1980 Olympic Hockey - USA 4 USSR 3 (Part 1)

Final 11 minutes of the so-called Miracle on Ice, from February 22, 1980 in Lake Placid. This video begins shortly after Mark Johnson tied the game at 3-3, and about a minute before Mike Eruzione scored the winning goal at the halfway mark of the third period.

This version is not from a cable classics channel. It's shown As It Happened, or more specifically as it was delivered on ABC affiliate WPLG Channel 10 in Miami. I'm including the commercials to provide a full feel for how this landmark event played on TV.

The game was not broadcast live in the United States. It was shown tape delayed in prime time, after the Soviets refused to switch the starting time to three hours later. Despite being on tape delay, ABC did not show all the action. You'll note this segment ends with 8:09 remaining and Part 2 resumes more than a minute later. Several commercials air to conclude this segment.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• 1980
• Olympic
• hockey
• Lake
• Placid
• Miracle
• on
• Ice
• upset
• USA
• USSR
• United
• States
• Soviet
• Union
• Mike
• Eruzione
• Jim
• Craig
• Herb
• Brooks

[adverseadverbs]

Your talking odds? I mean the Soviets just did not loose, epically against a team that was said to be lucky to get a medal at all, no pros just kids. But that wouldn't of matter because that same year the Soviets embarrassed the NHLs best in a match up. They were better then anyone, even anyone in the NHL! They were pretty much un beatable, this was the only game the lost in these Olympics. I would guess the odds were easily over 20 to 1.

[AwsiDooger]

@adverseadverbs

I guarantee the odds were less than 20/1. Subsequent to my previous post I've sampled opinion on some betting sites where the same thing was discussed. The consensus parallels what I wrote, that public opinion places that outcome far more unlikely than it really was.

For one thing, hockey doesn't carry astronomical odds. A huge underdog in an NHL game is 3/1. The same type of first-to-last disparity in an NBA game might be an 8/1 money line. Low scoring masks gaps in ability.

[keli130]

What do you mean '' So Called ''....

[AwsiDooger]

@keli130

That's the accepted term. I don't think it fits. Hockey games never carry massive favoritism. I don't know what the betting odds were on the game but i guarantee they were less than 20/1. Probably in the 10/1 to 15/1 range. Actually, I should know the specifics, after living for so many years in Las Vegas. Next time I'm there I'll ask some sharp guys who will remember.

[mglickm62]

Check out the last commercial in this clip.

Ironic

[lulionbowler]

Always have wondered why the Soviets pulled Tretiak....arguably the greatest goaltender to ever play (definitely best in international play)

[blueballsredhair]

Love the inclusion of the commercials. They're one of those things that are excruciating to experience in real time, but are curiously intriguing after the fact, especially after this many years.

[thecommish1976]

@adverseadverbs I think the odds would have been exactly what Herb Brooks or Kurt Russell said in his speech before the game. "We play them ten times, they probably win nine." So, I would say anywhere between 8/1 and 10/1.

[Munezfan30]

Craig was a beast. One of his greatest games.

[vealcutlet]

Another great coincidence - at the very end of the video is an ad for ABC's "Elvis" TV movie, which starred Kurt Russell as Elvis. Of course Kurt played Herb Brooks in the Miracle movie.

[Irishfanism]

These were just a bunch of college kids playing agenst what was really a pro team from the USSR...everyone said that they had no chance but in the end they pulled off the greatest upset in the history of sports and won the gold medel...FANTASIC!

[samcioffi]

I went there and played on the ice last year

[MrLehnerd]

Well for Awsdooger very true but reason was cause soviet team had beatin Usa same players bad at madison square garden 10-3 and were not even pick to be in any medal round in hockey..so why called cause Usa beat odds and won what is called Miracle on Ice..I hope that explains it

[kbizzle999]

@mglickm62

Coincidental 

[octobersky92]

I bet the person who pressed dislike is a Soviet.

[millhouse813]

if i had a time machine, this would be the first place i would go