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: Dottie Henson vs. Ricky Bobby; 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 pitting two legends of their respective fields against one another:
Ernie ‘Big Ern’ McCracken
The insults and celebratory dances, the scarfs, the comb-over, the gall to redundantly wear both a belt and suspenders at the same time… McCracken, the national bowling champion, not only defeats Roy Munson but shucks his prosthetic hand into the crowd for good measure.
Robert “Rocky” Balboa, 57-23-1 (54 KOs)
For such a decorated champ Rocky sure did spend a lot of time during fights getting beaten up, but always found a way to dig deep and come through when it mattered most. They say the ability to take a punch is crucial to make it in boxing, and Balboa is living proof. Plus, nobody holds together a montage quite like Rocky: