Rhetorical Analysis

Anders Bjork
Professor Bain-Conkin
Miracle Speech Rhetorical Analysis
"Great moments are born from great opportunity, and that's what you have
here tonight, boys. This opening line of Herb Brooks infamous Miracle speech
that he gave to a group of about 20 young men before one of the most famous
upsets in sports history, did not only apply to the semi-fnal game they were about
to play against the seemingly invincible Societ Union Olympic hockey team, but
also applied to Herb Brooks speech itself. Pre-game speeches are a crucial part
of a coaches job and the higher the stakes of the game, the higher expectations
that the coach has to get his team fred up yet focused. Herb Brooks had a great
opportunity in the locker room that night and from it he created a great moment.
Brooks used many well thought out and powerful speech tactics to inspire his
team to win one of the greatest games in sports history.
As stated above, Herb Brooks grabs the attention of his team with a
powerful statement. He tells his team that they have been given the opportunity
to make history with this game. He does not use words that are hard to
understand or confusing language but simple words of much meaning instead.
At the end of this opening statement he addresses the team as boys. This is a
common word used in the locker room in many sports especially in hockey. I feel
this was a very efective way to make the team feel comfortable as well as show
the unity of the team. It is simple, but caused a sense of brotherhood among the
players making them know that there closeness and oneness was more powerful
than any amount of skill that the opposing team might have. Brooks goes on to
say, "That's what you've earned here tonight. This is another powerful sentence
in which he is telling his players that they put in the work and efort needed to
make the most out of the opportunity that was presented to them. The players
obviously look to him as an extremely knowledgeable coach who is serious and
means what he says. So, by saying that these men have earned the opportunity
to accomplish something great he meant that they really did earn it, thus giving
his players confdence through his belief and assurance.
In the next part of his speech, Herb Brooks states "One game; if we played
them ten times, they might win nine. But not this game, not tonight. While some
may argue that the frst part of this is taking away confdence from his players, I
disagree. Instead, I feel that Brooks is supplying his team with realistic belief.
Him being realistic shows that he understands the situation at hand and is not
denying that on paper the Soviet Union is a better hockey team. The Soviet team
had beat the NHL All-Star team 6-0 and crushed the United States in an
exhibition game right before the Olympics 10-3. They also were on a hot streak
in the Olympics and had won fve games in pool play with a combined score of 51
goals for to only 11 goals against. These overwhelming statistics make it silly for
Brooks not to acknowledge that the Soviet Union is a great hockey team.
However, his truthfulness and understanding of the situation also proves that he
is being truthful in telling his team that the Soviets can be beaten and that this
U.S. team can win this one game. Brooks is being a realist here. He turns what
could be negative realism into giving his team confdence by saying that it is
realistic that they can win this single game which is all the only game that
matters. While the odds might be one in ten, Brooks knows his team is ready
and able to get that one win in the game that they have the opportunity too and
he does this in a realistic but inspirational way.
Brooks goes on to increase the confdence of these men and instill belief
that they can win, "Tonight, we skate with them. Tonight we stay with them, and
we shut them down because we can. This sentence screams of Brooks belief in
his team. His prior sentences prove that his belief is realistic. He truly believes
that these men have the ability to skate with and shut down the Soviet Union. He
tells his team that the reason that they will skate with them in this game is
because they have this ability. Brooks the says, "Tonight, we are the greatest
hockey team in the world. Here, Brooks uses assertiveness and tells his team
that while their past doesnt prove they are the best team in the world, that is
irrelevant because the outcome of the game tonight is not efected by the past
but only by what will happen in the sixty minutes of play in this semi-fnal game.
Brooks sort of changes his tone for the second half of his speech. He
starts of the second half saying, "You were born to be hockey playersevery
one of you, and you were meant to be here tonight. This statement speaks about
the lives of the men of this team. He is telling his players that this is their destiny
or what they were born to do. He is basically telling them that they were destined
to make history through this single game. However, he doesnt say it in a way
that will make them nervous to make mistakes and instead says it confdently and
reassures these young men that they were not only meant to be here but also
deserved to win. Brooks goes on to say, This is your time. Their time is done.
It's over. Brooks hints at the current situation of the world in this statement as
well as the hockey game. This game was being played during the Cold War and
spread of communism. Saying that their time is done has dual meaning in that
the Soviet's time as being the world power in both the hockey and social realm is
over. This is a very inspiring and deep statement that really rallied the troops for
battle.
In his closing statements, Brooks says, "I'm sick and tired of hearing about
what a great hockey team the Soviets have. Screw em. This is your time. Now go
out there and take it! This is a powerful ending to a powerful speech. Brooks
repeats what he said before and tells his team that this is your time which
reemphasizes his confdence and belief. Then he orders them to "take it!. This
fnal sentence is very impactful as it shows his assertive belief that this game is
truly theirs to take and that they are not just hoping to upset the Soviet Union.
In conclusion, Herb Brooks does a fantastic job using well thought out and
powerful speech tactics to inspire his team to an unexpected victory. Brooks'
speech is not too long or confusing, yet is concise, clear, and flled with deep
meaning. Each word is chosen with care and he uses powerful phrases to rally
his team. Brooks uses repetition such as the word tonight or the phrase this is
your time to add emphasis. Although, he is just a hockey coach, this speech is a
work out art as it built the confdence and provided the energy needed while still
getting everyone focused and determined which ultimately lead to victory.