HOCKEY TEAM, MARCH 13, 1963No theater of Cold War competition was too small for Kennedy to take an interest in—for example, the absorbing athletic rivalry that pitted the United States against the Soviet Union, and the many proxy contests in which they and their allies participated. At the very least, it was essential to perform to the utmost of one’s ability; to win, if possible, but if not, to at least show well. Unfortunately, that presidential directive did not reach the U.S. men’s hockey team, who suffered a series of ignominious defeats in the spring of 1963.JFK: Dave?DAVID HACKETT:1 Yeah.JFK: How are you?HACKETT: How are you?JFK: Dave, I noticed in the paper this morning where the Swedish team beat the American hockey team, 17 to 2.HACKETT: Yeah, I saw that.JFK: Christ, who are we sending over there? Girls?HACKETT: They haven’t won a game.JFK: I know it. I mean, who got them up?HACKETT: I don’t know. I can check into it.JFK: God, we’ve got some pretty good hockey players, haven’t we?HACKETT: Yeah.
