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: Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez vs. Amanda Whurlitzer; Lewis Scott vs. Adam Banks; Roy Hobbs vs. Joe Cooper
So let’s get started with our first round match-ups, beginning with arguably the toughest one to decide of ’em all:
Happy Gilmore, golfer
Despite extremely poor swing mechanics, essentially no golf IQ and an obvious alcohol problem, Gilmore, a multi-sport athlete, overcame the odds to win back his grandmother’s house and make Chubbs proud.
Jesus Shuttlesworth, SG
A five-star recruit with ever major program in the country trying to sign him to a scholarship, Shuttlesworth starred for dominated the Brooklyn basketball scene. Outshining his predecessor, Stephon Marbury, Shuttlesworth was the biggest New York high school hoops legend since Connie Hawkins. Bonus points for being an great basketball player and philosopher: