The Boy Next Door Just Discovered America

Research in Progress

Black and white photo from the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York shows a hockey player in a USA jersey kneeling on the ice and raising his arms in a gesture of triumph. A teammate lies sprawled beneath him on the ground and a huddled group of players is visible in the back right. Beneath the photo, bold, black text on taupe ground reads "THE BOY NEXT DOOR / JUST DISCOVERED / AMERICA." Smaller black type to the left of this reads "Somewhere along the line we lost it. / We stopped believing. Then the kid / next door won a gold medal. A kid with / a runny nose and milk money danced up / to the tiger and spit in his eye. / It's not a fluke. Not an upset. Not a / longshot, dark horse or a David and / Goliath. / It's a miracle. / It's America. / Welcome back. / Congratulations to the United States / of America from Wonderland Park."