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"It looks like they cut the right guy.” How Herb Brooks’s dad once eviscerated him.
Posted on 2/5/26 at 6:48 pm
Posted on 2/5/26 at 6:48 pm
Winter Olympics always brings back memories of the 1980s Miracle on Ice. Netflix’s documentary gives a brief mention of Herb Brooks being torn apart at having to make the last few cuts off that 1980 team because he went through that in 1960 when he was the last cut from the 1960 gold medal team. While watching the team win the gold medal, his dad looked over at him and just took of the greatest pot shots ever:
All the credit in the world that Brooks took that as motivation to become coach of the team that pulled off the greatest win in team sports history.
DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES!!
quote:
Herb Brooks was famously the last player cut from the 1960 U.S. Olympic hockey team, which went on to win gold. While watching the team win on television, his father told him, "It looks like they cut the right guy," prompting Brooks to use this failure as motivation for his coaching career.
All the credit in the world that Brooks took that as motivation to become coach of the team that pulled off the greatest win in team sports history.
DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES!!
Posted on 2/5/26 at 7:45 pm to CollegeFBRules
And people dispute that tough parenting works
Posted on 2/5/26 at 7:59 pm to Riseupfromtherubble
I’m a big fan of tough parenting, but I would never say something like that to my son.
Posted on 2/5/26 at 8:47 pm to CollegeFBRules
The best Herb Brooks speech was during the gold medal game—two days after the Miracle—when they were down to Finland after two. He walks in, says “if you lose this game, you’ll take it to your fricking graves.” Then he walks out, pops back in, and says “your fricking GRAVES!”
Posted on 2/5/26 at 8:50 pm to udtiger
And he supposedly never cussed
The documentary was absolutely excellent
The documentary was absolutely excellent
Posted on 2/6/26 at 7:27 am to CollegeFBRules
That’s a pretty shitty thing to say to your son. Why even say that?
Posted on 2/6/26 at 7:44 am to grizzlylongcut
quote:
That’s a pretty shitty thing to say to your son. Why even say that?
Because of what happened next.
I don't understand the downvotes. Herb Brooks went on to become one of the greatest coaches of all-time in any sport. Maybe a lot of that has to do with the mentality his father instilled in him from a young age.
This post was edited on 2/6/26 at 9:19 am
Posted on 2/6/26 at 7:46 am to grizzlylongcut
Maybe he'd been consoling him since he was cut and Brooks was in some type of depression that consoling wasn't helping him with. I'd imagine his dad knew what he needed more in that moment than we do years later without knowing either person.
Posted on 2/6/26 at 8:16 am to hashtag
quote:
Maybe he'd been consoling him since he was cut and Brooks was in some type of depression that consoling wasn't helping him with. I'd imagine his dad knew what he needed more in that moment than we do years later without knowing either person.
I think there's a lot of truth to this. Brooks famously didn't have the best US players on his team in 1980. Only a couple ever had NHL careers at all. Instead, Brooks took kids he could really push mentally - kinda like his dad did to him. Could explain why he was a much better college coach than he was an NHL coach.
I met him once, when he was coaching the Penguins in 2000. Not "nice." Intense as all hell.
Posted on 2/6/26 at 8:24 am to RoyalAir
I thought I knew everything about the Miracle until I watched the doc. One thing I didn't know is that all of the players he chose for the team were from working class families. He chose players that were tough and had to work their whole lives for anything they got.
Posted on 2/6/26 at 8:32 am to Riseupfromtherubble
quote:
And people dispute that tough parenting
Personally, I think Brooks still accomplishes what he did without the cruel comment.
Posted on 2/6/26 at 8:42 am to Tigerfan1274
Yep. Brooks probably wins 2 gold medals if his dad had given him orange slices, instead.
Posted on 2/6/26 at 8:45 am to CollegeFBRules
Still remember it like it was yesterday. I was only 10 but was so nervous watching that game, still haven't seen anything like it.

Posted on 2/6/26 at 9:15 am to hashtag
quote:
Maybe he'd been consoling him since he was cut and Brooks was in some type of depression that consoling wasn't helping him with. I'd imagine his dad knew what he needed more in that moment than we do years later without knowing either person.
I don’t disagree with that necessarily. But on its face that’s a really shitty thing to say. I’d probably harbor some resentment to my dad if he said something like that to me in that moment. And my dad isn’t a consoling type of father either.
Posted on 2/6/26 at 9:31 am to CollegeFBRules
Maybe he was trying to make him feel better by pointing out that it was the right decision.
Maybe he was just giving him shite like men do sometimes.
Or maybe he was truly trying to be a dick. We'll never know.
Maybe he was just giving him shite like men do sometimes.
Or maybe he was truly trying to be a dick. We'll never know.
Posted on 2/6/26 at 3:28 pm to Master of Sinanju
His Dad was a hockey player and Coach.
There's definitely nuance to that statement that we're not privy too, especially since we don't know the relationship they had nor the manner in how it was said.
There's definitely nuance to that statement that we're not privy too, especially since we don't know the relationship they had nor the manner in how it was said.
Posted on 2/6/26 at 3:31 pm to CollegeFBRules
quote:Never in a million years. That was savage.
but I would never say something like that to my son.
Posted on 2/6/26 at 3:33 pm to mizzoubuckeyeiowa
quote:Yeah, this is a respectful comment. We just don't know.
here's definitely nuance to that statement that we're not privy too, especially since we don't know the relationship they had nor the manner in how it was said.
Posted on 2/6/26 at 4:01 pm to mizzoubuckeyeiowa
quote:
There's definitely nuance to that statement that we're not privy too, especially since we don't know the relationship they had nor the manner in how it was said.
The problem with your assertion is that it is well documented this tore Brooks apart.
It wasn’t nuanced and it was mean as hell.
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