The Champ (1931)

Boxer

Many of you asked us why we did not include Fictional Athletes prior to 1970.  We listened and created a special Veteran’s Category, which featured fictional athletes from movies prior to 1970 and we awaited to see who all of you would pick to be the first Fictitious Athlete “Veteran” for our Hall of Fame.  Loud and clear, you all told us: It was the original “Champ”.

The original 1931 film saw it portrayed by veteran actor, Wallace Berry, who played the down on his luck alcoholic boxer to perfection, earning an Academy Award in the process.  Boxing, especially back then, was a dirty business, and this was one of the best reflections of that.  

The Fictitious Athlete Hall of Fame is proud to induct Andy “The Champ” Purcell as the first Veteran of the Hall!

Long before the Waterboy, we had Amos Dodd, a simple man from Texas who could throw a watermelon farther than anyone else had ever seen? Does that translate into College Football? Why of course it does, and through a strange turn of events (boy do we say that a lot), he is recruited to play for small Texas State against the powerhouse of Yale, which in 1935 was actually true. Stuart Erwin, who played Amos Dodd, was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance.



The Bullet Points:
Movie Appeared:
Pigskin Parade (1935)

Actor:
Stuart Erwin

Role Portrayed:
Texas State University Quarterback

Why You Should Vote For Him:
If you go by what you saw on the field, this was the guy that led the team to a huge win over Yale (when beating Yale mattered).

Why You Should Not Vote For Him:
The Coach’s daughter calling the winning play? Come one, man!

None of us here at Notinhalloffame understood the Glee phenomenon, nor do any of us subscribe that cheerleading is a sport. Saying all of that we do recognize that many people liked that show, and that some feel that cheerleading is a sport. If that is true, than why not a cheerleading coach, and one who was arguably one of the stars of the show? With that we present Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) as a nominee for the Fictitious Athlete Hall, and whether you think she belongs or not, you have to admit that Lynch is one funny actress.



The Bullet Points:
TV Show Appeared:
Glee (2009-)

Actor:
Jane Lynch

Role Portrayed:
Cheerleading Coach

Why You Should Vote For Her:
Many have argued that this was the best character on the show.

Why You Should Not Vote For Her:
It’s a cheerleading coach! That is all that we need to say.

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Back in the Game was not a very good television show, nor was it even a very good Bad News Bears rip off. There was a band of misfit kids who played Baseball, but unlike the Bears, the Angles (yes, not Angels) we barely saw them play. The only highlight for us was James Caan as a drunken former Baseball player named Terry “The Cannon” Gannon, who is one old man we don’t want to mess with. We love Caan, and find that he usually steals the show, but it wasn’t that hard for him to accomplish that feat here.



The Bullet Points:
TV Show Appeared:
Back in the Game (2013)

Actor:
James Caan

Role Portrayed:
Former Baseball Player/Assistant Little League Coach

Why You Should Vote For Him:
Caan is an icon. That’s all we got.

Why You Should Not Vote For Him:
This show lasted only 10 episodes.