Continuing yesterday’s theme on Going for the Gold, I’m still processing the fine line between winning and not winning and how important is winning. Sunday, we looked at lessons learned from watching our Olympic heroes lose. There are no guarantees in life, especially in sports. For every inspiring story of “our team” winning, someone else’s “our team” lost. Yesterday, we processed Elana Meyers-Taylor’s bobsled win (by 0.04 seconds!). Elana got the gold. The German lady got silver. “We won!” Again, by 0.04 second – over four runs!

I first learned the perceived importance of winning when the Broncos won their first Super Bowl, after the 1997 season. They had lost four Super Bowls prior to that, and for all the talk of, “At least we were there,” “Some teams haven’t played even one Super Bowl,” etc., etc., when the Broncos won, there was massive excitement. We had John Elway’s famous, “This one’s for (owner) Pat!” quote, and a downtown parade. I thought, “Wow. Winning really is better than not winning.”

And so “we” rejoice over USA wins over Canada in both men’s and women’s hockey. Both Gold Medal games were won in overtime with a score of 2 – 1. The US men have not taken gold in Olympic hockey since the legendary Lake Placid “Miracle on Ice” in 1980. A US amateur team of college hockey players beat the mighty USSR whose players were decidedly NOT amateur:

Olympic rules at the time prohibited professional athletes from competing, but the Soviet Government circumvented this by employing professional athletes in symbolic university or military positions, allowing them to focus full-time on sport. As a result, the Soviet team consisted of veteran players with significant experience in international play. – Wikipedia

We don’t use amateurs anymore. No one does. Here’s the opening of Jason Gay’s summary and commentary:

On Sunday, the U.S. men’s hockey team defeated Canada 2 – 1 in sudden-death overtime to capture the country’s first gold medal since that glorious run in upstate New York. Forty-six years to the day since their underdog predecessors toppled the Mighty Red Machine, United States men’s hockey is golden again. 

Unreal. And yet, very real. 

There are major differences, yes. This victory is no miracle. The final in Milan was contested by NHL professionals, millionaires all. Team USA wasn’t a ragtag group, but the nation’s very best, the product of generations of elite domestic development and the game’s widening geography. Hockey is played everywhere in the U.S. now, and the homegrown talent is better than ever.

Yet on the other side, that was still a heavyweight, a Goliath in red. Canada is Canada, the keeper and class of the sport, and they were favored to win this final, as they had in 2010 and 2014, the last time these games were contested by NHL glitterati. They outshot the U.S. 42-28, controlled the puck all afternoon, sent out lines of would-be legends to follow actual legends. At times if you squinted, it really looked like the varsity versus the JV. 

In the end, it didn’t matter, because it’s hockey, and sometimes, what it takes is a little more belief. The U.S. may have been outgunned, but they played opportunistic, inspired hockey, guided by a hunger for gold and the loss of a teammate, Johnny Gaudreau, struck and killed by a motorist a year and a half ago.  

Note that the team picture includes Gaudreau’s jersey and his two children. If that doesn’t bring a tear to your eye…

So if you’re an American, let’s celebrate! It’s a feel good moment in a day when there are a lot of not-so-good moments. And let’s take comfort that if we follow Jesus, we are on the winning side of the only “game” that counts.

You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally. I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself. (1 Corinthians 9.24 – 27, MSG)

The seventh Angel trumpeted. A crescendo of voices in Heaven sang out, The kingdom of the world is now the Kingdom of our God and his Messiah! He will rule forever and ever! (Revelation 11.15, MSG)

PS Happy Birthday (two days early) to my youngest son, David, born on February 26, 1980. Feeling like an old man, David also turns 46, along with the anniversary of the Miracle on Ice.

PPS Jason Gay of the Wall Street Journal also reflected on winning mentioning a few highlights of the entire games, focusing on a US female figure skater winning gold. Alysa Liu and Four Minutes That Changed the Olympics Forever. It’s worth the read if you’re interested in this sort of thing.