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. Cheap Hydro Flask 24 oz Standard Mouth Mint Water Bottle . I cant pinpoint a date, but I do remember a player from my youth. Brian Downing was with the Chicago White Sox at a time when I listened to every game I possibly could on the radio. That particular season the late great Harry Caray was calling the White Sox games. White 40 Oz Hydro Flask . The home side created most of the chances but struggled to break down Braunschweigs resilient defence, resulting in the Bundesligas 1,000th scoreless draw. http://www.flaskwaterbottle.com/hydro-flask-18-oz-sale.html . Uniteds eighth defeat of a wretched campaign means Liverpool, which currently occupies the fourth and final Champions League place, could go nine points clear of its fierce rival by beating West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. Charlie Adam scored both of Stokes goals at Britannia Stadium either side of Robin van Persies equalizer, with a miserable day for seventh-place United capped by first-half injuries to centre halves Jonny Evans and Phil Jones that forced them off. Hydro Flask 24 Oz Sale . "Thank you for the warm welcome," Beckham said on an 80-degree February morning. In this case, it was soccer weather. The sport moved a step closer to returning to South Florida on Wednesday, when Beckham confirmed he has exercised his option to purchase a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in Miami. Cheap Hydro Flask Straw Lid 32 oz Wide Mouth Black Water Bottle . -- Arizona knocked off some quality opponents, rolled over a few overmatched ones and grinded out victories even when things didnt go so well. Free-agent quarterback T.J. Yates has been cleared to return to football activities, agent Brian Ayrault announced on Twitter.Yates suffered a torn ACL last December when the Houston Texans played the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15.He played in four games last season for Houston, starting two of those appearances. He signed with the Texans after Ryan Mallett was released.His 2015 debut came when starting quarterback Brian Hoyer suffered a concussion against the Cincinnati Bengals. 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