I watched that game in a hangar at Ramstein AB in Germany on a black and white TV that probably wasn't bigger than 19" diagonal. There were close to 200 of us, the commentary was in German, and we were going nuts the entire game. At the end of the game we stayed up all night! I didn't hear the Al Michaels line for at least 10 years, it brought me to tears......
Fact: ABC chose Al Michaels to call hockey for the Olympics because he was the only play-by-play guy with experience calling ice hockey. His experience? ONE GAME at the 1972 Sapporo Olympics for NBC. That's it.
Still get chills listening to his call of the game today. Still remember where I was when watching the taped delay. It was incredible, Al was incredible-it was miraculous.
I was 8 when this happened. My late grandfather called me, and told me to get my entire family together and watch the game...he was an hour ahead of us when it aired. This is one of my favorite childhood and family moments.
So true. So many of the "Where were you when this happened?" moments are about terrible events. Not this one. Hard to find a better American moment in the 20th century, not just a sports moment.
I love Al Michaels as a broadcaster to this very day. His voice is perfect and he is multi-faceted to any sport. I think if you let him call a golf tournament or a NASCAR race he'd excel at that the same as he did with the Miracle game or the Super Bowl.
I still to this day remember this call and where I was when I watched this game unfold on TV. I'll never forget how engrossed me and my friends were watching this game cheering, yelling...screaming at the TV and then hearing those miraculous words of poetry. "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!"
Laying on the living room rug ,for the rebroadcast,honestly 2 feet in front of the TV,hearing "Don't sit so close to the TV.You'll ruin your vision". My reply was,"This is my game!Let me watch it!!!I don't care"And the rest was a miracle.
Me either I was an 11 yr old travel hockey player and was at public skating when the score was announced. The game was not televised live. It was tape delayed.
When Al Michaels talks about 1980 as an era without internet, social media, cellphones or even the 24/7 cable news that we have today-it was actually better. We appreciated the thrill of that game so much more without the din of constant commentary, memes, and distractions of other events.
I don't believe he set up "Do you ..." I believe he was just so excited. My favorite was with about 15 seconds in the game the Russians throw it down the ice and Michaels goes, "15 seconds..And the crowd is going..Insane!"
Great interview, AL micheals is one of the best. He was perfect doing the miracle game. He is part of the history of this wonderful game. Thank you ABC for giving this great man to broadcast this historic event. We love you micheal for who you are. Love listening to you about this event.
I had the pleasure of watching Mike Eruzione when he played in the IHL with the Toledo Goaldiggers. And watching this 1980 game was so special. in how it galvanized this country. Today we really need something like this again.
We just came out of the late 60s in the entire 70s the race riots, the RFK n MLK assassinations. Watergate, the end of the Vietnam war, gas wars OPEC, inflation, hostages in Iran. An incredible nationwide funk. And then this “miracle“ happens. It was like a national shot in the arm of excitement And patriotism. The right moment in time. I was 14 at the time. It is one of the greatest memories of my life.
Today’s broadcasters can’t keep their mouths shut and there are 500 other things going on the screen unrelated to the game. Al Michaels’ call was perfect. He allowed the audience to take in the game without filling every blessed second with voice, graphics, tickers at bottom, etc. etc.
Mr. Banks don't forget Wayne Gretzky as well. However this groundbreaking title run is the most important event for the growth of a sport ever in American Sports history. This Miracle on Ice blows away say the following 1)The Giants/Colts 1958 NFL Title Game. 2)Super Bowl 3 with Joe Willie's "Guarantee' 3)The Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird 1979 College Basketball Title Game. 4)Even Babe Ruth legendary career mainly in the 1920's that put MLB Baseball on the map.
@@americangiant1003 In America, this one game transcended sports. It captivated THE entire nation, not just sports fans. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, felt so good about our country after that game. In a difficult time in our history, it gave us hope.
Was 2 years old but love Miracle and grew up in the State of Hockey. Only thing I can think of sportswise comparable is the Jason Lezak miracle swim to make Michael Phelps the greatest ever.
I was watching five channel TV, and a ribbon came across the screen...USA 4 and Soviet Union 3. I went into the other room and was accused of lying by father and older brother, who were reading the newspaper in another room...both sportsfans. They had to watch the game...it wasn't televised live ... to actually believe it. It was a different world.
My peewee coach had a viewing party at his house. We probably had 50 people, parents and players, watching a 27inch console tv. Glad it wasn't a school night.
Once you experience a Miracle there is no going back. So, the whole world saw this, basically. Then we run into people that do not believe in miracles. Would not call this a miracle either. Maybe call it luck. I once had a coach say; luck is where opportunity meets preparation. That can seem miraculous.
Sad state of affairs for any party when your front runner is an 80 year old de facto socialist. And dont get me started on Madam Speaker. Even the Dems are saying THIS is the best we can do?
"Infamous"? "INFAMOUS?" Who on earth taught you the meaning of that word? It means, "having an extremely bad reputation", or "deserving of or causing an evil reputation; shamefully malign; detestable." There was NOTHING infamous about his call.
Amateur = children of wealthy parents. If an athlete's "job" is to train, how do they feed, clothe, and house themselves if they are forbidden to be paid for their job? "Amateurism" was a way to exclude the working class athlete.
Mr. Hellman listen to the middle of this Micheals extended interview. If anyone is to blame it's the highly corrupt IOC and International Hockey Organizations that forced this tape delay crap for this historic game. ABC hands was tired here. With that said ABC should have aired this game live with the start and puck drop at 5:05pm. Then replay it immediately on tape delay after some post game interviews at around 830pm east coast time.
Yeah interest rates at 19% but at least the bank paid real interest on deposits and you didn’t have to invest on Wall Street to get a dividend on your money. There’s no free lunch. If something good happens something is taken away.
Patterson being fair, the last 20 years or so, since 2002 has not been great either. Biden has not do a great job in office starting 2022 I agree. With that said, for you to blame all of the problems America is going though here in 2022, fully on Biden is totally unfair. I guess to someone like you Donald J Trump, did nothing wrong right? Honestly the last 15-20 years going back to Bush, Jr. even Obama, Trump and now Biden all deserve blame. Shut Up Paterson. Instead let us focus instead on this achievement that will likely never happen again. There other places you can bash Biden all day and night.
