Sam Potts talks about his comfort movie, Miracle starring Kurt Russell and Patricia Clarkson. Based on real life events, Miracle tells the story of the American hockey team and the 1980 Olympics Miracle on Ice. Russell plays Coach Herb Brooks, who leads the underdog American hockey team on a challenging journey and through rigorous training and a series of wins, they eventually face the seemingly invincible Soviet Union team. We also discuss the Cold War backdrop looming over the characters and events in the movie, teamwork on and off the ice, and how teamwork and accountability are a part of the design world.

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Sam Potts has over two decades of graphic design experience across print and digital media. He brings humanity and personality to a project using voice, elegance, and intelligence to solve visual communication problems, taking the long view while also attending to the details. From his first job editing college textbooks to his wide-ranging career as a graphic/ux designer, the thread that runs through everything is a search for meaningful expression, whether the task at hand is a book jacket, a digital experience, or a hardware store for superheroes that's also a writing center for kids. Sam was the original UX/UI designer (first designer on the Games team) for The New York Times Crossword app. He created signage, packaging, posters, books, branding, and websites for the original Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. and 826NYC. And designed the book and jacket for all three of John Hodgman's humorous books of complete world knowledge. You may have also seen his complete branding of the Independent Film Channel's flagship theater in New York for their IFC Center. When he's not working as a designer, Sam plays left wing for the Geri-Hat-Tricks in his local beer league.

https://sampottsinc.com/‍ ‍

https://sampottsinc.com/present_tense/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHzsbfltdFM

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Miracle (2004)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0349825/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd0_Dm2xlEM‍ ‍

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The 1984 USA vs USSR Miracle on Ice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR56GJ05IMs&t=5224s‍ ‍

https://www.si.com/olympics/2014/10/28/reminder-what-we-can-be-1980-us-olympic-hockey-team-si-60‍ ‍

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Other movies and shows discussed:

American Flyers (1985)

Breaking Away (1979)

Hoosiers (1986)

Of Miracles and Men (2015)

Quicksilver (1986)

Red Army (2014)

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Art, books, design, shops discussed:

Breaking Away poster, affiliate link

https://amzn.to/4a3H9x2

Frenchtown Bookshop

https://www.frenchtownbookshop.com/