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The ten greatest Philly sports movies

31.12.69

ROCKY

Filmed over 19 days and with a minuscule budget of $1 million in December 1975, this was a movie that carried no expectations. The anonymous Stallone wrote the script and refused to let anyone steal his leading role. So he settled for the actor's minimum pay of $1,400 a week, along with a small piece of any unlikely profits on the back end. That ultimately netted him $6 million. There are many Philadelphia moments here, most notably the famous training scene. To the tune of "Gonna Fly Now," the Stallion runs from the Italian Market, up along the Schuylkill, back down to the Navy Yard and across town to the Art Museum. Kenyan marathoners don't cover that much ground in a month.

INVINCIBLE

This film - the story of Vince Papale, the 30-year-old free agent whose raw desire earns him a spot on the Philadelphia Eagles - has many parallels with "Rocky." It is the same underdog tale, a blue-collar guy with Philly roots gets his shot at the big time. Papale was himself an Italian Stallion. And "Rocky" hit the theaters in 1976, the same year Papale became the NFL's oldest rookie. Indeed, Papale's story was so in step with that of Stallone's character that the other players nicknamed Papale "Rocky." Mark Wahlberg does a fine job capturing Papale's toughness and determination, even if he looks a tad small for an NFL player. Greg Kinnear is a dead-ringer for coach Dick Vermeil, circa 1976.

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer