Posted 8/19/2004 12:00 AM Updated 8/19/2004 12:17 AM
Hockey's 'Miracle' movie lights fire under athletes
By Craig Wilson and Karen Thomas, USA TODAY
The ragtag U.S. hockey players who beat the mighty Russians at the 1980 Winter Olympics are hot again. Or maybe hot still.
Much like the 1980 gold medal hockey team, the U.S. 4x200 free relay squad slayed a giant when they beat Australia Tuesday night.
By Eileen Blass, USA TODAY
Disney's feel-good Miracle, which tells the story of the upset, is a hit DVD at the Athens Games this week. And athletes aren't ashamed to say so, from the women's gymnastic team and its Miracle-inspired huddle cheer to the big cheese of them all, Michael Phelps.
Swimming phenomenon and multi-gold medalist Phelps told NBC's Melissa Stark Tuesday night that he follows the movie's creed: "If you believe in yourself, anything can happen."
"We all got together the other night and watched Miracle, and I said to the guys, 'This is our time. We need to step up, and we need to do this.' And we all pulled it together," he said.
"We had four solid swims, and we came out with a victory" in the 4x200 freestyle relay.
No one is enjoying this Miracle mania more than Kurt Russell, who stars as the team's legendary coach, Herb Brooks.
"All great victories are great inspiration," Russell said Wednesday, calling from the set of his next movie, Sky High. "When you do a dramatization of it, you try to capture that. The fact that they have been able to draw inspiration from the movie makes me feel we were able to do something that matters.
"Any athlete truly understands the feeling when it comes down to the ultimate time to perform," said Russell, who played minor league baseball.
The movie, which came out in February, did so-so in theaters ($64.4 million). It was shown on flights en route to the Olympics.
The Miracle DVD is one of the top 20 for the first half of 2004, selling more than 3.1 million copies since its release in May, says Judith McCourt of Video Store magazine.
She can't say that Miracle's placement in Olympics-related DVD store displays and the Olympic mentions are increasing sales yet, but she says it could.
"There is something in these movies that speaks to the can-do spirit — and that is quintessentially what makes America a place where people believe success is possible," McCourt says. "Who doesn't like to believe that?"
Miracle isn't the only film working its magic in Athens.
The San Jose Mercury News reported that the U.S. women's softball team, which has posted five shutouts in five games, was watching another DVD the other night in the athletes' village: Rocky IV.
Whatever gets you going.
Contributing: Mike Snider
Hockey's 'Miracle' movie lights fire under athletes
By Craig Wilson and Karen Thomas, USA TODAY
The ragtag U.S. hockey players who beat the mighty Russians at the 1980 Winter Olympics are hot again. Or maybe hot still.
Much like the 1980 gold medal hockey team, the U.S. 4x200 free relay squad slayed a giant when they beat Australia Tuesday night.
By Eileen Blass, USA TODAY
Disney's feel-good Miracle, which tells the story of the upset, is a hit DVD at the Athens Games this week. And athletes aren't ashamed to say so, from the women's gymnastic team and its Miracle-inspired huddle cheer to the big cheese of them all, Michael Phelps.
Swimming phenomenon and multi-gold medalist Phelps told NBC's Melissa Stark Tuesday night that he follows the movie's creed: "If you believe in yourself, anything can happen."
"We all got together the other night and watched Miracle, and I said to the guys, 'This is our time. We need to step up, and we need to do this.' And we all pulled it together," he said.
"We had four solid swims, and we came out with a victory" in the 4x200 freestyle relay.
No one is enjoying this Miracle mania more than Kurt Russell, who stars as the team's legendary coach, Herb Brooks.
"All great victories are great inspiration," Russell said Wednesday, calling from the set of his next movie, Sky High. "When you do a dramatization of it, you try to capture that. The fact that they have been able to draw inspiration from the movie makes me feel we were able to do something that matters.
"Any athlete truly understands the feeling when it comes down to the ultimate time to perform," said Russell, who played minor league baseball.
The movie, which came out in February, did so-so in theaters ($64.4 million). It was shown on flights en route to the Olympics.
The Miracle DVD is one of the top 20 for the first half of 2004, selling more than 3.1 million copies since its release in May, says Judith McCourt of Video Store magazine.
She can't say that Miracle's placement in Olympics-related DVD store displays and the Olympic mentions are increasing sales yet, but she says it could.
"There is something in these movies that speaks to the can-do spirit — and that is quintessentially what makes America a place where people believe success is possible," McCourt says. "Who doesn't like to believe that?"
Miracle isn't the only film working its magic in Athens.
The San Jose Mercury News reported that the U.S. women's softball team, which has posted five shutouts in five games, was watching another DVD the other night in the athletes' village: Rocky IV.
Whatever gets you going.
Contributing: Mike Snider