In honor of the upcoming Olympic Winter Games – and the 30th anniversary of the U.S. Hockey Team’s “Miracle on Ice” – I thought it was appropriate to …. No, no, no. It’s not about being “appropriate” – it’s about having an excuse to comment on my favorite YouTube video of all time.
I admit it, I’ve become obsessed with the little guy in this video. I’ve probably watched it 30 times and can now recite the entire speech, word for word, exactly as delivered by 4-year-old “Rizzo.”
The question is, “Why?” What makes this video so compelling?
I think there are a couple reasons. One, perhaps first and foremost, is simply that it’s so astonishing to see such a speech come out of the mouth of such a cute little kid. Memorized – and delivered with such passion! I love the way his little eyes bug out on “Screw ’em!” It’s really quite startling.
That’s what gets your attention. But I think the deeper reason the video has had such a lasting effect on me is that it’s just a great speech. The words are very powerful and effective. Here’s why:
It’s concise. It’s not a long speech; Rizzo delivers it in about a minute. It gets to the point quickly and effectively, without a lot of fanfare. And the words are simple and straightforward, not flowery. The style doesn’t get in the way of the message. (Herb Brooks is from Minnesota, and I’m just a sucker for plain-spoken Midwestern sensibilities.)
It’s genuine. I don’t know if this is the actual speech Herb Brooks gave to his team before the famous game against the Soviets in 1980. My guess is that it was re-created from accounts of people who were there. (If a real video existed, it would probably also be posted on YouTube by now.) But whoever wrote it for the movie did a remarkable job. One thing that strikes me is the speech is a little disjointed. If you read it on a page it would feel a little bumpy. But as delivered, it works very well. It hits me in the gut. I imagine Herb Brooks had a few thoughts in his head about what he wanted to say but didn’t formally prepare his remarks.
And that’s an art in itself: writing words that get to the point quickly and don’t sound like “writing.” In other words, words that communicate. These are goals all of us who communicate for a living should strive for.
Writing words that a 4-year-old can deliver with lasting impact? You might just call it a miracle.
I’m pretty sure that this an abbreviated version of the Brooks speech as delivered by Kurt Russell the film Miracle on Ice. Me, I’m more partial to this four-year-old: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70r-Ca8wcVg (warning: the language is a tad salty)
Ha! Awesome! Christian Bale will never live that down, will he?
Actually, this is Kurt Russell’s ENTIRE speech from the movie, word for word (save for “opportoony” and “every one-ya”). You can watch Russell’s (in my view, inferior) version here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwpTj_Z9v-c