The Underdog as an American Hero: Rocky! Rocky, one of Hollywood’s iconic characters--is an example of the rugged individualist pulling himself up by his bootstraps, surviving on instinct and triumphing against all odds through the power of sheer will and resolution. Rocky, the movie and the fictional character, became embedded in American culture as an inspirational ode for hardworking underdogs. In the ring, Rocky lost his fight with Apollo Creed. But he won his self-respect and the enduring love of Adrian, his woman. In Rocky Ballboa, a character Stallone created and played on screen six times, we found a Horatio Alger from the ghetto. A punch-drunk journeyman prizefighter with a heart of gold, given one shot –one very slim shot—at glory and fame. Through hard work and determination he conquers a richer, better equipped but complacent champion. For more times, in four more films, Rocky would find himself severely overmatched, and each time he would triumph through pure heart and sweat. In Rocky IV, we saw him take on the whole Soviet sports-industrial complex and, after training in an unequipped barn in the Moscow winter, win not only the fight but also the adoration of the Russian fans and a standing ovation from the Soviet premier. Sylvester Stallone himself, the actor, the man, has been fighting the same sort of underdog battle in the press. Trying to persuade America that he is not the lovable but stupid oaf he played in those early films, Stallone tried to branch out, he tried his hand at comedy and drama. But America is not built on the love of smart-talking tough guys who make country music with Dolly Parton. America loves an underdog. And a winner. The recent (and hopefully LAST) movie, Rocky Balboa is exactly how Rocky should bow out, both as a man and as a movie franchise. The second-rate Rocky V (1990) would have been an abysmal way to remember the meat-smacking punk who took us jubilantly up the 72 steps of the Philadelphia Museum of art. *from Icons and Idols*

''There's an embarrassment of riches, all these championships; we're terribly spoiled,'' said Chris Greeley, a government-affairs consultant in Boston and who was once a former chief of staff for Senator John Kerry. ''Being the underdog was something Boston always liked. It was easier, and it was good for banding together. But now we don't have a great enemy to point to -- New York, we've become them.'' (New York Times) In many ways he's right, we have become the enemy. After experiencing such a fierce delay of success with these three sports, while fans and a city socially adopted their ways, New England supporters were thrust on top of the sports world. Fans mainly of the Red Sox for instance, have expanded nationwide as a fan base due to the new found success, and as a result, have become one of the more disliked franchises in professional sports.