Major update for us!
The third full class of the Fictitious Athlete Hall of Fame has been announced and the six new entries encompass the sports of baseball, hockey, golf and boxing.
Joining previous inductees, The Hanson Brothers, Happy Gilmore, Reggie Dunlop Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn, Crash Davis, Roy Hobbs and inaugural inductee, Rocky Balboa are Apollo Creed (Rocky), Charlie Conway (The Mighty Ducks) and Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez (The Sandlot). The contributor section welcomes Gordon Bombay (The Mighty Ducks) and Chubbs Peterson (Happy Gilmore) and the first veteran’s category inductee chosen this year was Dennis Ryan (Take Me Out to the Ball Game).
This year’s leading vote getter was Apollo Creed. Portrayed by Carl Weathers in four of the Rocky films, Apollo was the former Heavyweight Champion of the World and would become the closest friend of the man who defeated him for the title, Rocky Balboa. Creed would die tragically in the ring in an exhibition match gone wrong, though his legacy lives on through his son, and Light Heavyweight contender, Adonis Creed. It should be noted that Apollo finished fourth two years ago.
Finishing second in the vote is Charlie Conway, the central character from the Mighty Ducks franchise. Conway was never presented as the star of the team, but he was their undeniable heart and the favorite of many aspiring hockey players. Conway finished fourth in the voting last year.
The third and final athletic inductee is this year’ lone baseball entry, Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez from The Sandlot. While it is revealed that Rodriguez would one day become a star player for the Los Angeles Dodgers, we see him as the star of his sandlot team and the one you wished was your best friend when you were a kid.
These fictional athletes were elected over the process of a yearlong online vote, which started with over 300 Preliminary Candidates, was reduced to 50 Semi-Finalists, then reduced to an elite 15 in a Final Round, which produced the first Full Class of the Fictitious Athlete Hall of Fame.
These new inductees beat out the following finalists (in order of their vote totals) in the Final Round:
- Tim Riggins (Friday Night Lights)
- Willie “Mays” Hayes (Major League)
- Forrest Gump (Forrest Gump)
- Bobby Boucher (The Waterboy)
- Ricky Bobby (Talladega Nights)
- Alex Moran (Blue Mountain State)
- Dottie Hinson (A League of Their Own)
- Shane Falco (The Replacements)
- Daniel LaRusso (The Karate Kid)
- Al Bundy (Married…With Children)
- Kenny Powers (Eastbound and Down)
- Dean Youngblood (Youngblood)
Like “real” Athletic Halls of Fame, the Fictitious Athlete Hall of Fame has a “wing” for contributors; again decided by three stages of online voting.
Like last year two Fictitious Contributors were voted in as opposed to one from the first year.
Joining Harry Doyle, Mr. Miyagi and Carl Spackler are Chubbs Peterson (Happy Gilmore) and Gordon Bombay (The Mighty Ducks).
The selection of Chubbs Peterson means that Carl Weathers is a double inductee this year and that the film Happy Gilmore, now has two inductees. Gordon Bombay’s induction also makes it a double entry class for the Mighty Ducks franchise.
Peterson and Bombay beat out the following finalists (in order of their vote totals) in the Final Round:
- Mickey Goldmill (Rocky)
- Jimmy Dugan (A League of Their Own)
- Lou Brown (Major League)
- Ray Kinsella (Field of Dreams)
- Norman Dale (Hoosiers)
- Jerry Maguire (Jerry Maguire)
- The Gopher (Caddyshack)
- Adrian Balboa (The Mighty Ducks)
Last year, the first Veteran’s Inductee was chosen as Andy “The Champ” Purcell from the original “The Champ” (1931). This year he is joined by Dennis Ryan, which was played by the “Chairman of the Board”, Frank Sinatre in Take Me Out to the Ballgame.
So, what comes next?
The 2017 Preliminary Vote, which is now up for all of you!
The Fictitious Athletes Preliminary Vote can be found here.
The Fictitious Contributors Preliminary Vote can be found here.
The Fictitious Veterans Vote can be found here.
Gang, we ask you to support our Hall and cast your vote!
Our Fictitious Athlete HOF Announces the 2017 Class!
- Written by Committee Chairman
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Published in Not in Hall of Fame News
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Read 3887 times
21 Dec
2016
2016
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