On Saturday, before the Bruins faced Oregon in Eugene, Chesney had his team take a knee in the Autzen Stadium tunnel for one final message.
asserted
team → face → message
As his undefeated Bruins listened intently, Chesney turned into Tony D'Amato (Al Pacino) in Any Given Sunday.
asserted
Chesney → listen → Sunday
In the 1999 movie, D'Amato reminded his players, "We're in hell right now, gentlemen.
asserted
We → remind → hell
And, we can stay here, get the s–t kicked out of us, or we can fight our way back into the light.
asserted
we → stay → light
We can climb outta hell... one inch at a time."
asserted
We → climb → time
Chesney gave his boys a speech in a similar vein.
asserted
Chesney → give → vein
The 49-year-old Hollywood newcomer chose to paraphrase Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés after his 1519 landing in Mexico with 600 troops.
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newcomer → choose → troops
"They're about to go in and start the war, and he wants to make sure that nobody has any other thought," Chesney told Bruins.
asserted
Chesney → go → Bruins
"No other thought than we're 100% positive we're winning this f–king battle.
asserted
we → win → battle
He looks around at the boats they'd have to go home on and says, 'Burn the f–king boats.'
asserted
they → look → boats
We can't go that way (Chesney points to the sunlight outside Autzen Stadium).
asserted
Chesney → go → Stadium
You gotta go through these motherf–kers.
asserted
You → got → kers
The Bruins stand up, chant something, and Chesney turns towards the tunnel.
asserted
Chesney → stand → tunnel
Like Tom Cruise about to strap in and go shoot down multiple Sukhoi Su-57 stealth fighters, Chesney grabs his sunglasses, locks them into place, seems to hit play on an Apple iWatch workout and walks down the ramp into battle.
asserted
Chesney → strap → battle
Chesney isn't the first inspirational speaker to use the "burn the boats" speech, but in the modern Internet era, he's the first to do it with such cinematic flair.
asserted
he → use → flair
The all-black shoes, pants and shirt and then the black sunglasses project something that none of us can remember from UCLA – hardness.
asserted
none → project → UCLA
After his burn the boats speech, the Bruins went out and dominated the time of possession – 39:15 to 20:45 – and beat Oregon 17-15.
asserted
Bruins → burn → Oregon
It was the first time they'd beaten Oregon on the road since 2004.
asserted
they → beat → 2004
Chesney was the first to admit it before his team boarded a plane back to Los Angeles, instead of a boat.
asserted
team → admit → Angeles
Remember, they burned the boats.
asserted
they → remember → boats
"So, if you're going to ask about complacency, you don't have to, because obviously there's enough on that film that we got to do a whole lot better if we want to win this next game and any to follow.
asserted
we → go → game
We can't turn the ball over," Chesney told the media.
asserted
Chesney → turn → media
"We can't get a field goal blocked.
asserted
goal → get → ?
We can't do a lot of the things we did, letting the ball get down at the one-yard line, and all the other things that showed up in that game.
asserted
that → do → game
There were moments where it really could have gone the other way, but I was really, really proud of the effort.
uncertain
I → be → effort
Really, really proud of how hard they played.
asserted
they → play → ?
"Really, really proud of them being able to self-regulate in a hostile environment like that.
asserted
them → regulate → that
Not an easy place to play, but I thought they did a really good job of it, and I'm proud of that effort."
asserted
I → play → effort
Quarterback Nico Iamaleava is believed to be out for the season with a knee injury suffered Saturday.
asserted
Iamaleava → believe → injury
Where does Chesney go with the speeches from here?
asserted
Chesney → go → speeches
Will he channel Band of Brothers?
asserted
he → channel → Brothers
We're about to witness some of this guy's best work with a dream season in the works.
asserted
We → witness → works
The Aporia
