October 1979, Minneapolis

It was time for our weekly Dallas night. Rizzo said that he just watched the show because it meant that he could spend time with me. I still said that he had a genuine interest in the show. But we had fun watching the show every week no matter what the reasons.

"Rizzo, can I come in?" I called from outside the door.

"Yeah, show is about to start." Rizzo called out to me.

I walked in the room to find him and OC sitting at opposite sides of the couch. "Hey OC. You joining us tonight?" I asked as I sat down between them and briefly kissed Rizzo.

"Yeah, it's an off night for the Pirates, so I thought I would chill here. I am not interrupting anything am I?" OC asked.

"No, not at all." I said and curled up with Rizzo.

"Besides, I want to see what this show you are so excited is all about." OC said. "Even Rizzo is starting to like it."

"I knew it!" I said and playfully punched Rizzo on the arm. "I told you that you luuuvvved Dallas."

"I maybe mentioned it to OC a few times." Rizzo said.

I giggled it and kissed Rizzo on the cheek. He tightened his arms around me and we started watching the show. Before long, OC was asking me questions about the show too.

"Pam is pregnant and the baby may have a disease, Cliff carries the same disease so baby John may have it?" OC said.

"Yeah, you're catching on fast." I told OC.

"This is the most insane thing I have ever seen. And Kristin is Sue Ellen's sister?" OC said. "Rizzo how do you watch all this stuff?"

"Look at the pretty thing that watches it with me." Rizzo said. He and OC chuckled. I rolled my eyes but smiled.

"I can't believe JR is mortgaging Southfork. That ranch has been in Miss Ellie's family for years." I said. "When this gets out the Ewing's will go nuts."

"I can hardly stand the excitement." OC said sarcastically.

The next Monday at practice, Herb told us all to meet in the locker room. Dad and I just looked at each other wondering what Herb was up to. Dad poked his head in the locker room first to make sure that everyone was descent and then we went in. I saw Rizzo and smiled at him. I took a seat in the back of the room near Steve Christoff. I saw that Herb had a projector set up.

"What is going on?" Janaszak asked me.

"The Brooks family home movies." I said and the guys chuckled.

Herb walked in and shut off all the lights. He started the projector and immediately I realized we were watching footage of the Soviet hockey team. And in my heart I knew that this meant Herb was going to start working the team even harder.

"Russian style of play boys," Herb started. "Fluid, creative, the forwards are constantly circling. They don't so much look for a man as they do a patch of ice. They get the mismatch, two on one, easy goal."

"Looks a lot like me out there huh boys?" Bah joked and we all chuckled.

Herb serious as ever continued on with the film strip. "Boris Makhailov, captain for the past six years. He is the best player of his position and that includes as we just found out the NHL."

We all looked at the screen in amazement. "Do these guys ever smile?" Baker asked.

"They're Russians; they get shot if they smile." OC said and again we all chuckled.

Footage of the Soviet goalie came on the screen, "Vladislav Tretiak. You score on Tretiak keep the puck because it doesn't happen often." Herb said. "42 games in the last 3 months 42 wins. Their main weapon is intimidation, they know they're going to win, and so do their opponents."

Herb shut off the projector and turned the lights back on. Most of the boys looked a little shell shocked. "Look, I can give you all a load of crap about how you're a better team than they are, but that's exactly what it would be. And everyone in this room knows what people are saying about our chances. I know it, you know it."

I sat silently listening. I had heard the media and their remarks about how the team of college kids didn't have a chance for a medal, and that they hoped at least those kids didn't embarrass the country.

Herb continued, "But I also know there is a way to stay with this team. You don't defend them, you attack them. You take their game and you shove it right back in their face. The team that is finally willing to do this is the team that has a chance to put them down. NHL won't change their game, we will. Rest of the world is afraid of them, boys we won't be. No one has ever worked hard enough to skate with the Soviet team for an entire game. Gentlemen we are going to work hard enough!"

Herb then had the boys take the ice and he began training them and pushing them like never before.

Rigorous training continued through the next several weeks. The boys were tired but bonding even more, working hard and very determined. Rizzo continued to struggle which broke my heart. More than anything I wanted him to make the team. A few players had been cut but not Rizzo. But with every practice, I feared it would be the day that Herb sent Rizzo back to Massachusetts