As part of Sportsnet magazine’s upcoming sports movie package we’re seeking to determine the greatest fictional athlete in film history. And we need your help to do it.
“Greatness” is open to interpretation. Some of the names appearing in the bracket overcame extreme adversity, others single-handedly took their team from laughing-stock to champion, while a select few were flat-out dominant in their respective sports.
Each day this week on Sportsnet.ca we’ll be asking you to cast your vote, with the final results appearing in the next issue of Sportsnet. With a seemingly endless list of worthy candidates and a rule that only one athlete from a movie can be represented, on Monday we asked you to help whittle the list down to 16 names that will make up the bracket.
Vote on the following matchups: Ernie “Big Ern” McCracken vs. Rocky Balboa; Mighty Steel Leg Sing vs. Rod Tidwell; Paul Crewe vs. “Wild Thing” Rick Vaughn
So let’s get started with our first round match-ups, this one being likely the only time you’ll see these two names intertwined:
Dottie Henson, C, Rockford Peaches
Ever seen Russell Martin drop into the splits and make a catch? Well, Dottie Henson did. The star catcher for the Rockford Peaches out-did the likes of Madonna and Rosie O’Donnell on the field, doing everything in her power—including the splits, and catching the ball behind her back—to drum up fans. The one knock on Dottie is that in the championship game, her sister slid into her at home and knocked the ball out of Dottie’s hand, and so the Peaches lost. But we’re pretty sure Dottie dropped it on purpose because she’s a nice sister. It only cements her legend.
Ricky Bobby, Dennit Racing
Two words: Shake n’ Bake. Two more: Case closed.