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Cuba Gooding Jr. is more than an actor, he is a showman. Remember his Oscar speech back in 1997 when he outshouted the orchestra to tell everyone in the world – one by one – that he loved them while also making George Foreman smile? Would we have gotten that kind of exuberance from fellow nominee Armin Mueller-Stahl? No way. Could Armin Mueller-Stahl play “Shoot the Puck” while captivating an arena crowd? I’m almost sure of it, but this story is about how Cuba Gooding Jr. did that at a Chicago Blackhawks preseason game last night.
Gooding, Jr., a noted hockey fan who also plays the game in his free time, was in Chicago to film for a new TV show. He was invited to come down to the United Center for the Chicago Blackhawks preseason tilt against the Detroit Red Wings and as is often the case when celebrities come to town, he was asked to participate in the team’s “Shoot the Puck” game.
The rules are simple really. Each contestant gets three shots to put a puck into one of three slots in the net from center ice. So up steps the Academy Award winner to his spot on the carpet at center ice. His first attempt went wide left after he faked the slapshot. The next attempt nearly went in, but got rejected by the boarding. The last one, however, went right through.
So, Cuba scored a goal. Who doesn’t love celebrity accomplishment and the celebration of it, right? Right, but this is about so much more than that. Cuba Gooding Jr. knows how to do three things in this life: act, lead a pack of snow dogs, and celebrate. How do you celebrate achievement? Fist pump? Type out a self-reverential tweet? Both?! Cuba Gooding Jr. takes his damn shirt off, because cold air feels good against the lungs, he knows how to amplify a moment, and Ned Braden is his spirit animal. Good for you, Cuba!
Source: CBS Sports
