’t alive for those Olympics to really grasp everything that was going on at the time. I was 10 years old, living in Ann Arbor… That victory will ALWAYS be the most thrilling sporting event of my life. There’s just no way to top it.
Well said! That was the most exciting hockey game I ever watched, and I cried my eyes out when they won. The Father’s Day Needless Markup catalog has a framed picture of the boys in their moment of glory and it is signed. I’ve been mulling over buying it, ostensibly for my husband, but I’m probably too cheap to follow through.
Zelda: yours is one of the more intriguing comments I’ve come across at OFB. If the photo in question is genuinely exorbitantly priced, I can’t in good conscience advise you to purchase it. But if it is solidly within your means, speaking as the son of a hockey loving father, I have to believe it’d be one of the more memorable Father’s Days of his life. Please let us know if you go ahead with the purchase, and especially of how it’s received!
OK, so first I had to figure out that zelda was referring to Neiman Marcus…and now I know why they have the nickname. Still almost tempted to drop $900 on it:
http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?cmCat=search&itemId=prod59380007
Ooh, only $750 direct:
http://www.steinersports.com/ssm/control/product/~pcategory=/~category=/~pid=USAHPHS016010
So, yeah I had just turned six years old a couple weeks prior to the Miracle on Ice. It is one of my most treasured memories. Dad was already taking me to Caps games and I was a Lil’ Hockey Nut. I recall just staring in disbelief when it was over. “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” is the call to end all calls and McKay showed amazing composure. Renee/WJLA, not so much. Because I remember that too now that it’s been mentioned.
I think I lost my little Lake Placid medal on a red-white-blue ribbon from my uncle. Perhaps a $750 picture will ease the pain…
Follow-up. I’m kinda obsessed now. If you go to Steiner and search “1980″ you’ll find a few options. One is signed only by Jim Craig with “Do you believe in miracles” for $150.
The limited edition of 80 has the whole team’s sigs and costs $749.99.
Found a coupon code for zelda, (her husband), et al. “grandparents20″ minus the quotes will get you 20% off. With no frame/matting + plus cheapest S&H, that comes to $609.98 total.
My finger is poised over the left mouse button to buy one for me. If I use some of my inheritance from Dad, is that like buying it for *him* for Father’s Day?
He gave me hockey (particularly the Caps) and now I’ve met the woman I will marry, who I turned into a Caps fan this year. I think I must…
Oh, Shmoo, you’ve made my YEAR! This is fantastic! I’m off to make a purchase! Thank you for being obsessed!
WOW! With the discount code, they also frame it for FREE!
So glad to hear it, zelda. Anything for a Caps fan!
And as pucksandbooks mentioned, I too would love to hear how it is received.
I’m getting myself one. Minus the surprise I’m still excited. My gf bought me a signed OV picture for my birthday this year and said this:
“I thought you’d like it because it’s the Caps and OV is celebrating. I was looking at a different picture, but this has him scoring on the Penguins and all their fans look upset behind the glass.”
Tears of joy, I swear. You know they say sometimes you just know when it’s right? I kid you not, that’s when I knew I would marry this wonderful young lady. : D
@Schmoo and Pucksandbooks, F.Scott LOVED the Miracle on Ice photo. Thanks to both of you for encouraging me to get it. F. Scott’s grandfather took him to every sporting event at his alma mater (and F.Scott’s, as well.) F. Scott started reminiscing about his grandfather, and growing up in New England back in the day when it was fine to go skating on town ponds for a pick-up game of hockey. When he was growing up, every New England kid knew: “One inch, keep off; two inches, one may; three inches, small groups; four inches, OK!!!!”
Many, many thanks to you both!
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