"Slap" Maxwell is a sportswriter of the old-school--hard-working, uncompromised. Unfortunately, his type of writing doesn`t fit well in the modern world. His wife wants to discover her own talents, which baffles Slap (almost as much as his editor`s bizarre metaphors). Slap only makes things worse by starting an affair with a young news writer. Oh, and his only son turns out to have absolutely no talent as a writer or sports fan, despite Slap`s dreams.