OPINION: Still trying to capture the spirit of the thing

Apr. 7—"'To see the three Chiefs make a scoring rush, the bright colors of their jerseys flashing against the milky ice, was to see a work of art in motion.' Now, that's good writing, Dickie." — Reggie Dunlop

"I was just trying to capture the spirit of the thing." — Dickie Dunn

Long before I even knew that I wanted to be a journalist, I learned lot about journalism from Dickie Dunn.

He made an indelible impression on me.

That saying, "I was just trying to capture the spirit of the thing," has guided me throughout my professional career and it's become, well, kind of my unofficial slogan.

The funny thing is ...

Dickie Dunn wasn't a journalist.

He wasn't even a real person.

Dunn was a character in the 1977 movie, "Slap Shot." Actor M. Emmet Walsh played the local sports writer covering the Charlestown Chiefs, a struggling hockey team which fights (literally) its way to the Federal League championship.

"Slapshot," featuring Paul Newman as player/coach Reggie Dunlop, is widely considered one of the best sports films of all-time.

It is a classic.

In the movie, Dunn pecks away on a manual typewriter in the press box, hangs out with players and coaches in bars after games and even invites Dunlop into his home, regularly.

That's real old school journalism.

Walsh's character ultimately ends up playing an unexpected role in Charleston's unlikely path to a title.

Because ...

Dunn gets duped.

In an attempt to motivate his struggling squad, Dunlop concocts a story. He tells the writer that the team's owner is in negotiations to sell the Chiefs to a "senior citizen community in a southern state."

Perplexed, Dunn looks at the coach and says, "I think there are a lot of shysters in Florida," and later enquires ... "How could anyway in their right mind buy a fifth-place team?"

The writer, however, believes Dunlop. and runs with the story, quoting "unidentified, but reliable sources."

Not every source is reliable.

No matter how much you trust them.

That's a hard truth every journalist finds out at some point — even Dickie Dunn.

A series of erroneous reports follows, sparking a winning streak as the players believe their success will lead them to a new life in Florida.

Dunlop tells the team, "Well, Dickie Dunn wrote this. It must be true."

The story still has a happy ending.

As most movies do.

Dickie Dunn was just one of the many roles Walsh played during his more than seven-decade career. He appeared in more than 200 movies and television shows, including "Blade Runner," "Straight Time," "The Jerk," and "Raising Arizona."

The actor was part of the cast of another one of my all-time favorite sports movies, 1986's "The Best of Times," and — don't forget — he was Rodney Dangerfield's diving coach at the fictional "Grand Lakes University," in "Back To School."

Walsh was never the star of any movie.

But, he made every movie he was in just a little bit better.

Walsh died on March 19. He was 88 years old.

The characters he played — thankfully — will live on forever. Including Dickie Dunn.

And Dunn's words will continue to inspire me to always try to "capture the spirit of the thing."