Fire The Fireworks: May 28, 1982: Rocky III came out.
As an 80s kid this was a horror movie. That you could succeed by every known metric and still grow up to be soft was a terrifying prospect.
Mediocrity is frightening; like basement mold it’s a corrosive evil that demands vigilance. It’s so scary.
Honestly I’ve only seen this movie a couple of times; it’s harrowing and upsetting. I’ve seen all the Rockys numerous times. Anytime I come across one on late night cable I stop and watch. However, if it’s III, I’m like Not Today Satan and I jet.
When Mickey calls Rocky “civilized” that’s nightmare fuel. No horror Stephen King has unleashed creates night terrors like Mickey’s “civilized.”
Mickey: “Well, Rock, let’s put it this way. Now, three years ago you was supernatural. You was hard and you was nasty and you had this cast-iron jaw but then the worst thing happened to you, that could happen to any fighter. You got civilized.”
Even just reading that quote I can feel it in my stomach; like I ate something that disagrees with me.
I didn’t watch much NFL in the 80s but even as a punk kid you can instantly tell that Joe Montana dude was special. That Rice dude, too…yo.
Over a year after Rocky V Jordan won his first of 3 championships. Then abruptly left to play…baseball?! My heart…this was Rocky III: son, you got “civilized.”
I was wrong: it was Terminator: I’ll Be Back. And with John Wick precision MJ proceeded to murder the entire NBA and win 3 more championships.
Kobe won 5…another 3-peat. Thank you, Kobe.
Tom Brady won 7…in a league where he doesn’t play defense, there’s a salary cap and injuries are common.
My favourite Patrick Mahomes stat: “17 of 23 potential game tying or go ahead drives in the 4th quarter or overtime in his post-season career. In other words when the game is on the line in the 4th or in OT he’s 74%.”
I hope Mahomes wins 3 because we all get to see that once in our lifetime. And if he doesn’t?
I hope he gets back up quickly. I hope his fire is hotter than a flame thrower. Because Clubber Lang comes for all of us, calling us soft and weak.
Everybody gets knocked down; not everyone gets back up.
Clubber Lang: “Getting out while you can? Don’t give this sucker no statue. Give him guts! I told you I wasn’t going away. You got your shot, now give me mine.”
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Sammy Younan is the affable host of My Summer Lair: think NPR’s Fresh Air meets Kevin Smith: interviews & impressions on Pop Culture.
