Likely anyone who played competitive sports on any level has had a coach like Coach Johnson (Charles Durning) in North Dallas Forty. You know the type; the one you mock openly (yet doesn’t pick up on it), brags about accomplishments that were not that impressive, and learned everything from a handbook. Durning nailed it perfectly, and we know we are not the only ones who had memories brought up by watching his portrayal of the North Dallas Assistant Coach. The Bullet Points: Movie Appeared: North Dallas Forty (1979) Actor: Charles Durning Role Portrayed: Assistant Coach of the North Dallas Bulls Why you should vote for him: He was half authority/half buffonery. That isn’t easy to pull off. Why you should not vote for him: The role was not large. {youtube}
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This may sound morbid, but we kind of thought that “Cheers” improved after the death of Nicholas Colasanto and thus the death of “Coach” Ernie Pantusso. Ironically, this would usher in the character of Woody Boyd, who may not be a Fictitious Athlete Hall of Fame nominee, but his portrayer, Woody Harrelson, has given us many. ‘Coach” was a shade above (or maybe below) retarded, and based on an episode showcasing his ability to be hit by pitches (and to the head), we think he may have taken one too many, as his intelligence had to be constantly questioned. Still, despite our criticisms of the character and our preference of the shows comedic value after he departed the show, there have been many others who preferred the show’s tone with him and felt it was an overall better program. The beautiful thing here is that this is open for your vote, and we are very curious to see where the Coach winds up on the ballot. The Bullet Points: TV Show Appeared: Cheers (1982-85) Actor: Nicholas Colasanto Role Portrayed: Coach of the Pawtucket/Boston Red Sox Why you should vote for him: Many have considered the program better with him on it. Why you should not vote for him: Many have not. {youtube}
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Yes we are nominating an orangutan. The sidekick of Philo Beddoe was an orangutan named Clyde brought in for cheap laughs and perhaps a distraction to keep the viewer from thinking about why Sondra Locke was once again stinking up an Eastwood flick. Come to think of it, Clyde may have been hotter than Locke. The Bullet Points: Movie(s) Appeared: Every Which Way But Loose (1978) Any Which Way You Can (1980) Actor: Manis Role Portrayed: Sidekick Why you should vote for him: It is impossible to imagine the films without him. Why you should not vote for him: It is an orangutan! {youtube}
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Sports Night had a loyal and devoted audience, and had it aired a few years later, or appeared on a smaller channel, we would bet that this acclaimed program would have found a longer life. Still, our favorite was Casey McCall, one of the co-anchors of the SportsCenter doppelganger; Sports Night. We would have loved to have known where his career and personal story arc would have gone to; though with Aaron Sorkin’s dialogue, we know it would have gotten there in rapid fashion. We can’t say the cancellation was a total loss, as we got to see Peter Krause (McCall) show up as the lead character in Six Feet Under, but we still wish we would have seen where the character would have gone. The Bullet Points: TV Show Appeared: Sports Night (1998-2000) Actor: Peter Krause Role Portrayed: Co-Anchor Why you should vote for him: He was (we thought) the top character on a great show. Why you should not vote for him: We may have watched it….we are not sure just how many others did. {youtube}
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