One hall that won’t worry about PEDs
Believe it or not, there is a hall of fame for motion picture athletes.
The Fictitious Athlete Hall of Fame, which was created by Notinhalloffame.com, a pop culture and sports website, revealed its first class Tuesday.
Characters Crash Davis ( Bull Durham), Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn ( Major League) and Roy Hobbs ( The Natural) join inaugural candidate Rocky Balboa ( Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, Rocky V, Rocky Balboa).
Davis, a catcher for the Durham Bulls in the 1988 motion picture Bull Durham, was played by Kevin Costner. Davis set the minor-league record for home runs. He was the highest votegetter.
Vaughn was played by Charlie Sheen in the 1989 motion picture Major League and in 1994’s Major
League 2. He was one of the stars of the Cleveland Indians’ AL East championship team in Major League.
Hobbs was 35 when he made the major leagues in the 1984 motion picture The Natural. He was played by Robert Redford.
The three fictional athletes were elected after a yearlong online vote, which started with more than 300 preliminary candidates. The class was reduced to 50 semifinalists, then was cut to 15 in the final round.
Fictional announcer Harry Doyle, played by Bob Uecker, also was selected by online voters. Doyle was the Indians’ play-byplay announcer in Major League and Major League 2.
Finalists who did not make the cut this year include Apollo Creed ( Rocky), Reggie Dunlop and the Hanson brothers ( Slap Shot), Bobby Boucher ( The Waterboy), Jimmy Chitwood ( Hoosiers) and Al Bundy ( Married … with Children).
Rough Jet
Apparently, New York Jets receiver Eric Decker is taking the job home with him.
The Jets are 2-10 and in last place in the AFC East, and Jesse James Decker said her husband is struggling with the lack of success.
“He’s been, I don’t want to say depressed, but he’s been depressed,” James Decker said in an interview with WPLJ-FM in New York. “He has been. It’s been really hard, and my heart breaks for him. He loves football more than anything. He’s obsessed with football.
“This is his life and he loves it so much, and it’s hard for him. He’s so talented and so good at what he does, and he’s not really able to show his ability right now and he has a lot of doubters and that hurts him.”
James Decker’s comments were taped before the Jets’ 16-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Monday night, when quarterback Geno Smith attempted just 13 passes. Decker caught two passes for 18 yards. He’s caught 49 passes for 531 yards and 4 touchdowns this season.
“He comes home, he wants his alone time. ‘Don’t talk to me.’ It’s rough,” she said.
Decker, a former Denver Bronco, heard about his wife’s comments after the Jets’ loss Monday.
“That’s obviously dramatized, but yeah, it’s hard,” Decker told the New York Post. “I will say that going home is a little tougher, and I’ve got to do a better job balancing those things, but I’m a competitor, I want to win. I came here to win.”