I remember several 'swelling with American pride' moments in my life. One of the first ones I can pull up in my memory bank is of Mary Lou Retton in the Olympics. I was obsessed with watching her jump and spin and flip and twirl. Her huge smile when she won was electrifying. I so wanted to be a gymnast even though I have zero gross motor skills and I can't even cartwheel.
I loved watching Mary Lou Retton pic.twitter.com/qBZjIAyiZQ
— Mike (@KeyboardsMike) February 21, 2026
Happy birthday, @marylouretton 🎂
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) January 24, 2019
In 1984, she became the first American woman to ever win the all-around Olympic 🥇 medal. pic.twitter.com/22ossSA1H7
I was so obsessed with her and she made me love the Olympics as a whole. Chris Arnade shared this story of watching the United States hockey team make history last weekend and it brought back all those memories. Athletics truly has the ability to excite and unite us.
I'm guessing from twitter this is about USA hockey stuff.
— Chris Arnade 🐢🐱🚌 (@Chris_arnade) February 25, 2026
I saw the game here in a Northern Indiana McDonald's with a semi-pro team that pulled off the road to watch it. The whole McDonald's went bonkers, when we won, including employees. Jumping up and down, strangers… https://t.co/5cb0HlRzuN
The USA hockey "backlash" is very much a online controversy. https://t.co/FRbmxnVsT5
— Mike, the Brooklyn smartass *or so I've been told* (@brooklynmike21) February 25, 2026
It's very much limited to the too online, need to tough grass Left. Unfortunately, they have a huge impact on Corporate Media and what they cover, so it get lots of play. Social Media is full of people talking about it.
If you had told me as a kid in Tampa Bay (where I grew up) that not only would Florida have NHL hockey teams, but ones that regularly win more Stanley cups than all of Canada -- I would of assumed you where some rapid anti-Canadian weirdo.
— Chris Arnade 🐢🐱🚌 (@Chris_arnade) February 25, 2026
I'm also a native Floridian and it is pretty hard to imagine.
Absolutely started playing roller hockey in the street after the 1980 Miracle on Ice. And this was before roller blades existed so we used the real deal roller skates.
— Harvey Jackalope (@HarveyJackalope) February 25, 2026
yes. Clunky old school roller-skates and field hockey sticks, with a tennis ball.
— Chris Arnade 🐢🐱🚌 (@Chris_arnade) February 25, 2026
I have to imagine youth hockey leagues will have a huge uptick in interest. Isn't that wonderful? We want kids involved in organized sports and not sitting inside looking at screens. Adults all across America should be pointing to both the men and women's teams and showing young people what is possible. Instead, their every move is being micromanaged. It's utterly ridiculous.
My sister just moved to the US last year and works at a catholic school. She went back to work yesterday after the snow day and was wondering why all the teachers and staff were wearing red white and blue outfits unprompted. There’s a whole other world outside of X.
— Trixi Qui (@chicatrixy) February 25, 2026
A good reminder to us all to get off the internet and touch grass.
You are correct.
— Recliner (@Recliningdad) February 25, 2026
All of us old guys in flyover and frozen tundra land knew it by 10am on Sunday…this was the iconic sports moment of the last quarter century.
And we saw how happy and excited it made people.
It brought back the old spirit some of us remember..and that’s what…
The religion of Leftism only allows for adherence. Joy and reaching across the aisle be damned.
