The Rewatchables: ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan

Published 2022-01-18; 1:22:50 by the feed.

As extracted (engineer-sonnet-2026-10-13)

The extraction calls the show “The Rewatchables (The Ringer)” and the episode “Miracle with Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan”.

Hosts: Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan. Guests: Craig (producer, speaks briefly).

Subject films: Miracle (2004).

On the transcript: No speaker labels and many mangled hockey names. Segments of film audio and the real Al Michaels call are interleaved with discussion.

Awards and segments (46)

Most rewatchable scene

pick Herb picks the 26-man tryout team in an hour while Craig Patrick objects
“I like when Herb picks the 26 man tryout team in an hour.”
Bill Simmons · 0:26:39
pick O'Callahan fights McClanahan to get back at the cheap shot (Boston versus Minnesota)
“OC fighting McLanahan is great.”
unknown · 0:27:13
pick Herb makes everyone skate sprints after the exhibition game until Rizzo answers 'the United States of America'
“Herb makes everyone do splints after the exhibition game.”
unknown · 0:28:01
floated The players intervene with Herb over Timmy Harrer waiting outside the bus
“I like when players intervene with the coach and they do the whole family thing, some good life lessons in there.”
unknown · 0:29:50
pick Ralph Cox gets cut
“Ralph Cox gets cut.”
unknown · 0:29:59
pick The Sweden game locker room scene where Herb needles McClanahan to get him going
“The Sweden game.”
unknown · 0:31:00
pick Herb's pregame speech before the Soviet game ('This is your time')
“Great stuff.”
unknown · 0:32:00
pick The third period of the USSR game, opening with Herb's speech before it
“I mean, you have to go with the 3rd period of the USSR game.”
unknown · 0:35:03
runner-up Herb tells OC he made the team and OC thinks he is getting cut
“Can I throw one that is like probably the most moving moment of the movie for me is when he tells OC he made the team.”
unknown · 0:35:11

Ebert review · The hosts read Roger Ebert's review of the film.

pick Miracle: Two stars; Bill thought it was at least 2.5. Ebert liked that it is about the coach and the team.
“Two stars.”
Bill Simmons · 0:26:06

Best That Guy (Joey Pants Award) · The best 'that guy' actor in the movie.

winner Eddie Cahill as Jim Craig: Noah Emmerich ruled out as too prominent; Cahill is the 'guy from CSI: New York'.
“So the answer is Eddie Cahill, who played Jim Craig.”
unknown · 0:52:51
nominee Kenneth Welsh as the doctor: Transcript has Kenneth Walsh; he is in Twin Peaks and everything.
“See, I have Kenneth Walsh as the doc.”
unknown · 0:53:06
nominee Sean McCann as Walter Bush: The man who gets Herb the job and taps Rizzo before the gold medal game.
“I also think Sean McCann, who plays Walter, who's like the guy who gets Herb the job and shows up to a couple.”
unknown · 0:53:19

Vincent Hanna Award · Best dialing it up too far.

winner Herb's 'again, again' skating scene: Herb dialing it up in the scene.
“But I think the, again, Herb dialing it up in that scene, um, Russell has a couple of moments where he takes...”
unknown · 0:53:39

Weak link (the wife) · The weakest part of the film: the wet-blanket-wife trope.

winner Patricia Clarkson as Herb Brooks' wife: Bill calls it one of the worst examples of the sports-movie wife; Ebert's complaint is read aloud and Chris agrees.
“It's their way to pull an actress in a movie that they just know they need a female, but they have nothing to do for her.”
Bill Simmons · 0:45:58
pick Patricia Clarkson as Herb Brooks' wife: Jokingly, a Todd Field indie about the wife is the movie to see.
“Clearly the wife.”
unknown · 0:54:04

What stage the best (aged best) · What has held up best in the movie.

pick Casting real hockey players instead of actors: Easier to teach hockey players to act; Bill Ranford doubles as Jim Craig.
“It's easier to teach hockey players to act than it is to teach actors how to play hockey and the Brissimilitude or whatever you want to say.”
unknown · 0:36:38
winner Al Michaels as himself, re-recording his call: The third act is narrated by Al Michaels.
“is having Al Michaels redo all his audio so that you basically get the 3rd act of this movie narrated by Al Michaels.”
unknown · 0:38:28
pick Noah Emmerich as Craig Patrick: Pairs with Beautiful Girls as his Apex Mountain combo.
“This and beautiful girls are really the Noah Emmerick Apex Mountain combo.”
unknown · 0:43:18
pick Dream On: Great use in the closing credits.
“It's a great use to dream on in the closing credits.”
unknown · 0:56:27

What stage the worst (aged worst) · What has held up worst.

pick Herb Brooks died before the movie came out and never saw it: A bummer, not a flaw of the film.
“Hurt Brooks died before the movie came out.”
unknown · 0:44:41
pick The movie ruined every later USA Olympic hockey run: Everyone wanted a repeat after 1980.
“This doesn't relate to the movie necessarily, but this ruined all subsequent USA Olympic hockey things.”
unknown · 0:45:06
pick A PG movie with no profanity from the players: Wants an R-rated ADR cut.
“I think we as a society technologically have arrived at the place that we could go back and add ADR audio to this movie that adds a bunch of profanity because there's no way these guys didn't swear all the time.”
unknown · 0:50:05

Casting what ifs · Almost-castings and recasts.

pick Kevin Costner as Herb Brooks: Costner would overpower it and Hanks is too soft; Russell is perfect.
“Costner, I think he overpowers it.”
unknown · 0:16:15
pick Ryan Gosling as a player: Would have learned to skate.
“Get Gosling in here.”
unknown · 0:54:57
pick Taylor Kitsch as McClanahan: Transcript has Taylor Kitt; he could skate, maybe as McClanahan.
“Maybe it's McClanahan.”
unknown · 0:55:27

Dion Waiters Award · Small role, big impact.

winner The Russian coach: No lines but three expressions.
“Can we nominate his eyebrows for Dion Waiter?”
unknown · 1:01:22
nominee Al Michaels as himself: Floated, then dropped in favor of going without Michaels.
“Oh, that's amazing.”
unknown · 1:01:39

Picking Nits · Nitpicks of a movie they love.

pick Soviet coach benching Tretiak: Likened to a coach benching his quarterback in the Super Bowl.
“Soviet coach benching Treadiac.”
unknown · 1:02:27
pick The Lake Placid crowd, shot with too few extras: Doesn't capture the scale of the real game.
“I don't think it captured the scale of that game, like the wide shot of just, which I think if they did this movie, now they would have said just fuck it and filled it with...”
unknown · 1:03:37
pick Skipping the Finland gold medal game: Wishes for a Finland scene, but the Soviet game is the right ending.
“I don't know if this is a pickanits, but did they skip over the Finland game”
unknown · 1:04:07
pick The runtime, 2 hours 17 minutes: Disney sports movies run about 20 minutes long.
“Look, the movie is 2 hours and 17 minutes, which is too long.”
unknown · 1:04:29

Could it be remade as a Netflix series · Whether it could be remade as a TV series.

pick A 10-episode series combining Miracle with the Hawk documentary: Not needed, but it could be done, perhaps with what happens to the players afterward.
“I don't think we need it.”
unknown · 1:05:33

Unanswerable questions · Open questions and rankings the movie raises.

pick A Ralph Cox sequel: Would watch 'Coxy'.
“The Ralph Cox sequel, I think I would have watched Coxy?”
unknown · 1:06:40
pick Miracle as ranked 5th among Kurt Russell movies: Ranking: Escape from New York, The Thing, Tombstone, Tango and Cash, then Miracle.
“And I think miracles 5 for me.”
unknown · 1:07:26
pick Is it the greatest sports-movie motivational speech? Top three, with Any Given Sunday's Pacino on top: Also named Friday Night Lights and Vision Quest.
“I think it's in the top three.”
unknown · 1:08:22

Memorabilia · A prop or piece of memorabilia they would own.

pick Herb's plaid bell-bottom pants
“Herb's plaid pants.”
unknown · 1:09:53
pick The Rizzo jersey
“I would take the uh, the Arusioni jersey.”
unknown · 1:09:59
pick Jim Craig's postgame outfit: Would wear it as a bartender.
“I would love to do Jim Craig's postgame outfit.”
unknown · 1:10:05

Who won the movie · Who came out ahead.

winner Kurt Russell as Herb Brooks: Not a debate.
“Who won the movie, Kurt Russell?”
unknown · 1:12:39

Apex Mountain · Whether this is the peak of someone's career, or where the peak sits.

pick Kurt Russell: Not his apex; Tombstone is.
“Kurt Russell, I'm going to say no.”
unknown · 0:58:09
pick Gavin O'Connor: No.
“Gavin O'Connor, no.”
unknown · 0:58:48
pick Olympic hockey, as a sport: Yes, the real game is the apex.
“Olympic hockey, yes.”
unknown · 0:58:51
pick Noah Emmerich: Possibly The Americans.
“No, I'd probably say, I would probably say maybe the Americans for him.”
unknown · 0:59:13
pick Al Michaels: 1980 no, but 2004 yes: voice of Monday Night Football returning for Miracle.
“Al Michaels, so 1980, no.”
unknown · 0:59:35
pick Sports Illustrated: 1980 and this cover as the apex.
“I actually think this was the Apex of Sports Illustrated in 1980”
unknown · 1:00:39

Films that came up

Claims (47)

people (director comparison): Gavin O'Connor → Ron Shelton. O'Connor ranks with Ron Shelton as a sports-movie director.
“I think Gavin O'Connor is basically like up there with Ron Shelton as far as like sports movie directors.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:06:43 · Chris Ryan (0.60 sure it was them)
lineage (genre lineage): Miracle → Slap Shot. Slap Shot and Mystery, Alaska were among the few hockey movies before Miracle, which was a different level.
“It was slapshot was the Alzheimer.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:07:32 · Chris Ryan (0.55 sure it was them)
lineage (genre lineage): Miracle → Mystery, Alaska. One of the sparse hockey films before Miracle.
“then it's like Mystery Alaska, you know, there just hadn't been that many hockey movies, the Mighty Ducks”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:07:38 · Chris Ryan (0.55 sure it was them)
theme (era / Cold War): Miracle → Rocky IV. The Cold War movies led up to Rocky IV, which Simmons jokes ended the Cold War.
“all the Cold War movies were leading to Rocky 4 and Rocky finally ending the Cold War single-handedly”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:10:30 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
what-if (casting what-if): Kurt Russell → Kevin Costner. Costner would overpower the part.
“Costner, I think he overpowers it.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:16:15 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
what-if (casting what-if): Kurt Russell → Tom Hanks. Hanks was too nice and not old enough to play Herb Brooks.
“Hanks is almost too nice.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:16:31 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
career (filmography): Kurt Russell → Escape from New York. Even Snake Plissken is charismatic, unlike Herb Brooks who never breaks.
“they're all pretty charismatic characters, even if they're like snake Pliskin.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:17:01 · Chris Ryan (0.60 sure it was them)
theme (era): Miracle → Remember the Titans. Both belong to the one-star-on-the-poster era of sports movies from 97 to 05.
“this is from 97 to basically 05, premise, get one big star.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:22:10 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
theme (era): Miracle → Coach Carter. Miracle and Coach Carter are in the one-star-poster run.
“Miracle and Coach Carter.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:23:00 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
theme (era shift): Gridiron Gang → The Damned United. Gridiron Gang ends the one-star era; the modern era runs Damned United, Moneyball, Warrior.
“Gridiron Gang kind of ends it because it wasn't very good”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:23:03 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
theme (era): The Blind Side → Miracle. Ryan would put Blindside in the one-star-on-the-poster era.
“I would actually probably put Blindside in that somewhere.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:23:33 · Chris Ryan (0.55 sure it was them)
industry (studio): Miracle → McFarland, USA. Disney has a run of true-story sports movies like McFarland.
“there's like the Kevin Costner running movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:24:13 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
industry (studio): Miracle → Million Dollar Arm. Million Dollar Arm is another Disney sports movie in the same lineage.
“Million Dollar arm.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:24:20 · Chris Ryan (0.45 sure it was them)
programming (companion): Miracle → 30 for 30 on the Miracle game from the Russian side (John Hawk). Hawk's documentary told the same game from the Russian side.
“He told it from the Russian side, which was an interesting way to do it.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:24:35 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)
industry (awards): Kurt Russell → Ray. The 2004 Best Actor field (Foxx, Cheadle, DiCaprio, Eastwood, Depp) leaves a case for Russell.
“Kurt Russell not nominated.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:24:53 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)
industry (awards): Kurt Russell → Finding Neverland. Russell was not nominated in 2004; Depp for Finding Neverland feels flimsy by comparison.
“Russell cracks that list in retrospect, right?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:25:47 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
craft (visual): Ralph Cox → Slap Shot. Ralph Cox's mustache is a throwback to Slap Shot.
“A real like throwback to slapshot.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:30:56 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
unmapped (speech): Miracle → Rudy. Rudy has a pregame speech good enough for the Jumbotron.
“This is our house.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:33:55 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
people (casting realism): Miracle → Teen Wolf. Unrealistic casting works in Teen Wolf, but Miracle needed real hockey players.
“Teen Wolf, I like having chubby and Teen Wolf.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:37:27 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
career (filmography): Noah Emmerich → Beautiful Girls. Emmerich's Miracle expressions match his Beautiful Girls ones; the two are his Apex combo.
“This and beautiful girls are really the Noah Emmerick Apex Mountain combo.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:43:18 · Chris Ryan (0.55 sure it was them)
theme (character): Miracle → Midnight Run. Craig Patrick is compared to the guy in Midnight Run who says he'll go get the pastries.
“I'm gonna go get some donuts, you know?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:43:34 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
theme (trope): Miracle → Moneyball. Modern sports movies skip the wet-blanket wife; Moneyball does a single great Robin Wright scene.
“Like a movie like Moneyball.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:47:41 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)
theme (trope): Miracle → Rocky III. Adrian in Rocky III is the opposite of the wet-blanket wife.
“I think Adrian does a great job in that movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:48:13 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
unmapped (dialogue / language): Miracle → Slap Shot. Hockey players curse well, so Miracle needs an R-rated cut; Slap Shot proves it.
“if you've seen Slapshot another possible rewatchable, then you know that hockey players curse really well.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:50:18 · Chris Ryan (0.55 sure it was them)
career (filmography): Noah Emmerich → The Truman Show. Emmerich is not a 'that guy' because he has done real work like Truman Show.
“because he's Truman show, like he's done a lot of good stuff.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:52:55 · Chris Ryan (0.55 sure it was them)
career (filmography): Todd Field → Little Children. Field is the director of the Kate Winslet movie with Patrick Wilson.
“the guy who did like, uh, The Kate wins up movie in 06, that weird Kate Winslet movie with Patrick Wilson.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:54:19 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)
what-if (casting what-if): Miracle → Little Children. A Todd Field-style indie about Herb's wife having an affair would be great.
“Todd Field, yeah.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:54:26 · Bill Simmons (0.45 sure it was them)
what-if (casting what-if): Garrett Hedlund → Friday Night Lights. The two Riggins/Billingsley guys from Friday Night Lights as an 04-era roster.
“And then the 2 Riggins is Taylor Kitchen Garrett Headland.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:55:07 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
what-if (casting what-if): Taylor Kitsch → Friday Night Lights. Taylor Kitsch, Tim Riggins, could have played a hockey player given his Canadian background.
“Oh, Taylor Kitt should have been in this.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:55:11 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
unmapped (venue): Miracle → Rocky IV. The Soviet game was filmed at the same Vancouver arena as the Rocky-Drago fight.
“Which also featured the Rocky Drago fight in 1985 for Rocky 4.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:56:05 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
unmapped (venue): Miracle → Rocky IV. The arena is called the Cold War Mecca and Madison Square of Cold War sports movies.
“It's the Madison Square of Cold War sports movies.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:56:14 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
people (actor comparison): Michael Mantenuto → Friday Night Lights. Mantenuto was good enough to be a Tim Riggins.
“He easily could have felt like he could have been Tim Riggins.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:57:18 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
verdict (apex): Kurt Russell → Tombstone. Russell's peak juice is Tombstone, which he effectively directed.
“Tombstone, which I think is actually his apex.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:58:43 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)
verdict (apex): Noah Emmerich → The Americans. For Emmerich's Apex Mountain Simmons picks The Americans over Beautiful Girls or Truman Show.
“I would probably say maybe the Americans for him.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:59:13 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
verdict (apex): Al Michaels → Miracle. Michaels was at his peak in 2004 and returned as the voice of Miracle.
“He's at the pinnacle of his powers, then comes back and is the voice of miracle”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:59:51 · Chris Ryan (0.60 sure it was them)
lineage (remake format): Miracle → Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. The Lakers HBO show suggests a Miracle series could work.
“the more like we see, especially like this Lakers HBO show”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 1:05:24 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
verdict (ranking): Kurt Russell → Tango & Cash. Simmons loves Tango & Cash at number four on his Russell list.
“I fucking love Tango and Cash”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 1:07:18 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)
verdict (ranking): Kurt Russell → Miracle. Miracle is number five on Ryan's Kurt Russell list.
“And I think miracles 5 for me.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 1:07:26 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
career (filmography): Kurt Russell → Silkwood. Russell is very good in Silkwood.
“he's really, really good in Silkwood.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 1:07:32 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
verdict (speech ranking): Miracle → Friday Night Lights. Friday Night Lights is another top-three sports speech.
“I think it's Friday, Friday night lights”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 1:08:23 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
verdict (speech ranking): Miracle → Any Given Sunday. Miracle's Herb speech is top three; Pacino in Any Given Sunday is number one.
“I'd have Pacino one.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 1:08:37 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
verdict (speech ranking): Miracle → Vision Quest. Vision Quest's Pele story must be mentioned.
“Vision Quest has to be mentioned.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 1:08:38 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
theme (speech trope): Miracle → Varsity Blues. Varsity Blues halftime speech is a good bad one.
“like Vanderbeek at halftime of the last varsity booze game is great.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 1:09:11 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)
theme (speech trope): Miracle → Hoosiers. Coaches say winning is everything, then the Hoosiers speech says play your game and I'll love you.
“That's what fucking Hackman says to the Hoosiers.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 1:09:32 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
verdict (ranking): Miracle → Remember the Titans. Remember the Titans remains Simmons's favorite sports movie; Will Patton's speech.
“Remember, the Titans is still my favorite.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 1:13:27 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
unmapped (generational): Miracle → Slap Shot. Rudy, Slap Shot, Rocky III, Hoosiers hold up for a younger viewer.
“Slapshot is still good.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 1:18:14 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
unmapped (generational): Miracle → The Replacements. Replacements and Hardball are watchable from the era.
“the ones like the replacements and hardball, like that, from that era, all those are really watchable.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 1:18:21 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)

Fun items (27)

fun, about Miracle: Simmons listened to the Sweden game on a clock radio; the broadcast was tape delayed and he overheard the score in a grocery store.
“I swear to God, in my room, in Brooklyn, Massachusetts, I listened to us tie the Sweden game on my clock radio.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:02:25 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
fun, about Miracle: Tape delay: a stranger at Star Market blurted the score before the game aired.
“And we're walking around and we're in like the frozen food aisle, and I hear somebody say, it's 22 after the 2nd period or 2 after the first.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:03:58 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
fun, about Miracle: Sports Illustrated's cover after the win had no cover line, just the photo.
“which I think was only one of 2 covers ever where they didn't have any sort of, uh, any writing on the cover.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:11:29 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
fun, about Kurt Russell: The Rewatchables recording: Russell arrived alone, leather jacket, Marlboro Reds, keys on the table.
“He stinks of Marlborough Reds, who's smoking Siggs.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:19:46 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
fun, about Kurt Russell: Russell met Herb Brooks while Brooks recruited his son; Brooks described that year as lonely, which unlocked the script.
“And him and O'Connor looked at each other and that was when they realized, oh, this is what we have to do.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:21:07 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
fun, about Miracle: Most rewatchable: Herb makes the team skate 'again' until Rizzo answers, 'the United States of America'.
“United States of America!”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:28:54 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Ralph Cox: Ralph Cox's cut makes him a famous sports trivia answer, and his mustache is a Slap Shot throwback.
“he becomes one of the most famous trivia question answers for sports that we've ever had, right?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:30:03 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about Miracle: Real hockey players were cast instead of actors, because it is easier to teach hockey players to act.
“It's easier to teach hockey players to act than it is to teach actors how to play hockey”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:36:38 · Chris Ryan (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about Bill Ranford: Edmonton goalie Bill Ranford doubles for Jim Craig; the mask lets them cheat.
“So they had Bill Ranford, who was a goalie for a long time for Edmonton.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:37:05 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about Al Michaels: Michaels re-recorded his narration so the third act is narrated by him; his real last ten seconds call is higher and more excited.
“His voice is just higher and more excited.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:39:15 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)
fun, about Ken Dryden: You cannot recreate Ken Dryden interrupting Al Michaels during the real call.
“Let Al have this.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:39:36 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)
fun, about Herb Brooks: Brooks died in a car accident before the film came out; the credits say he never saw it.
“Hurt Brooks died before the movie came out.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:44:41 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about Roger Ebert: Ebert's two-star review mocks the thankless wife role and proposes all workaholic movie leads be bachelors.
“I propose all future movies about workaholics, just make them bachelors, to spare us the dead air.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:46:33 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
fun, about Bill Simmons: Simmons's 2004 ESPN The Magazine column was rewritten by editors because Disney owned both; the new ending was 'by the way, I'm seeing it on Friday.'
“You can't, like, trash the idea of the movie in your column.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:49:31 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
fun, about Miracle: Buzz Schneider's son plays him, cast before anyone realized.
“They cast Buzz Schneider, is his son Billy, who they didn't realize until after they cast him.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:51:22 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Michael Mantenuto: Casting story: Mantenuto got in a tryout fight, apologized to O'Connor, and was cast as O.C.
“O'Connor was like, no, no, that was good and passed him as OC.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:51:54 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Kurt Russell: Russell took a pay cut so extras got a hot meal, and he used his left hand like lefty Herb Brooks.
“Russell took a pay cut, so the 800 to a 1000 extras used as the fans of the hockey game could enjoy a full hot meal instead of a brown bag lunch.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:55:43 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Miracle: Dream On by Aerosmith in the closing credits; it also appears in The Virgin Suicides and Last Action Hero.
“I just dream on in any sports movie is great.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:56:25 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Jim Craig: The movie shows all 39 saves Jim Craig made in the real game.
“I think they show all 39 in this movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:57:44 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Rocky IV: The Pacific Coliseum hosted the Rocky-Drago fight; Stallone broke his ribs and filming paused for two weeks.
“Stallone broke his ribs in the P in the Agra Done.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:59:28 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Miracle: Soviet coach benching Tretiak is the worst coaching decision, compared to benching Mahomes after a first-quarter pick.
“this is the equivalent of Mahomes throws a pick in the 1st quarter of the round one playoff game”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 1:00:28 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about Miracle: Dion Waiters Award nominees: the Soviet coach for three expressions, with Al Michaels floated.
“he has no lines in the movie”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 1:01:10 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Miracle: Finland gold medal game skipped; Brooks's line to the team before it.
“if you lose this, you will take this to your fucking graves”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 1:04:17 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about Miracle: Pitch: remake as a Netflix series ending with the team lost in the woods like Yellowjackets.
“They crash in Minnesota.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 1:06:31 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about Miracle: Simmons bought two unripped Lake Placid US-USSR tickets at a collectors convention.
“I got 2 unripped tickets from the Lake Placid, the US Russia game.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 1:10:39 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
fun, about Miracle: Joey Pants Award for 'that guy': Eddie Cahill, Kenneth Welsh, Sean McCann; producer Craig says nobody in their 20s knows 'Noah Emmerich'.
“Not a single person is going, that's Noah Emory.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 1:15:12 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about Miracle: Pitch for the next Miracle: Villanova-Georgetown as a miniseries, or the four Red Sox-Yankees games.
“Nova basically was perfect in that game.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 1:17:27 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)

Who's talking

Bill Simmons (host): Loves sports movies, speeches, and tight dramatizations of events he lived through; remembers 1980 in detail. Cannot stand wet-blanket wives and sports movies that run long. A sucker for Remember the Titans and memorabilia.
Chris Ryan (host): Loves Kurt Russell, John Carpenter, character actors, and the craft of sports filming. Can't stand tacked-on love interests. A sucker for Noah Emmerich and Russell deep cuts.
Craig Horlbeck (guest): Younger listener who saw Miracle as a kid and hasn't revisited it recently. Offers generational perspective on 'that guy' actors.

The show's recurring bits

Apex Mountain: The moment a star peaks; where on the mountain a performance sits.
Who Won the Movie: The hosts name the person who came out of the film best off.
The Ebert review: Roger Ebert's original review and star rating read aloud. Ebert is cited, never on the show.
Casting what-ifs: Who was almost cast, or who should have been.
Most rewatchable scene: The scene each host would stop on while flipping channels.
Aged best / aged worst: What holds up and what does not.
Picking Nits: The little things in a film the hosts love that they don't think totally work: the nits.
Double feature: The film each host would pair it with; a programming pick.

Names the transcriber got wrong

Brooklyn, Massachusetts = Brookline
Arusi/Ruzioni/Uruz Uni = Mike Eruzione
Rizzo = Eruzione nickname
Trediac = Tretiak
Hammer Shelton = Ron Shelton
Goigan's Island = Gilligan's Island
Hurt Brooks = Herb Brooks
Ken Dradden = Ken Dryden
John Hawk = Jonathan Hock
Bill Baker = Bill Baker (probably right)
McQuanahan/McLahan = Phil Verchota? or McClanahan
Timmy Horror = Tim Harrer?
Kirkpatrick = Craig Patrick
Midnight Road = Midnight Run
Dion Waiters Award, Joey Pants Award = Rewatchables recurring bits
Gila Fleur = Guy Lafleur
Stastiny = Stastny
Chad Henney = Chad Henne
Elvis Taylor Heineke = Taylor Heinicke
Sean's spot = The Big Picture
Eddie Gilbert Crape = What's Eating Gilbert Grape
Kenneth Walsh = Kenneth Welsh
Craig Coralback = Craig Horlbeck
Vincent Hanna = Pacino's character in Heat (bit)
Patlaf Fontainier = Pat LaFontaine
Mecaruzuni = Eruzione
Big Dick Nick = Nick Foles