Neil and Jean are on the same professional exy team. They win a particularly difficult game thanks to their extraordinary (and rare, because they "hate" each other but are also almost always together) rapport. They're both assigned to do press service because they're the star players of the night.
Jean keeps quiet because he knows it's going to be a disaster and refuses to contribute to it. Besides, Neil already speaks for both of them.
Someone tells Neil that it's obvious he gets along well with his team. Jean knows this is a lie. Luckily, the Oregon Dragonflies are as easygoing as the Trojans, so they politely tolerate Neil. The same can't be said of Neil and them.
"Well, a team is sort of like a family. Sometimes you get a dangerous and hateful family, and other times, you get competent and tolerable people," Neil says.
Jean puts a hand to the bridge of his nose. He's never been good with the press, but even he knows that what Neil says sounds incredibly insulting to his team, even if he thinks he's flattering them in some way.
"Don't you think your teammates are tolerable?" someone asks.
"I was on the Foxes with Kevin Day. If I could put up with him, I can put up with anything." Jean looks at Neil. He thinks of his own hands squeezing his neck to calm himself for having thrown him to the lions. Neil seems to notice his look, because he decides to finish the play. "I'd tell you to ask Jean if you don't believe me, but he was with the Ravens, so his perception of what constitutes a tolerable team is seriously altered."
"Tu ne peux pas parler des gens intolerables, sale tique" says Jean, unable to control himself.
"Oh, but he came to his senses a bit with the Trojans. Jeremy Knox is definitely easier to put up with than Kevin. Isn't he, Jean?"
And Jean can't take it anymore.
He hits Neil on the back of the neck. It's loud, hard, and it resonates through the microphone. Neil flinches a little, surprised, and all they can hear are the flashbulbs taking hundreds of pictures of the moment.
Neil stares at Jean, his eyes wide open.
Jean puts a hand to his mouth, processing the fact that he just hit Neil on the back of the neck on national television. There's only one thing Jean can do now. He leans closer to the microphone.
"I want it on record that I didn't want to go into the press room with him because⊠he's crazy," he says, very, very nervous.
Neil screams.
"He attacked me, you saw him!"
"Oh my God! Can't you keep quiet, not even underwater?" Jean says.
"You know I don't do that!" Neil yells.
It's Jean's moment to open his eyes wide.
The team captain and coach interrupt the session and rush them out of the press room, shouting, "NO, NO, NO, NEVER AGAIN!"
Jean's blow to Neil's neck becomes a meme. They call it the "French Slap."
