My best friend, Matt, and I have been known to coin some phrases over the past 16 years. "James Belushi", "That's nice", and "I'm thinking…" are just a few that pop into my head right now. Most of these phrases were created due to some event that took place in our wanderings and travels, the phrase was used or said comically, then became part of our own personal joke repertoire. Well, someone has stolen one of our patented phrases and this isn't the first time it has happened. It wasn't "James Belushi" or "That's nice"…but one that holds a special place within my heart... "Shitball!"
The Origin: For you to understand where I am coming from, you have to understand where the phrase originated. Let me take you back. The year was 1996. The place was Six Flags of Great America near Chicago, Illinois. My best friend and I were up there on a spontaneous vacation…very spontaneous actually. One minute we were swimming in a pool near Woodlawn talking about finding something to do and the next minute we were on the road to Chicago. Anyway, we were riding an attraction that I can only describe as being similar to the Buccaneer ride at Six Flags in St. Louis, the boat that rocks back and forth. However, this was a space shuttle and instead of rocking back and forth, this thing rocked back and forth and then went ALL the way around.
Matt has an extreme fear of heights. It is amazing how many things that I have gotten him to do through the years even though he suffers from this phobia, but hey…that's what best friends do. This day was no different. I told him I wanted to ride this ride. He took one look at it and said, "Hell no!" But I got in line and he followed along. True friend until the end.
We got onto the ride and sat down. Similar set up as the Buccaneer. Several seats. Black bar that went across our laps. But there was one significant difference. Above us there was a huge cage. I remember Matt taking one look at the cage and asking me, "What do you think that thing is for?" Of course being the supportive friend that I always am replied, "To catch us in case we fall out."
The ride started. Simple at first. Rocking back and forth. Matt smiled at me. "This ain't nothing!" Then it soon became something. We rocked back and forth a few more times edging higher and higher until we came completely around and stopped entirely upside down. It was then that Matt's prior question was answered.
The night air filled with loud clinking sounds.
I remember glancing around to see what was going on. Matt grabbed my arm and pointed. Change. Quarters. Dimes. Nickels. Pennies. All of it was falling out of people's pockets and into the wire cage below us. I couldn't help but laugh. I remember stretching outward to try to grab some of the change. The lap bar holding us in moved a little and Matt slugged me in the arm. "Don't do that!" He yelled.
I pulled my arm back laughing as the ride continued its course the rest of the way around. As it came completely over, all of the change that had gathered in the cage below us began to fall upon us. I was pelted by quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies. Matt got nailed in the eye and cried out in pain.
"Oh shitball!"
Thus a new phrase was born. What it meant…I had no clue. But it was original, it was spontaneous, and most importantly…it made us laugh. And we used it many a time while in Chicago…of course laughing our asses off each and every time we said it.
Now…fast forward five years into the future. The year was 2001. The place was Kerasotes Theater in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. Matt and I were there watching American Pie 2. There was a scene where Jason Biggs, Sean William Scott, and others are in this house and these girls come home. I think it was Sean William Scott's character that looks around afraid of being busted and lets out "Shitball!"
Matt and I looked at each other in that theater and literally died laughing. That was our phrase!!! Of course the scene was quite comical, but the rest of the patrons within the theater were trying to figure out why these two idiots in the back row were crying from laughter. After the film, Matt and I talked long and hard about the chances of one of OUR sayings turning up in some Hollywood flick. We both agreed that someone who had written the script must have been in Chicago that night we were there and had overheard our usage of the phrase. We also figured that they must owe us something for using one of our patented phrases…right?
Fast forward seven years into the future. The year 2008. I had just put my kids to bed and sat down to fold some of the mega piles of laundry that had accumulated in the basement. Not a lover of silence, I put in a movie, Drillbit Taylor, and sat down to get to work.
About ¾ of the way through the film, there was a scene where Owen Wilson is trying to prevent these kids at a high school from encountering these two bullies. He is talking to them via walkie talkie and when he sees them walking into the direct path of the bullies, he cries out "Oh shitballs!"
Again…same reaction. I laughed and laughed until I cried. My three kids all came in to see what was wrong with me. Our phrase again! What were the chances?
So how I figure it…Matt and I deserve some sort of income from these films for the usage of one of our classic lines of life. One million dollars? Two million dollars? Who knows, but how can one put a price on creativity of that level? Have we contacted anyone officially…not yet. Will we get any monetary compensation for our indirect creative input? Probably not. Oh well…
Oh Shitball!
I'm thinking...JM
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