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’ve been asking you to cast your vote, and the final results will appear 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. Tuesday and Wednesday we cut through the eight first-round showdowns while on Thursday the quarter-finals featured some nail-biters that came down to the wire. Friday’s semi-finals saw two names emerge from 16: Rocky Balboa and Happy Gilmore.
Now it’s time to determine the greatest fictional athlete in movie history:
Happy Gilmore, golfer
Despite extremely poor swing mechanics, essentially no golf IQ and a possible alcohol problem, Gilmore, a multi-sport athlete, overcame the odds to win back his grandmother’s house and make Chubbs proud.
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.