Daily Dialogue — June 28, 2014

“The Chiefs are history, guys. There ain’t no Florida deal. I just made that shit up. We’re deader than this stinkin’ town is. I conned you guys. I just lied to ya. We were never anything but a rich broad’s tax write-off. Doesn’t make a fuck’s bit of difference whether we won or lost. You know we ain’t been hockey players, we been clowns! We’ve been goons! We’ve been freaks in a fuckin’ side show. We’re nothin’ but a bunch of criminals. We oughta be in jail, that’s all there is to it. I’m ashamed, really ashamed of myself. See, Ned was right. Violence is killing this sport. It’s dragging it through the mud. Things keep up the way they are, hockey players’ll be nothin’ but actors, punks. Well I’m not playin’ my last game that way. Yeah, it’s my last game and I wanna play it straight. No more nail ’em, no more fuck with ’em, that’s finished. I wanna win that championship tonight, but I wanna win it clean. Old time hockey. Like when I got started, ya know? Toblake, Dick Clapper, Eddie Shore, those guys were the greats. I don’t know what to say. Christ, it’s up to you.”

— Slap Shot (1977), written by Nancy Dowd

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Sports Speech, suggested by Kalen. Today’s suggestion by John Arends.

Trivia: Screenwriter Nancy Dowd originally intended the film to be a documentary. George Roy Hill convinced her that it would be better served as a feature length-comedy. She wrote the script because her brother, Ned Dowd, was a professional hockey player. He also has a part in the movie, as well as being stunt coordinator and technical advisor.

The swearing in the film, by 1977 standards, was considered so foul, advertisements contained an additional warning underneath the R-rating: “Certain language may be too strong for children.” In Québec (Canada), the movie has reached cult status because it was dubbed in a very “colorful” vernacular Québec French, including, not unlike the original English track, lots of swearing and profanities.

Paul Newman stated on many occasions that he had more fun making this film than on
any other film he has starred in, and that it remained his favorite of his own films.

Dialogue on Dialogue: Commentary by John: “Made in 1977, Slap Shot most likely inspired the equally brilliant Caddyshack, which was released in 1980. ‘Nuf said.”

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