U-S-A! U-S-A!

In honor of our nation turning 231 yesterday, let's remember some of the most magnificent national team performances turned in by athletes wearing the red, white and blue.

Here goes (in random order):

1999 USA Women's World Cup Championship Team - I recently saw an HBO special on this team's accomplishment and it brought me back to that summer when Mia, Brandi, Julie and the others on that team captured our hearts.

1980 USA Hockey Team - A year before I became a teenager, I remember watching the highlight of Bill Baker scoring the tying goal in the closing moments of the opening game against Sweden. It was an electric foreshadowing of what was to come.

1992 USA Basketball - Ah yes. The Dream Team. Since M.J., Magic, Bird, Barkley & Co. ran roughshod over the competition at the Barcelona Games, the world has caught up faster than you can scream "offensive foul on Ginobili!"

Okay, so these are the ones that come to mind first. Forgive me if I've egregiously omitted any Yankee Doodle dandies.

I can't wait to see more fireworks.