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Jim Sacco estimates that his son Josh has watched "Miracle," the film about the 1980 U.S. Olympic men's hockey team's legendary upset of the Soviets, nearly 150 times. Apparently, the movie has made quite an impression on the young fan.

Nicknamed "Rizzo" after the gold medal-winning team's captain Mike Eruzione, Josh sparked an Internet sensation this week when his hilarious, inspirational and eerily impeccable interpretation of actor Kurt Russell's locker room speech as Coach Herb Brooks went viral -- spreading everywhere from blogs to USA Today to the "Ellen" show.

No professional coaching. No fancy editing. No script, because Rizzo hasn't learned to read yet -- he was just 4 years old when his father filmed the speech earlier this year, making it all the more remarkable.

If you haven't seen this clip yet, you've not seen anything like it before:

"Tonight, we skate whiff'um! Tonight, we stay whiff'um! And we shut dem down because we CAN!"

Where did this instant classic YouTube clip come from? The story behind it is fascinating.

Where is this sudden sensation taking Josh Sacco? To perform the speech in an NHL locker room, for starters.

Jim and Josh Sacco, who turned 5 years old during the summer, live in Spring Hill, Tenn., just outside of Nashville. Jim grew up in Boston and is a die-hard Boston Bruins fan. He was 13 when Herb Brooks coached the U.S. men's ice hockey team to their historic upset of the Soviets and eventual gold medal victory over Finland at Lake Placid in 1980.

"We weren't supposed to win. It had a major impact on me, and it's had an even bigger impact on me now [as an adult]. I live it every day," said Sacco.

He's shared that impact with his son: Bringing him to Lake Placid to skate on the hallowed ice and sit on the bench where the late coach barked orders. They also bonded by watching "Miracle," the 2004 film that meticulously detailed the US Olympians' underdog triumph and featured Russell channeling Brooks in a memorable performance.

"We just started watching the movie. He plays hockey, and I love the movie. We'd get done watching it and he's just say 'play it again, play it again'. We must have watched it 150 times," said Sacco.

"So one day, he's upstairs shooting some 'pucks' in the bedroom -- a little net that he shoots tennis balls into -- and he starts calling out 'Hughes!' 'Ross!' 'Auge!'. I'm like, ‘Wait a minute, those are all the guys who initially made the cut at the beginning of the movie!'"

Sacco went back, checked and discovered that Josh had all 26 names from the sequence memorized -- in order. He started testing his son on other dialogue from the film, and found that Josh basically had "Miracle" committed to memory; not only the words, but the inflections.

"He loves Jack O'Callahan," said Sacco, "and you should hear his Boston accent. It's hilarious."

Eventually the two started trading lines on the "Great Moments Are Made" speech, which was made to the team before its game against Russia. When Sacco would flub a line, his then-four-year-old son would correct him.

Here's what Russell's speech sounded like in the film:

Sacco decided to document the speech on video, right down to the emphatic "screw'em!" Russell delivers near the end. He dressed Josh in an Easter suit that resembled the one Russell wore during the scene in "Miracle" to complete the effect.

"Besides," said Sacco, "he looks like a little man anyway."

Sacco filmed it for friends and family, and tossed it on YouTube rather than attempting to burn a dozen DVDs. Needless to say, more than friends and family have viewed the instant-classic viral video -- it's been featured on Sports Illustrated's Hot Clicks, on USA Today's site, on radio stations and, most famously, on the "Ellen" show.

Sacco said he's been contacted by the Minnesota Wild, the University of Minnesota and the Nashville Predators, who actually invited Josh to recreate the speech for a scoreboard video that's scheduled to debut at their home opener on Oct. 8. Instead of hockey players, Josh performed the speech to mascots.

After that ... well, 2010 is an Olympic year. The U.S. men's ice hockey team is once again facing very long odds against superpowers from Canada, Sweden and, yes, Russia.

Would Baby Brooks be willing to fire up the boys in a Vancouver locker room at the Winter Games?

"I know he would," said Sacco. "That would be hilarious if he did."

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1457 Comments

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  1. MattD
    1. Posted by MattD Sat Oct 03, 2009 10:18 am EDT

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    Whatever happenned to studying science? -or literature? -or just watching cartoons (not 150 times in a row, I mean)?
  2. scott g
    2. Posted by scott g Sat Oct 03, 2009 10:47 am EDT

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    shut up man. this kid is great. every kid has a movie they watch 100s of time. cant you just enjoy the cute kid and the hilarious video?!
  3. Mike D
    3. Posted by Mike D Sat Oct 03, 2009 11:05 am EDT

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    Seriously, guys. Ease up. I'd be proud to call this kid my son. This video just made my day. Can't believe it's the first time I've seen it.
  4. campbellmcdonald32
    4. Posted by campbellmcdonald32 Sat Oct 03, 2009 11:16 am EDT

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    Big deal. Kids are fantastic mimics.
    What amazes me is that adults find endless fascination with this sort of mediocrity.
  5. habs1rule
    5. Posted by habs1rule Sat Oct 03, 2009 11:19 am EDT

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    Money!! Two tickets to Montreal..Pack your bags, we leave tonight......
  6. lecflagger
    6. Posted by lecflagger Sat Oct 03, 2009 11:32 am EDT

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    Perfect.
  7. runOverPenguins
    7. Posted by runOverPenguins Sat Oct 03, 2009 11:43 am EDT

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    post 5 said it best. Big Deal...so what
  8. Grouchy Smurf
    8. Posted by Grouchy Smurf Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:01 pm EDT

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    Wow. Apparently lots of people got up on the wrong side of the bed today. Or are just plain pricks.
    Take it for what it is -- a 5 year-old kid who loves hockey, loves the movie, and does a great rendition of the speech. You're right Mike D -- it made my day, too. Good for the kid to memorize it and good for the dad to film it. Thumbs up from me!
  9. habs1rule
    9. Posted by habs1rule Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:17 pm EDT

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    Male Wednesday Addams...But give him credit, dudes!!
  10. Sev
    10. Posted by Sev Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:36 pm EDT

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    That kid is awesome!
  11. Tim Clevenger
    11. Posted by Tim Clevenger Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:37 pm EDT

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    Well, at least he can read good . . . but he didn't recite anything
  12. Bertrand
    12. Posted by Bertrand Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:37 pm EDT

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    Absolutely disgusting.
  13. Build-a-Man
    13. Posted by Build-a-Man Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:38 pm EDT

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    Male Wednesday Addams? ROTFLMAO.....Hell yah!
    But I wasn't impressed with the impersonation.
  14. Johnny Appleseed
    14. Posted by Johnny Appleseed Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:38 pm EDT

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    $20 says e-trade steals this for their next commercial.
  15. me
    15. Posted by me Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:39 pm EDT

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    how cute and funny! but is he wearing make up?
  16. Jacqueline
    16. Posted by Jacqueline Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:40 pm EDT

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    That was adorable, and you supposed "adults" who find the time to rip on a little kid like that
    are either just jerks, or jealous because your kids are probably little boneheads.
  17. ChristineC
    17. Posted by ChristineC Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:40 pm EDT

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    Ohhhh that is just seriously cute!!!!!
  18. brianv
    18. Posted by brianv Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:41 pm EDT

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    what a waist of my time and space on this page
  19. Jim
    19. Posted by Jim Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:41 pm EDT

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    What to heck was so great about that? Se the kid memorised a few lines! Is that considered a great accomplishment in todays society?
  20. Packrat 666
    20. Posted by Packrat 666 Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:42 pm EDT

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    creepy kid
  21. gyvuphays
    21. Posted by gyvuphays Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:42 pm EDT

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    what a waist of computer disc space...i can't see no future talent from that boy...i bet some idiot producer well try though...
  22. cool hand luke
    22. Posted by cool hand luke Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:43 pm EDT

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    hey my dog fido wil fart the michihgan fight song does that count? can he be a you tube scentsation can he please?
  23. DonnaA
    23. Posted by DonnaA Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:43 pm EDT

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    how cute
  24. Vicky
    24. Posted by Vicky Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:43 pm EDT

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    wow ellen actually tweeted this i never thought it would get on the yahoo's home page...THE KID WAS GREAT! how could he memorize that! its crazy. if we could only memorize formulas in school like he memorized movies...good jobb!!

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