SEN TOMMY TUBERVILLE: Bring back the ‘Miracle on Ice’ spirit to Team USA

Every 4 years, Americans of each backgrounds — Republican oregon Democrat, affluent oregon poor, municipality oregon agrarian — travel unneurotic to cheer connected the U.S. wintertime Olympic team. The 2026 Olympics successful Milan are successful afloat plaything and Americans are erstwhile again coming unneurotic to cheer connected our nation’s athletes who person worked their full lives to scope the pinnacle of their sport.

For generations, Americans tuned successful to the Olympic Games with pride, anxious to cheer connected chap American patriots who competed not lone for medals, but for the federation itself. Back then, each American loved and was arrogant of our state — careless of governmental disagreements — due to the fact that they understood what it means to beryllium an American. 

Unfortunately, that seems to person changed today. I person been highly disappointed to spot immoderate American athletes expressing "mixed emotions" astir representing the United States successful this year’s Olympic Games due to the fact that of their views connected authorities and — you guessed it — President Donald Trump.

SANDERS CALLS OLYMPIC SKIER 'PROUD AMERICAN' DESPITE HAVING 'MIXED EMOTIONS' ABOUT REPRESENTING US

One freestyle skier precocious suggested helium was representing lone his friends and household alternatively than the state arsenic a whole. Another jock referred to herself arsenic "woke" and said it has been a "hard time" for the LGBTQ assemblage nether this administration. A fewer members of the USA women’s crystal hockey squad felt the request to measurement successful connected ICE officers enforcing the instrumentality and deporting criminals.

Throughout U.S. history, representing the United States meant thing bigger than idiosyncratic branding oregon selling the satellite connected your idiosyncratic governmental agenda. Since our nation’s founding 250 years ago, America has been a shining beacon of democracy, state and idiosyncratic opportunity. The United States is simply a planetary person erstwhile it comes to civilian rights. If you enactment hard, you tin execute the American dream, nary substance what you look similar oregon wherever you travel from. That tone of gratitude and nationalist pridefulness erstwhile defined our Olympic athletes arsenic well. 

Throughout the 20th century, American Olympians understood the tremendous work it is to correspond the United States. In 1936, Jesse Owens stunned the satellite by winning 4 golden medals successful way and tract successful Nazi Germany. He didn’t adjacent person to talk — his actions connected the tract were a wide rebuke of the Nazi propaganda and disgusting racism happening successful Germany astatine the time. That aforesaid year, the working-class boys connected the University of Washington rowing team, immortalized arsenic "The Boys successful the Boat," defied the likelihood by capturing golden and erstwhile again demonstrated however putting your caput down and moving tin sometimes nonstop a stronger connection than shouting into a microphone. 

Decades later, astatine the tallness of the Cold War, the 1980 U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team, comprised mostly of assemblage students, defeated the seemingly unbeatable Soviet Union successful what became known arsenic the "Miracle connected Ice." These young athletes were not motivated by wealthiness oregon idiosyncratic fame. They played for emotion of country, emotion of sport, and the accidental to correspond the United States during 1 of the tensest periods successful our nation’s history. I’m definite each of these young men didn’t hold connected everything — but their shared patriotism brought them unneurotic connected the ice. Their triumph brought anticipation to millions of Americans and embodied what this state is each about: grit, determination, and hard work.

'MIRACLE ON ICE' STAR RIPS AMERICAN OLYMPIAN OVER REMARKS ABOUT REPRESENTING TEAM USA

Those moments are remembered not due to the fact that of the medals won, but due to the fact that of the aggravated patriotism displayed by the athletes who understood the work of representing their country. They understood that stepping onto the Olympic signifier meant carrying the hopes and pridefulness of millions backmost home. They embraced the responsibilities and challenges that came with it and proudly wore the American uniform. 

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Today’s Olympians payment from resources erstwhile generations could lone imagination about. When I was increasing up, the Olympics were for amateurs. But galore of today’s Olympians are professionals who are blessed with elite grooming facilities, precocious sports science, assemblage sports improvement pipelines, lucrative sponsorships and different fiscal incentives. The United States invests heavy successful preparing our athletes for success, providing opportunities unmatched by astir of the world. Despite each of these privileges, immoderate of the U.S. Olympians connected this year’s squad look to person forgotten what an tremendous privilege it is to beryllium an American.

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Before I became a U.S. Senator, I spent astir 40 years coaching. I utilized to archer my players this each the time: if you were fortunate capable to beryllium calved successful the United States, you person already won the lottery. But the lone happening this state owes you is an opportunity. The remainder is up to you. This is particularly existent for our Olympic athletes. Representing your state connected the satellite signifier is 1 of the highest honors successful athletics. Getting to deterioration the red, white, and bluish is simply a privilege, not a right.

If you aren’t arrogant to correspond this country, you shouldn’t beryllium connected our Olympic team. If lasting connected the podium and proceeding our nationalist anthem blasted implicit the speakers doesn’t bring you to tears, you don’t merit to deterioration our large flag. And if you hatred this state truthful much, nary 1 is stopping you from moving determination else. Americans volition ever observe diversion excellence. But what has historically made U.S. Olympians genuinely inspiring is their willingness to enactment idiosyncratic differences speech and correspond the values that marque this state great. I anticipation to spot a alteration successful cognition from our U.S. Olympians, a renewed consciousness of pridefulness successful this country, and a instrumentality to the unity that erstwhile defined the American Olympic spirit. 

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