The United States boycotted the 1980 olympics in Moscow, and instead opted to host their own competition, the Liberty Bell Classic. The alternate site hosted athletes from 29 different countries. The countries boycotted the olympics after what is formerly the USSR invaded Afghanistan in the prior year.

Philadelphia was chosen as the host city, with the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field being the site. Despite starting off looking like a blunder, the games picked up, records were won, and some of the U.S. fans who were on the fence about boycotting the olympics were happy to see the U.S team walk away winning 20/33 events.

To this day, the U.S. boycott of Moscow remains the only olympic games that the United States has boycotted, although they have come close a couple times, such as in Berlin, Germany in 1936.