Michael Presley v. United States

ROSENBAUM, Circuit Judge:

*1287 To say that the 1980 United States Men's Olympic Hockey Team had the odds stacked against it would be an understatement. With a roster of amateur players whose age averaged 22, the U.S. team had been routed 10-3 by the Soviet team less than two weeks before the Olympics began. And that was not surprising since the Soviet team was filled with seasoned professionals, had won the past four Olympic gold medals, and had not even lost an Olympic game since 1968. Beating the Soviet team seemed impossible. Yet on February 22, 1980, the U.S. team-led by Coach Herb Brooks-did…