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Interview With Mike Eruzione

Aired August 12, 2003 - 14:42   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now his last line speaks volumes about Herb Brooks. He saw greatness in his players, even when they didn't always see it in themselves. Perhaps the best example is the 1980 Olympic team. It was Brooks who made this team of ragtag of college players believe it could topple the world's best.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you believe in miracles? Yes! Unbelievable!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: That team stunned the heavily-favored Soviet Union squad at the Lake Placid games, a win that still stands as one of the biggest upsets in sports history.

Joining us on the phone right now, captain of that team, Mike Eruzione. Mike, what a pleasure to have you. And I understand you've never seen that video before.

MIKE ERUZIONE, 1980 OLYMPIC U.S. HOCKEY TEAM CAPTAIN: No, I haven't.

PHILLIPS: Were you able to see it there on the screen or no?

ERUZIONE: No, I haven't.

PHILLIPS: Well we're going to make sure you get a copy of it, Mike.

ERUZIONE: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Hey, take us back to the first time that you met Herb.

ERUZIONE: The first time -- well, going back to when I played against him when I was at Boston University, Herb coached the University of Minnesota. And although I never met him, we had a bench-clearing brawl against his hockey team, which he accused of us of starting and we accused him of starting.

But that discussion came up years later when we were on the Olympic team together. And I still think he started it.

But the first time I actually met him met him was when I was hoping to get invited to try out for the '80 Olympic team. There was a lot of things going on behind the scenes that I wasn't quite sure if I was going to get invited.

And I drove to Detroit where the University of Minnesota was playing in the national championship game. And I went to the locker room to meet him. And I said, Mr. Brooks, my name is Mike Eruzione. He says, First of all, my name is Herb. My father is Mister. And I was, like, oh, God.

PHILLIPS: Were you intimidated?

ERUZIONE: Yes, I was. And I was, you know, not a young kid, I was 24-years-old at the time. But still, you know, he had a reputation as being a very stern task master, and the first meeting was very much like that. But found out that there was also another side to Herb.

PHILLIPS: Well, let's talk about that other side. He took a group of you, young college kids, pretty much, and the next thing you know, you had what we know as the "Miracle on Ice." Why did you have faith in him as a coach? why did all the guys have faith in him?

ERUZIONE: First of all, he brought a winning program to the table when he was selected as a coach, University of Minnesota team had won three national championships. There were ten kids on the team from the University of Minnesota. So, you know obviously and clearly, he had been successful at the levels that he coached at. So right a way you know he's a winner and right away you know he's clearly qualified to be the guy in charge of that team.

PHILLIPS: I tell you, Mike, I can look back, sports when I played, and I can remember things, you know, your coaches up in your face and what they say to you. They make such an impression on us. What did he say to you that you remember -- something that you hold tightly or that you'll just never forget that really just pushed you beyond the edge?

ERUZIONE: Well, you know, there were a lot of things. You know, Herb -- and I say that because Herb's greatest attribute was his motivation. He was a great motivator. He knew exactly what button to push in each individual, you know, we're all different, we all are all motivated differently.

And yet he motivated each of us the way we needed to be motivated, individually. But yet collectively he was still able to maintain the respect and the commitment that he asked of us.

He was very demanding to play for. He demanded a lot out of us. And when we performed and when we won, you could see that stern look of his and that mean look with his eyes or that voice getting in your face. When it was all said and done, you could see his heart and how much he loved our team, how much he cared for our team.

I remember after we won, he said that he had asked his team to do things he had never asked any of his teams to do before.

PHILLIPS: And you did the same for him. ERUZIONE: In many ways, I guess yes. You know he asked us -- and he raised the bar and said for us, You've got to raise your game. And we were able to do that. And it was a great marriage. You know, he demanded a lot of us, and we responded for him. And I think that's what made it all work.

PHILLIPS: Well, Mike, it sounds like not only did he make an impact on you as an athlete, but as definitely a man.

ERUZIONE: Well I think. So the lessons he taught me and the team to, you know, always believe, despite what people say. And if you work hard, you can accomplish anything in your life.

And that's what life's all about anyway, is striving to be successful and achieve your goals. And we achieved them through hard work, and clearly that's the only way anybody can achieve their goals.

PHILLIPS: Amen. Mike Eruzione, thank you so much for your time.

ERUZIONE: OK.

PHILLIPS: Thanks for remembering Herb Brooks with us.

ERUZIONE: Bye, now.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired August 12, 2003 - 14:42   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now his last line speaks volumes about Herb Brooks. He saw greatness in his players, even when they didn't always see it in themselves. Perhaps the best example is the 1980 Olympic team. It was Brooks who made this team of ragtag of college players believe it could topple the world's best.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you believe in miracles? Yes! Unbelievable!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: That team stunned the heavily-favored Soviet Union squad at the Lake Placid games, a win that still stands as one of the biggest upsets in sports history.

Joining us on the phone right now, captain of that team, Mike Eruzione. Mike, what a pleasure to have you. And I understand you've never seen that video before.

MIKE ERUZIONE, 1980 OLYMPIC U.S. HOCKEY TEAM CAPTAIN: No, I haven't.

PHILLIPS: Were you able to see it there on the screen or no?

ERUZIONE: No, I haven't.

PHILLIPS: Well we're going to make sure you get a copy of it, Mike.

ERUZIONE: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Hey, take us back to the first time that you met Herb.

ERUZIONE: The first time -- well, going back to when I played against him when I was at Boston University, Herb coached the University of Minnesota. And although I never met him, we had a bench-clearing brawl against his hockey team, which he accused of us of starting and we accused him of starting.

But that discussion came up years later when we were on the Olympic team together. And I still think he started it.

But the first time I actually met him met him was when I was hoping to get invited to try out for the '80 Olympic team. There was a lot of things going on behind the scenes that I wasn't quite sure if I was going to get invited.

And I drove to Detroit where the University of Minnesota was playing in the national championship game. And I went to the locker room to meet him. And I said, Mr. Brooks, my name is Mike Eruzione. He says, First of all, my name is Herb. My father is Mister. And I was, like, oh, God.

PHILLIPS: Were you intimidated?

ERUZIONE: Yes, I was. And I was, you know, not a young kid, I was 24-years-old at the time. But still, you know, he had a reputation as being a very stern task master, and the first meeting was very much like that. But found out that there was also another side to Herb.

PHILLIPS: Well, let's talk about that other side. He took a group of you, young college kids, pretty much, and the next thing you know, you had what we know as the "Miracle on Ice." Why did you have faith in him as a coach? why did all the guys have faith in him?

ERUZIONE: First of all, he brought a winning program to the table when he was selected as a coach, University of Minnesota team had won three national championships. There were ten kids on the team from the University of Minnesota. So, you know obviously and clearly, he had been successful at the levels that he coached at. So right a way you know he's a winner and right away you know he's clearly qualified to be the guy in charge of that team.

PHILLIPS: I tell you, Mike, I can look back, sports when I played, and I can remember things, you know, your coaches up in your face and what they say to you. They make such an impression on us. What did he say to you that you remember -- something that you hold tightly or that you'll just never forget that really just pushed you beyond the edge?

ERUZIONE: Well, you know, there were a lot of things. You know, Herb -- and I say that because Herb's greatest attribute was his motivation. He was a great motivator. He knew exactly what button to push in each individual, you know, we're all different, we all are all motivated differently.

And yet he motivated each of us the way we needed to be motivated, individually. But yet collectively he was still able to maintain the respect and the commitment that he asked of us.

He was very demanding to play for. He demanded a lot out of us. And when we performed and when we won, you could see that stern look of his and that mean look with his eyes or that voice getting in your face. When it was all said and done, you could see his heart and how much he loved our team, how much he cared for our team.

I remember after we won, he said that he had asked his team to do things he had never asked any of his teams to do before.

PHILLIPS: And you did the same for him. ERUZIONE: In many ways, I guess yes. You know he asked us -- and he raised the bar and said for us, You've got to raise your game. And we were able to do that. And it was a great marriage. You know, he demanded a lot of us, and we responded for him. And I think that's what made it all work.

PHILLIPS: Well, Mike, it sounds like not only did he make an impact on you as an athlete, but as definitely a man.

ERUZIONE: Well I think. So the lessons he taught me and the team to, you know, always believe, despite what people say. And if you work hard, you can accomplish anything in your life.

And that's what life's all about anyway, is striving to be successful and achieve your goals. And we achieved them through hard work, and clearly that's the only way anybody can achieve their goals.

PHILLIPS: Amen. Mike Eruzione, thank you so much for your time.

ERUZIONE: OK.

PHILLIPS: Thanks for remembering Herb Brooks with us.

ERUZIONE: Bye, now.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com