I’ve enjoyed reading the many 1980 Lake Placid Olympic articles, especially the “Miracle on ice” in national publications.

I was fortunate to have gone to all the U.S. hockey games and wish to share one little observation that the media missed.

When the U.S.-Russia game ended and all pandemonium broke out, a person next to me said, “The Russian players will now go to Siberia.”

The Russian players were all lined up wanting to give the official handshake to end the game, but the Americans were not about to end their celebration and continued to interact with the crowd of cheering fans.

I took my binoculars to look at the Russians, expecting to see faces of disgruntled and devastated players, but no, they were all smiling and animated and seemed to enjoy seeing the celebration going on all around them, even though it was at their expense.

After considerable time, the disheveled Americans missing much of their clothing lined up to shake the hands of their neatly attired defeated opponents.

Other recollections among many — during the game, my 9-year-old son Peter left his seat and sold his ticket so as to buy Olympic pins.

My wife Agnes driving on Hillcrest Avenue stopped to give a ride to a man carrying some gear. She found out he was working for ABC, and he started to complain, bad mouthing her hometown Lake Placid and the conditions he was experiencing. With that, she immediately stopped the car and told him to get out and walk.

Peter Reiss

Westport