Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Captain of 'Miracle on Ice' Hockey Team Seriously Regrets Appearing on Stage With Trump Wearing 'KAG' Hats

Captain of 'Miracle on Ice' Hockey Team Seriously Regrets Appearing on Stage With Trump Wearing 'KAG' Hats
C-SPAN/YouTube

For many years, the so-called miracle on ice was a point of pride for people in the United States.

A group of amateur college hockey players faced off against the Soviet Union's Red Army champions in the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.


The young amateurs emerged victorious on their way to a gold medal. The players became media stars and national heroes overnight.

But on the 40th anniversary of their victory, that star was tarnished. President Donald Trump invited the team to appear on stage with him at his Las Vegas MAGA rally just to commemorate the event—not as a political endorsement.

The team agreed under those terms. But as the players approached the stage, they were handed a red hat. The first person called to appear on the stage was the 1980 team captain Mike Eruzione who made a few remarks before he was joined by other members of the team.

You can see the players being called on stage in the below video.

youtu.be

Several players can be seen carrying the hats they were given as they came on stage, but most automatically put them on.

Eruzione now says that was a mistake.

The hats bore Trump's 2020 campaign slogan: Keep America Great. The KAG hats replaced the MAGA ones, but most supporters still sport the original slogan.

The perception of an endorsement of Trump by the team drew immediate backlash.


Eruzione addressed that public response in an interview with The Washington Post.

The Olympic captain asked one interviewer:

"You going to light into me, too? We're getting killed!"

To The Post, Eruzione said:

"If we knew we were going to piss off this many people, we probably would not have put the hats on. That's the big question here. A lot of the stuff I got was, 'You guys said it's not political, but when you put the hats on, you made it political'."

The team had taken photos with the sitting President for the occasion of the 40th anniversary, but Eruzione said Trump invited them to join him onstage.

"What are you going to say? To us it was, 'Sure'."

During his Post interview Eruzione pulled up his Twitter account to read some of the feedback:

"'Did they have to wear those hats?… A shame on all of you for wearing those divisive, racist hats.… 40 years ago, you brought joy, but tonight it's deep sadness'."






Eruzione added:

"I told my wife, 'People think we are a disgrace."

More from People/donald-trump

Screenshots of Will Thilly breakdancing
New York Post/YouTube

Guy Breakdances His Way Into Town Hall Meeting To Ask Why Taxes Went Up—And Becomes An Instant Legend

Cranford, New Jersey town council candidate Will Thilly went viral after dancing his way up to the podium at a recent town hall meeting to ask why property taxes in Cranford have gone "up so much."

Thilly's unique tax protest began when he danced his way up to the podium and continued to dance even after a Cranford Township official said, "Mr. Thilly, I started your time." People laughed when Thilly held up a finger to stop the official and continued to dance anyway.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Brian Kilmeade
Fox News

Fox News Host Apologizes After His Suggestion That Homeless People Be Euthanized Sparks Outrage

Fox and Friends host Brian Kilmeade was criticized for suggesting that homeless people with mental health issues get "involuntary lethal injection" after the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a train in North Carolina—and was swiftly condemned for an insincere apology several days after the fact as many are calling for Fox News to terminate his contract.

Zarutska was stabbed to death at the East/West Boulevard station on the Lynx Blue Line in Charlotte last month; her killer, a homeless man with a history of mental health issues, has since been charged with first-degree murder.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sofía Vergara
Bryan Steffy/Getty Images

Sofía Vergara Reveals She Missed Presenting At The Emmys Due To 'Craziest' Medical Emergency

Almost everyone has a favorite television show they like to turn on at the end of a rough day or binge-watch for a bit of nostalgia, and most of us pretty frequently check out new shows to see if we can spot a favorite.

Needless to say, the Emmys award show is a huge deal every year, honoring all of the people involved in the projects that are currently gracing the small screen, and basically anyone who's anyone will attend.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rep. Nancy Mace
CNN

Nancy Mace Just Tried To Claim She's Never 'Dehumanized' Her Colleagues—And The Internet Brought The Receipts

South Carolina Republican Representative Nancy Mace was called out for hypocrisy after she claimed on CNN that Democrats in Congress have been "dehumanizing" Republicans, a move she would "never" do—despite her record of doing just that.

Speaking to anchor Katie Bolduan while the search for the suspect who killed far-right activist Charlie Kirk was ongoing, Mace objected to Bolduan's observation that she was using "us v. them" language, only saying that things are "very one-sided right now." She also suggested that the situation is so bad for her that she's actually afraid of "just walking out in public."

Keep ReadingShow less
A younger man stand on top of a mountain with his arms outreached and his face looking to the sky. It's a beautiful day and lakes and mountains are the backdrop.
Photo by Kyle Loftus on Unsplash

People Who Quit Their High-Paying Jobs For Happiness Explain How It Turned Out

Sometimes money isn't the goal.

It is a BIG goal for many.

Keep ReadingShow less