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Mike Eruzione
1983 Topps Greatest Olympians card #36 - Mike Eruzione
By Sal J. Barry
Published February 22, 2010
Click photo to enlarge
"Do you believe in miracles?" It was 30 years ago today that announcer Al Michaels asked us that question, when the United States Olympic hockey team upset a vastly superior Soviet Union squad.
Indeed, a miracle had happened. On February 22, 1980, Mike Eruzione and the United States Olympic team pulled off one of the greatest upsets in hockey history, as explained on this card...
After the 1980 Olympics, Eruzione was offered the chance to play in the NHL with the New York Rangers. However, he instead decided to end his playing career. Nothing he would do could ever match what he had accomplished.
In 1983, those accomplishments were immortalized in cardboard. Banking on the hype of the forthcoming 1984 Summer Olympics - held in Los Angeles - Topps released a set of cards called "Greatest Olympians." Featured were many summer and winter Olympic heroes, such as Cassius Clay, Dorothy Hamill, Jim Thorpe, Jesse Owens, and this card of Mike Eruzione.
Note that this set - and thus this card - has two variations:
1983 Topps Greatest Olympians card #36 - Mike Eruzione
By Sal J. Barry
Published February 22, 2010
Click photo to enlarge
Indeed, a miracle had happened. On February 22, 1980, Mike Eruzione and the United States Olympic team pulled off one of the greatest upsets in hockey history, as explained on this card...
U.S. 4 - USSR 3! - Eruzione Scores Winning Goal!And that's exactly what happened. Two nights after beating the Russians 4-3, the United States beat Finland 4-2 to capture the gold medal.
The United States team beat the Russian ice hockey juggernaut, 4-3, at lake Placid last night. The winning goal was scored by team captain Mike Eruzione of Boston, who also played on the 1976 Olympic team. Eruzione was confident the U.S. will beat Finland tomorrow for the gold medal.
After the 1980 Olympics, Eruzione was offered the chance to play in the NHL with the New York Rangers. However, he instead decided to end his playing career. Nothing he would do could ever match what he had accomplished.
In 1983, those accomplishments were immortalized in cardboard. Banking on the hype of the forthcoming 1984 Summer Olympics - held in Los Angeles - Topps released a set of cards called "Greatest Olympians." Featured were many summer and winter Olympic heroes, such as Cassius Clay, Dorothy Hamill, Jim Thorpe, Jesse Owens, and this card of Mike Eruzione.
Note that this set - and thus this card - has two variations:
U.S. version - Upper left corner on the front uses the Los Angeles Olympics logo - a blue star, a white star and a red star. The copyright line on the back reads "© 1983 Fil mfg under license of L.A.O.O.C." - meaning that this card was licensed by the Los Angeles Olympics Organization Committee, since it used their logo.The only other hockey player included in this set, fittingly, is U.S. goalie Jim Craig, who was also a big part of the "Miracle on Ice."
International version - the Los Angeles "stars" logo was replaced by five black Olympic rings. The copyright line on the back reads " © 1983 FINDER IMAGE INTER'L."
