Celebrate The 4th Of July With America's Greatest Sports Moment: The Miracle On Ice

Today is the 4th of July, and it's the perfect time to crack a beer and celebrate with the Miracle on Ice.

America's birthday is a great opportunity to kick back, celebrate this beautiful country we all call home and remember all the moments that make the USA the best country God ever created.

There are many moments to reflect upon and honor for the 4th of July. We could talk about WWII, going to the moon and a million other things. For me, I always take the opportunity remember the Miracle on Ice every 4th of July.

The Miracle on Ice is America's greatest sports moment.

There are a lot of epic sports moments that standout through the decades. Whether it's Jesse Owens dominating the Nazis at the Olympics, Michael Phelps' incredible run, the Dream Team or something else, there are plenty of examples to choose from.

However, nothing touches the Miracle on Ice. It's the single greatest sports moment this country as ever had.

One the fateful day of February 22, 1980, the Soviet Union and Americans met on the ice in Lake Placid during the 1980 winter Olympics.

Mike Ramsey #5 of the United States checks Valeri Kharlamov #17 of the Soviet Union during the Winter Olympic Games on February 22, 1980 in Lake Placid, New York. The United States won 4-3. (Photo by Tony Duffy/Getty Images)

The Soviets had the greatest hockey dynasty in the history of the sport. The U.S.S.R. was a dominant force, and everyone knew it.

They knew they were going to always win before the puck was even dropped. Nobody could stick with them, and a few weeks before the Olympics, the Soviets obliterated the USA 10-3 in an exhibition match.

The Soviets had the best team in the world, and everyone knew it.

America stuns the world.

Herb Brooks had managed to build Team USA into a rock solid team. Nobody expected the Americans to compete coming into the 1980 games. The goal was just to not leave embarrassed.

Brooks had exceeded all expectations by the time the opening ceremonies were underway. America didn't just have a team that wouldn't get embarrassed, Brooks had a team that could compete. Led by Mark Johnson, the Americans had proved they were far from a joke, despite the blowout to the Russians in exhibition play.

The Americans ended pool play 4-0-1 and shocked everyone paying attention. Now, it was time for the biggest shock of all.

America beat the Soviet Union in the Miracle on Ice. (Credit: Getty Images)

Despite being a massive underdog, Brooks and the boys fought like absolute dogs on the ice against the Soviets. They handled the physicality of the game, the speed and didn't allow the Soviets to break them.

Down, 3-2 entering the final period, Mark Johnson scored to tie the game 3-3 and with ten minutes remaining, Mike Eruzione made the most important goal of his life to give the USA a 4-3 lead. We would never give up the lead again.

The moment led to Al Michaels' famous call:

11 seconds, you've got 10 seconds, the countdown going on right now! Morrow, up to Silk. Five seconds left in the game. Do you believe in miracles? YES!

The Miracle on Ice was a lot more than a hockey game.

When the clock hit zero and America won (still had to beat Finland to win the gold), it gave the American soul a shot of electricity and adrenaline.

The game represented good vs. evil. Oppression vs. freedom. Communism vs. capitalism. The Soviet hockey program was its crown jewel. It was the nation's one thing it knew nobody else in the world could touch.

Well, nobody could touch it until a rag-tag team of college stars beat the best hockey team the world had ever seen.

America desperately needed a win. The economy was awful, the Iranian Hostage Crisis was an international embarrassment, the Soviets had moved into Afghanistan and it felt like the USA was headed to a dark place.

The Miracle on Ice proved to the world America could do anything, and it was a huge victory over a country that hated everything about our way of life.

The Miracle on Ice is America's greatest sports moment. (Photo by B Bennett/Getty Images)

So, on America's birthday, take a moment to remember the day we gave the Soviets the middle finger and won the most important hockey game in the history of the sport.