Our Michael and The Olympics

Ok, we’ll give Michael Phelps his due as the greatest Olympian of all time — at least in terms of the number of medals won and his sheer dominance in the swimming pool over a span of four Olympic Games.

But it was great to hear the commentators mention the 1980 Olympic hockey team and our captain, Michael Eruzione, as having accomplished the greatest achievement in Olympics history. We know how proud Michael was to represent our country in the Olympics and how famous he has become as a result of his unforgettable goal that beat the Soviets, not to mention the tremendous example he set for his teammates as their captain.

Let’s just say that there are two “Michaels” — Phelps and Eruzione — on the Mount Rushmore of U.S. Olympic athletes — to join such other greats as Jesse Owens, Muhammad Ali, Carl Lewis, Mark Spitz, two-time gold medalist Kayla Harrison (for what she has accomplished for  women’s judo), and the great U.S. women basketball players who have performed so well in the Olympics, among the countless other Olympians who have accomplished great and memorable feats in the realm of athletic competition for our country.