Now, if you want to know how to present a ceremonial (epideictic) speech, listen to the speech that Houston Astros' manager A. J. Hinch gave in the Houston's Minute Maid ballpark. Houston was still recovering from Hurricane Harvey's terrible flooding. Houston experienced more than 50 inches of rain during the storm, and many people lost their lives.
Hinch started by saying, "Hello Houston, it's good to be home." He thanked the fans for coming, "a very special day to start the rebuild process for our great city." He thanked first responders and everyone who helped the hurricane victims. He thanked the Mets "for allowing us to have the day off yesterday for a day of service." He thanked the Mets for helping with the relief efforts. He thanked everyone in Houston "that's doing something good for somebody else." He ended with a nifty tricolon: "So stay strong, be strong, and we appreciate every one of you." To his credit, he did not engage in invective against the Texas Rangers, who refused to reschedule Houston's games during the flood. Good for him. We all knew about the Rangers' selfish behavior, and there was no need to belabor it.
Remember that a good ceremonial speech always makes a larger point, reinforcing basic values. Belgian philosopher Chaïm Perlman explained this in his New Rhetoric. Hinch emphasized service, community, and compassion.
So--Hinch praised people for doing good things. He cited examples of praiseworthy behavior, which implicitly encouraged other people to help out. He recognized that the game was only a game, and that other things were more important. He also recognized that the game was a chance for the city to rebuild its sense of community. Play ball!
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