PHILADELPHIA -- On Nov. 21, 1976, audiences met Rocky Balboa, the southpaw boxer from south Philadelphia. Four decades later, Sylvester Stallones lovable character resonates with fans drawn to his underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm.The reach of Rocky is international, and the film serves as a slice of Americana. It is shorthand for Philadelphia as much as the Liberty Bell or Benjamin Franklin.Anytime we are speaking to overseas visitors ... the conversation always turns, at some point, to `Rocky, said Julie Coker Graham, president of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau. They ask, `Have you met Rocky? A lot of them think its an actual, real-life person.On the films 40th anniversary, a few reasons for its enduring legacy:---LOVABLE UNDERDOGWritten by Stallone in three days, fans fell hard for the ballad of Rocky Balboa. For the uninitiated (SPOILER ALERT): The small-time boxer from the heavily Italian neighborhood of South Philly stumbles into a bout with the heavyweight champion of the world, Apollo Creed, fighting in the city to celebrate Americas bicentennial. To get him into fighting shape, Rocky (played by Stallone) is trained by the peppery Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith), whose many one-liners make him a frequent scene stealer. Rocky also finds love in the film with sheepish neighborhood pet store clerk, Adrian (Talia Shire). Though he ultimately loses the fight, Rocky proves himself and wins Adrians heart, making him the winner of much more than a title.The film itself was a long shot, made on a budget of only $1 million and shot in 28 days, with a largely unknown cast, including Stallone himself. And it was shot in working-class Philadelphia, a city that -- despite its roots as the crucible of freedom -- had long had a chip on its shoulder as second-tier as compared to more cultured East Coast metropolises like New York and Boston. (It is worth noting that the film had its premiere in New York.)---CHEERS FOR ROCKYWhat the movie lacked in beauty, it made up for in heart, something that resonated with audiences worldwide. The film was the highest-grossing of the year, earning $117 million at the North American box office and another $107 million overseas. Rocky received 10 Oscar nominations in nine categories at the Academy Awards, winning three: best picture, best director (John G. Avildsen) and best film editing. Stallone, Burgess and Shire were all nominated in acting categories, and Stallone was nominated for his screenplay.Rocky is preserved in the Library of Congress National Film Registry as being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant. It was also ranked one of the greatest sports films ever made and is the second-best film about boxing behind Raging Bull, according to the American Film Institute.---GONNA FLY NOWThe score for Rocky, which was also nominated for an Oscar, was penned by Bill Conti. The main song, Gonna Fly Now, was originally intended as filler for the training sequence marking Rockys journey from amateur to contender. The opening fanfare is among the most recognizable in American culture, and the soaring melody that plays on the melancholic theme woven throughout the movie is the backdrop to Rocky doing impressive one-armed pushups, punching meat in his girlfriends brothers butcher shop and running through Philadelphias Italian Market, along the Schuylkill River and past the shipyards.Conti went on to win an Oscar for his score to 1983s The Right Stuff and made music recognizable to millions in theme songs to Dynasty and Falcon Crest.---THE ROCKY STEPS AND STATUEThe montage climaxes in one of the films most memorable scenes, as Rocky bounds up the 72 steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, raising his arms in triumph. Four decades later, the run and pose atop the steps are re-created daily in Philadelphia, mostly by tourists. In 1982, a statue of Rocky commissioned by Stallone for Rocky III was placed in the spot where he stood in the original film. Its current home is just to the right of the steps and is a selfie stop for visitors.---ROCKYS NEXT CHAPTERThe original movie was followed by six sequels. In 2015, Rocky was reborn in Creed, the story of Adonis Creed, the son of his nemesis-turned-best friend, Apollo. An aging and dying Rocky trains Adonis for a brawl not unlike the grizzled boxers first fight nearly two generations earlier. The New York Times reviewed it as a dandy piece of entertainment, soothingly old-fashioned and bracingly up-to-date. Colorado Rockies Shirts . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. Colorado Rockies Pro Shop . The FA rejected Wilsheres appeal that the length of his punishment was "clearly excessive" and said Thursday his suspension begins with immediate effect. He will miss league matches against Chelsea on Monday and West Ham on Dec. https://www.cheaprockiesjerseys.us/ .ca NHL Power Rankings for the second straight week, ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche. Custom Colorado Rockies Jerseys . Oaklands loss to Seattle clinched the ALs best record for the Red Sox with one day to spare in the regular season. "I think everybody was kind of watching," catcher David Ross said. "Demp (Ryan Dempster) came out before he went to the bullpen and was just yelling that they lost. Wholesale Rockies Jerseys . Boucher previously coached the Tampa Bay Lightning and had a 97-78-20 record over two-plus seasons. He was dismissed by the team last March after the Lightning struggled in the lockout-shortened season with a 13-18-1 record. SEATTLE -- David Crisp made all four of his 3-pointers down the stretch and scored 26 points to lead Washington to a 94-88 win over Long Beach State on Tuesday night.The Huskies (3-1) failed to connect on their first 13 3-pointers -- meanwhile the 49ers (1-5) made 10-of-17 from range -- but it was the 3-ball that sealed the victory for Washington, which sank its final eight. UW forced back-to-back turnovers with less than six minutes to play, and Matisse Thybulle followed each with a 3-pointer as the Huskies turned a two-point deficit into a 75-68 lead with 5:10 to play.It just wasnt falling, but in the first half, we were guarding, Washington coach Lorenzo Romar said. That allowed us to stay in the game. We talked to our team about it: The shots arent always going to go in.The second half, we did start making shots and I think we forgot about playing defense at that point. Our identity shifted all of a sudden, where we had an offensive mindset.Crisp made four from behind the arc en route to his career-high and Markelle Fultz added 21 points. The guards picked up the slack in the second half from Noah Dickerson, had 17 of his career-high 23 points in the first half and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.Once he makes one 3, I think David, he can just go up from there, said Fultz, who also dished out six assists. Thats what he does. He makes big shots at big times.The Huskies didnt lead for the first 17 minutes but went on a 14-2 run -- eight from Dickerson -- near the end of the half to lead 36-32 at the break.Evan Payne led Long Beach State with 19 points and Noah Blackwell added 12, making 4 of 5 behind the arc.BIG PICTURELong Beach State: The 49ers can see the light at the end of the tunnnel.dddddddddddd Tuesdays game against Washington ended a stretch of contests against Wichita State, North Carolina, Louisville and UCLA. All resulted in losses, but Long Beach State played their best game of the stretch in the last game.Washington: Despite what the score against a 1-5 team might indicate, the Huskies played their most complete game of the season. If not for a team of hands that went collectively cold and vice versa for their opponents, the Huskies would have walked away with a decisive win over a team they battled closely in last seasons NIT. Instead, Washington relied on Dickersons best game since arriving on campus and a stellar defensive performance, forcing the 49ers to make shots with hands in their faces, which for the most part, they did.REMATCHTuesdays game featured a repeat of the first round of the NIT last season. The No. 3-seeded Huskies prevailed in a track meet, 107-102. Of the six players to score in double figures in last years meeting only the 49ers Justin Bibbins (17 points, four assists) remained for the rematch.Theyve played us very tough in the past, Romar said. It seems like whenever we play Long Beach State, the games are close. . We knew that they would come out here and play well.UP NEXT:Long Beach State: The 49ers will be seeking their first win since the season-opener as they travel to Fort Myers, Fla., to play Binghamton in the Battle4Atlantis Mainland on Thursday.Washington: The Huskies head to Las Vegas for their first games away from home this season, playing Western Kentucky to open the Global Sports MTE on Friday. ' ' '