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| Balboa-Drago II at Kappa Sigma's Hairy Buffalo Party in 2000 didn't live up to the original. |
The first one, probably the best of the series, was released three years before I was born. Then came the second, third and fourth installments, each three years apart, culminating with everyone’s favorite American underdog pulling off the impossible in the most hostile of Cold War-era environments … the Soviet Union.
Even if the fifth chapter of the Rocky saga kinda bombed, and the sixth was a bit of a stretch when the AARP version of the Italian Stallion went the distance with the current Heavyweight champ, I remained hooked. Rocky Balboa may have been a fictional creation of Sylvester Stallone, but he was very much one of my heroes. I’m not sure if I have made it through a workout or a run without playing at least one song from the numerous Rocky soundtracks, usually ‘Eye of the Tiger’, ‘Go For It’ or ‘Training Montage’. I’ve probably shadowboxed 1,000 rounds in my lifetime while watching the fight scenes against Apollo Creed, Clubber Lang and Ivan Drago. When I was in my mid- and late-20s, the first thing I would show someone in my bedroom was a foot-tall Rocky figurine my buddy Brian got me that would shout famous lines and throw punches when you pushed a button at his feet. I'm pretty sure it scared off a couple potential girlfriends.
Heck, I even went as Rocky for a Halloween party in college. A handful of beers later, I was throwing featherweight blows with my buddy, Forrest, who had gone as Drago, as the ‘crowd’ at the party formed a makeshift ring around us.
Some of my favorite memories growing up were ‘Rock-a-thon’s’ with my brother and Brian. Our mothers just shook their heads, but kept the soda and popcorn coming as we sat, screamed, laughed and created as much havoc as possible through nearly 10 hours of Rocky. We haven’t gotten together for one since the sixth version, ‘Rocky Balboa’, hit theatres in 2006, but you’d better believe one day we will with our kids at our side.
Rocky is the ‘Star Wars’ of sports movies. Most great films can grab the hearts of one or maybe two generations, and then fade. When ‘Creed’, which can be looked at as either the seventh installment or a spin off of the series, hit theatres last month, it did so to packed theatres and a fourth generation of fans. What Sly created in 1976, remains as strong as ever 40 years later.
Mickey, Apollo, Adrian, Paulie - four character staples in the series - have passed away. Balboa looks more Grandpa than Heavyweight Champ now. The popularity of boxing in today’s sports world has waned. All solid reasons for the Rocky dynasty to stay retired.
But the introduction of Apollo’s son in ‘Creed’ has breathed life into Rocky, figuratively when it comes to proving the brand can still generate a buzz and pack theatres, but also literally in the case of Balboa the character, who was ready to give in to cancer before the younger Creed pushed him to fight, much like Mickey had done in Rocky I and II, like Apollo did after Rocky lost to Mr. T’s character in Rocky III, and how Adrian had when she showed up during his training in Rocky IV.
There’s an underlying message here that hasn’t been mentioned much throughout all the hoopla, interviews and articles I’ve read about ‘Creed’. As amazing as Rocky’s story of perseverance has been, as lasting the images are of his runs up the steps in Philadelphia and through the snow-covered mountains in the then-Soviet Union, and as motivating as the training montages and his fights with Creed, Lang, Drago and Mason Dixon were, the underdog of all underdogs continues to give when we thought he had nothing more to give.
But he couldn’t do it alone. He needed a great support group to gain that additional strength to topple bigger, stronger, more talented foes. As a coach, it will serve as another great analogy to use when trying to motivate a player or team. As special as he was, there’s no chance Rocky Balboa becomes an icon without the positive energy, support and motivation he gained from those around him.
He probably would have been just another Tommy Gunn. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)
I’m not sure if ‘Creed’ marks the end of the Rocky saga. But if it does, it leaves us with an outstanding message for anyone looking to overcome an obstacle in life. Don't go at it alone. Lean on those around you to provide that additional boost while you reach for the stars.
Thank you, Sly, for giving us as real a fictional character as has ever been dreamed up. Anyone who has grown up with Rocky as a part of our lives is surely a better person for it.