CREED ANSWERS THE BELL

I didn't plan on writing a 2nd blog about "Creed".  I planned on watching the movie twice, but not to write about it.  As a few readers pointed out, I asked some questions about "Creed" in the last post that deserve to be answered.  If you didn't read my Creed Week blog, here is the link.  

I went to the movie on opening night with friends.  I went to my 2nd viewing with my oldest and closest "Rocky" friend, my father.  My father was the first person to introduce me to the "Rocky" franchise all thanks to the CBS Saturday Night Movie.  Back then there wasn't marathons of "Rocky" on TV, so it was an event.  I saw "Rocky I" and "Rocky II" on these TV specials.  

My father took us to "Rocky III" and "Rocky IV" to the Showcase Cinemas in Milan.  We went to "Rocky V" at the Showcase Cinemas in Davenport.  As a family, we saw "Rocky Balboa" in 2006 at the Showcase Cinemas 53.  My dad and I returned to the now Rave Cinemas 53 for "Creed".  

Going to a "Rocky" movie with my pop is always a great experience for me and something I cherish.  I couldn't have been happier to see we both had tears in our eyes at the end of this movie.  It's that good, folks.  Like "Rocky I", you will get teared up.

So here is my follow up to my last blog.  I asked 7 questions (from previous blog), one for each movie in the franchise, and I will give 7 answers.  I also added 5 extra things about the movie to give a total of 12 items, one for each round of the final fight in "Creed".

1. HOW OLD IS ADONIS?  He has to be at least 29 years old.  I assume he was born in the Summer of 1986.  If Apollo fought Drago in November of 1985, Adonis probably was a blessing of life in October, the latest.  Apollo wouldn't have sacrificed his career for the bedroom.  Apollo was a professional.  ADONIS IS PROBABLY 29 YEARS OLD.  THEY ADDRESS THIS RIGHT AWAY AND THIS TIMELINE WOULD PUT HIM IN THIS AGE RANGE.
2. IS ADONIS A "LOVE CHILD"?  Seems ridiculous to think Apollo would go stepping out on Mary Anne.  I am more inclined to believe Mary Anne didn't know she was with child.  She probably would have used that information to motivate Apollo for his fight versus Drago.  YES, ADONIS IS A LOVE CHILD.  THIS IS HARD TO ACCEPT.  LIKE STALLONE SAID IN AN INTERVIEW, "THE PERFECT MAN, WASN'T PERFECT."
3. WHY DIDN'T ADONIS KNOW WHO HIS BIRTH FATHER WAS? Whoever made this decision is clearly the villain in this story.  THIS IS NOT REALLY ADDRESSED IN THE MOVIE. AT ABOUT THE AGE OF 12 HE FINDS OUT WHO HIS FATHER IS.  HIS MOTHER DIED EARLY IN HIS LIFE, TOO.
4. WHERE IS DUKE? Duke would have taken in this kid and raised him right.  Just like Apollo would have done.  Duke always had Apollo's back.  The Duke question is key.  DUKE ISN'T REALLY ADDRESSED IN THE MOVIE BUT HIS FAMILY IS.  IN A SCENE IN A BOXING GYM IN L.A., ADONIS QUESTIONS DUKE'S SON ABOUT "SUPPOSED TO BE A FAMILY".
5. WHAT IS ROCKY'S ILLNESS? More importantly did he get it from drinking raw eggs? Because I totally did that when I was a kid after I saw "Rocky" and might need to go see a doctor.  ROCKY HAS NON-HODGKIN LYMPHOMA
6. WHY IS CLAIR HUXTABLE IN THIS MOVIE?  I feel like she is the villain I wrote about earlier, it just won't be as obvious as Adrian was as the villain in "Rocky IV".   PHYLICIA RASHAD PLAYS MARY ANNE CREED.  SHE IS COMPLETELY NON-BELIEVABLE IN THIS ROLE.
7. HOW MANY ACADEMY AWARDS WILL THIS MOVIE WIN?  I am guessing 3.  Best Supporting Actor is a lock for Sylvester Stallone.  Best Picture is probably is the hunt.  Best Original Score or Best Actor will bring home the last piece of hardware.  I WAS KIND OF JOKING IN THIS ONE.  KIND OF.  STALLONE REALLY SHOULD GET AN OSCAR NOD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR.  THAT IS NOT A JOKE.  HE IS REALLY, REALLY GOOD. 

EXTRA TAKES FROM "CREED"

1. Writer-director Ryan Coogler did an amazing job with this film.  Coogler is a "Rocky" fan via his father, who is a HUGE "Rocky" enthusiast.  There are multiple scenes and dialogue giving homage to the saga.  "Creed" took $35 million to make and brought in $42.1 million from the Thanksgiving box office.  It passed "Rocky V"'s box office TOTAL in 5 days!  As of this post, "Creed" should pass "Rocky Balboa"'s $70.3 million box office, placing it 5th in the franchise's box office record. 
2. Coogler has created a new generation of "Rocky" fans.  The young protagonist is relatable to the African-American community and to young fans ("It's in the cloud"), only used to marathons on Spike and TNT. So that means...
3. There will be a "Creed II".  There is no agreement to make a sequel.  I am just calling my shot here.  In "Creed II", Adonis will fight Danny Wheeler.  There will be more of Adonis's childhood covered in this movie, including, Tony "Duke" Wheeler's family.  Danny Wheeler is Duke's grandson.
4. There will be a "Creed III".  Calling my shot, again.  Adonis will fight "Pretty" Ricky Conlan, who beat him in "Creed".  Conlan will just be getting out of prison and will challenge the so-called paper champion.
5. If Coogler sticks to the franchise nostalgia, then I ask him one favor.  Bring back Clubber Lang is some form.  I need to know his story, too.  Would love to see Clubber in some sort of ringside analysis/color commentary role.  His verbal skills are unmatched.  "My prediction? Pain."

One last thing... I forgot to add one thing to the last Creed post.  It was written during Thanksgiving week and I did not add what I was thankful for.  Here it is.

Thanks, Pop, for showing me Rocky

CREED WEEK

It's CREED WEEK at our house.  Yes, Thanksgiving is important too, but every so many years the Rocky saga gives you a holiday season gift.  The Thanksgiving release of "Rocky IV" gave us the fall of Communism as a Christmas gift in 1985.  "Rocky V" made us question if we were really thankful for another Rocky movie in 1990. In 2006, Christmas came a few days early with the release of "Rocky Balboa".  Now it is time to welcome a new contender to the Rocky brand, "Creed".

Jordan Announces "Creed" on Kimmel Live

Michael B. Jordan announced "Creed" on Jimmy Kimmel Live in April. Outside of the announcement, a few texts to friends, and watching the trailer, I have little knowledge of the direction this movie is headed. Which is the opposite to "Balboa" because I read the screenplay online before the movie was released. So I am going into the movie theater on Tuesday with a little information and some questions.  I have seven of each.  One for each movie in the ROCKY SAGA.

Here is what I do know:

1. THIS IS THE FIRST "ROCKY" MOVIE THAT SYLVESTER STALLONE HAS NOT EITHER WRITTEN OR DIRECTED but he is in the movie so it is guaranteed to be half awesome.
2. JORDAN'S CHARACTER IS NAMED "ADONIS" and that is an awesome name.  If it can't be Apollo, then Adonis is 2nd best.  Which leads to...
3. ADONIS IS APOLLO CREED'S SON but he finds this out later in life and...
4. ADONIS HAS ANGER ISSUES and no one can blame him.  I'd be pissed too if "The Count of Monte Fisto" was my father and that information was kept from me. Adonis's anger issues lead to violence so...
5. ADONIS HAS SOME BOXING EXPERIENCE but seeks out Rocky to train him once he finds out his true family name.  Makes sense.
6. ROCKY HAS AN ILLNESS and if he dies, I will cry.  Story goes that Rocky was supposed to die in "Rocky V" but studio executives changed the script.  
7. PHYLLICIA RASHAD IS IN THE MOVIE and she can't be Apollo's widow.  

On the left is Apollo's wife.  On the right is Clair Huxtable.

Questions that I have:

1. HOW OLD IS ADONIS?  He has to be at least 29 years old.  I assume he was born in the Summer of 1986.  If Apollo fought Drago in November of 1985, Adonis probably was a blessing of life in October, the latest.  Apollo wouldn't have sacrificed his career for the bedroom.  Apollo was a professional.
2. IS ADONIS A "LOVE CHILD"?  Seems ridiculous to think Apollo would go stepping out on Mary Anne.  I am more inclined to believe Mary Anne didn't know she was with child.  She probably would have used that information to motivate Apollo for his fight versus Drago.
3. WHY DIDN'T ADONIS KNOW WHO HIS BIRTH FATHER WAS? Whoever made this decision is clearly the villain in this story.  
4. WHERE IS DUKE? Duke would have taken in this kid and raised him right.  Just like Apollo would have done.  Duke always had Apollo's back.  The Duke question is key.
5. WHAT IS ROCKY'S ILLNESS? More importantly did he get it from drinking raw eggs? Because I totally did that when I was a kid after I saw "Rocky" and might need to go see a doctor.
6. WHY IS CLAIR HUXTABLE IN THIS MOVIE?  I feel like she is the villain I wrote about earlier, it just won't be as obvious as Adrian was as the villain in "Rocky IV". 
7. HOW MANY ACADEMY AWARDS WILL THIS MOVIE WIN?  I am guessing 3.  Best Supporting Actor is a lock for Sylvester Stallone.  Best Picture is probably is the hunt.  Best Original Score or Best Actor will bring home the last piece of hardware.

I am really looking forward to Tuesday night.  I get butterflies and goosebumps thinking about it.  Unfortunately, I can't go to the 7:00 special showing but I will be going to the late show.  My daughter has a Sugar Plum Ball on Tuesday and I am her date.  

She is the only person I know that can knock out Rocky!

Break The Routine, Iowa Fans, and Enjoy The Season

The Iowa Hawkeye football team is good.  Undefeated good.  Top Ten AP and Coaches Poll good.  #5 College Football Playoff Rankings good. It's time for Iowa fans to enjoy this season and stop the routine.  The routine, I am writing about, is RANK, REACT, and REPEAT.

After every Iowa victory this year, Iowa fans have speculated if and where the Hawkeyes would be ranked.  We break down the X's and O's of the previous victory, debate whether the Hawks covered spread by enough (or if they did not cover it at all), and check scores of other B1G teams and future opponents. Then we take to our favorite way of debating how good the Hawks are, maybe a local watering hole, a text thread, a message board, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Then the rankings are released. Hawkeyes fans react. Hawks win. The process is repeated.

This was not as big of a deal when AP and Coaches Polls were released on Sunday afternoons (how could there be a huge reaction when all eyes are on your fantasy football team) but now there is the Playoff Rankings.  A big show on ESPN on Tuesday nights 6:00CST.  Now the topic of an undefeated Iowa is raising national attention.  Many sports radio talk show hosts do not see Iowa as a worthy #5 in the nation.  And we react.  This time, though, it's twice a week.

Our first reaction is to argue the talking heads point.  To compare ourselves to other ranked teams by head to head, common opponents, strength of schedule, and other usual criteria.  Then we take to social media to blast the talking heads.

Two days later, our reaction turns from defense to doubt.  Is Iowa good?  Can we beat (next opponent)?  Is Beathard healthy enough?

Let's look at the reaction of defense and doubt up to kickoff after College Football Playoff Rankings were released:

WEEK 11 (FIRST PLAYOFF RANKING OF SEASON)
IOWA #9
DEFENSE: Undefeated and 2 road wins versus Top 25 teams.
DOUBT: Can Iowa stop Indiana's offense? Indiana did play Ohio State to the final minute.  Their quarterback is worrisome.

WEEK 12
IOWA #5
DEFENSE: Undefeated, 2 road wins versus Top 25 teams, strength of schedule is better than Baylor, Ohio State, Michigan State, and Oklahoma State, and easily beat a team that played Ohio State to the final minute.
DOUBT: Is Iowa a #5 team in the country?  Minnesota played Michigan State tough.  Is CJ too banged up to play all four quarters?

WEEK 13
IOWA #5
DEFENSE: Undefeated, 2 road wins versus current Top 25 teams, shouldn't fall in rankings with win, #6 in both AP and Coaches Polls, beat Iowa State by more than Oklahoma State
DOUBT: Weather.  Mother Nature could dump anywhere from 2-12" on Iowa City for Senior Day.  Is cold weather going to effect CJ's groin and passing game?

It's time to stop the routine and embrace the glory of this Hawkeye football season.  Two ways we can do so:

1. Don't feed the monster and stop letting the talk shows troll us for our responses.  Sports talk show hosts, like Colin Cowherd (see link below), give their strong opinions for ratings.

Colin Cowherd blasts Iowa's schedule

Cowherd, himself in the past, has said that if his numbers are good in a market, he will speak well of a team/program and if they are low, he will bash them.  Both scenarios, he gets a response and listeners increase.  Recently, in defense of his previous statement, he has said that this is no longer the case because Fox Sports has given him a guaranteed contract but, let's be real, his ego is driven by numbers, not dollars.

2. Stop doubting this team and embrace the excitement.  Iowa football has been on national television week in and out and is being talked about daily on college football shows.  This is incredible for recruiting.

And

The excitement can be contagious.  The 1981 Iowa Hawkeyes went to the Rose Bowl.  I was 5 and I became a Hawkeye fan for life.  My daughter is 5 and my son is 4 and they are excited for every Hawkeye football game now.  We are raising a new generation of Iowa Hawkeye fans and it is fantastic.

Let's break the routine.  Let's start a new one.

The haters hate and the Hawkeyes celebrate.

Go Hawks!