The U.S. hockey team celebrates its gold medal, February 24, 1980. (AP Photo)
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MIRACLE
March 10-11, 2005

"Eleven seconds, you got ten seconds, the countdown going on right now...Morrow up to Silk...five seconds left in the game! Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" - Al Michaels, ABC Sportscaster

On February 25, 1980, at the Olympic games in Lake Placid, the USA Hockey Team defeated the USSR National Team by a score of 4-3 in the semifinal round in what many consider to be the greatest moment in the history of American sports. They went on to defeat Finland to earn the gold medal, and overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds.

Mark Johnson

Miracle: A Conversation with Mark Johnson
Thursday, March 10, 2005
8:00-9:30 PM, 1641 Humanities

Mark Johnson led the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team's gold medal-winning effort with 11 points, including two goals in the "Miracle On Ice" against the Soviet Union and an assist on the game-winning goal against Finland in the final contest.
See biography: Hockey Hall of Fame

Listen to the presentations using Windows Media Player.

  1. Introduction by Jennifer Tishler (3 minutes)

  2. Background on the 1980 Olympic Games by David McDonald (10 Minutes)

  3. Mark Johnson comments on the Disney film "Miracle" (8 minutes)

  4. Johnson talks about preparing for the Olympics and defining attributes of the Soviet Hockey Team (10 minutes)

  5. Miracle on Ice (20 minutes)

  6. Gold medal victory against Finland and the 1980 Olympics as touchstone experience for Americans (12 minutes)

  7. Questions and Answers with audience (45 minutes)

Sports as a Cold War Battleground: The Soviet Hockey Machine
Friday, March 11, 2005
3:00-4:30 PM, Memorial Union

Part 1: Lecture by Robert Edelman (40 Minutes)
Robert Edelman is a specialist in Soviet sports and Professor of history at the University of California San Diego. He is also the author of the 1993 award winning book "Serious Fun: a History of Spectator Sport in the USSR". [note: the full text of this books is free online]

Responses:
Part 2: Al Senn, Professor Emeritus of History, UW-Madison (20 Minutes)
Part 3: David McDonald, Professor of History, UW-Madison (20 Minutes)

The following films are available for viewing at the CREECA lending library. (Click here for details)

 MIRACLE (2004)
Running time: 135 minutes
Starring: Kurt Russell, Patricia Clarkson, Noah Emmerich, Eddie Cahill, Michael Mantuenuto
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Do You Believe in Miracles? The Story of the 1980 U.S. Hockey Team (2001)
Running time: 60 minutes
From the Back Cover of the video:
The story of the 1980 U.S. hockey team. In February of 1980, amidst growing Cold War fears, the U.S. hockey team created an unforgettable moment of national pride when they miraculously beat the Soviets o the ice-a win selected by Sports Illustrated as the #1 sports moment of the century. Revisiting Lake Placid twenty-one years later, Do You Believe in Miracles? takes a look at the team's emotional climb to gold while exploring the tumultuous political and social landscape of the time. Interviews include U.S. players Jim Craig and Mike Eruzione, coach Herb Brooks, Soviet Players Vladislav Tretiak and Boris Mihailov, American hostage Barry Rosen, and Broadcaster Al Michaels.

ESPN's Game highlights from Miracle on Ice
Mark Johnson ties it at 2-2 with one second left in the first period. Johnson's goal prompted USSR coach Viktor Tikhonov to pull goalie Vladislav Tretiak. Relive all the highlights from the Miracle on Ice. From the Russians' first goal to Mike Eruzione's game-winner to Al Michaels' memorable call from the final seconds.

Olympic legend Mark Johnson looks back on historic feat
Article by Ryan Knickmeyer, The Badger Herald, February 22, 2005