Of Miracles and Men 30 for 30: TV Schedule and Documentary Preview

ESPN's "30 for 30" series has produced some spectacular documentaries over the years, but the upcoming "Of Miracles and Men" could very well top the list.

According to ESPN.com, the short film focuses on the famed "Miracle on Ice," which saw an underdog team of American college hockey players upset the mighty Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.

While most sports fans are familiar with that story of triumph, "Of Miracles and Men" will provide a look at the other side of the coin, per ESPN's John Buccigross:

Along with all of the information you need to watch the latest "30 for 30," installment, here is a full preview of the documentary as well.

Date	Time	Channel
Sunday, Feb. 8	9 p.m. ET	ESPN

"Of Miracles and Men" Preview

Steve Powell/Getty Images

The 1980 United States Olympic hockey team will forever be celebrated as a collection of heroes. It was given absolutely no chance to defeat the Soviet machine, as the Soviets entered Lake Placid having won four-consecutive Olympic gold medals.

While Team USA was comprised of college amateurs, the Soviet squad was stacked with professional talent that played together with great regularity.

Despite the obvious disadvantage, the United States upset the Soviet Union, 4-3, on Feb. 22, 1980, and ultimately went on to win gold.

While it is an incredible story of triumph, few are aware of the impact that such a huge loss had on the Soviets. As seen in this video courtesy of ESPN on YouTube, director Jonathan Hock explores that perspective in "Of Miracles and Men."

Per ESPN.com, Hock further explained his interest in the USSR's part of the story.

"

I was raised in the 1970s on the notion that Soviet hockey players were robots, part of a machine that played a heartless style of hockey. But given the beauty and creativity of their game, that never made sense to me. So I wanted to discover the truth about the men on the other side of the "Miracle on Ice" game.

"

There is no question that Hock is delving into an intriguing and untapped point of view in "Of Miracles and Men." While without malice, it stands to reason that most Americans have never really considered how the game impacted the Soviets.

As compelling as the United States' perspective is, Variety points out that the losing side has plenty to offer, too:

With legendary players like goalie Vladislav Tretiak, defenseman Slava Fetisov and forward Sergei Makarov falling to the unheralded Americans, the Soviets undoubtedly had plenty of questions to answer when they got back home.

One person who is especially interested in "Of Miracles and Men" is Jim Craig, who was between the pipes for Team USA's historic "Miracle on Ice" victory:

The alternative "Miracle on Ice" story is likely one that Russians are very familiar with. But nobody has seemingly felt the need to bring that story to the United States until now.

Many viewed the Soviets as enemies during the Cold War era, and that included their hockey team as well. In reality, though, the players that lost to Team USA in 1980 were villainized based on association.

After watching "Of Miracles and Men," it is very likely that American hockey fans will have a completely different view of the situation.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter