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PHILADELPHIA -- On Nov. Tony Dorsett Cowboys Jersey . 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. Trysten Hill Youth Jersey . LOUIS -- Roman Polak was celebrating even before Alexander Steen scored the winning goal in Saturdays 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Emmitt Smith Womens Jersey . Paul Pierce couldnt believe he missed at the end. Young scored a season-high 26 points to spark a huge effort from the leagues most productive bench, and Los Angeles beat the Brooklyn Nets 99-94 on Wednesday night after blowing a 27-point lead. http://www.cowboysrookieproshop.com/Cowboys-Troy-Aikman-Jersey/ . Kozun faked to the forehand and beat Monsters starter, Calvin Pickard, pad side in the second round for the winner. Spencer Abbott also scored in the shootout for the Marlies (25-13-4). NEW YORK -- The Yankees are finally hitting and pitching well at the same time, and that may keep these batters and hurlers together in New York for at least a little while longer.Michael Pineda didnt allow a run for the first time this season, Mark Teixeira homered in his return from his latest injury, and the Yankees moved two games above .500 for the first time since April with a 5-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night.Pineda (4-9) had six strikeouts with runners in scoring position, repeatedly wriggling out of jams to get through six innings and protect the bullpen.New York, which has won the first three of the four-game series, last was two games over .500 on April 12 at 4-2. The Yankees are six games out of first in the AL East and five out of the wild-card spot as management tries to determine whether to unload veterans at the trade deadline.You know with the situation looming that its really important as we move forward -- in a sense, its playoff baseball for us, manager Joe Girardi said.Baltimore lost its fourth straight to fall a half-game behind Boston in the division. Left shorthanded by illness and injury, the Orioles have struggled at the plate, especially with runners in scoring position: They went 1 for 9 Wednesday and are 3 for 33 since the All-Star break.A stomach bug has been ravaging Baltimores clubhouse and claimed two more victims Wednesday: third baseman Manny Machado and manager Buck Showalter. First baseman Chris Davis missed his third straight game.Catcher Matt Wieters was also out with a foot injury. Bench coach John Russell filled in for Showalter.The bottom third of Baltimores lineup, all backups forced into action, went a combined 0 for 9.We are going to have to find different ways to manufacture a little bit, Russell said.Yovani Gallardo (3-2) couldnt keep it close, though he didnt get much help from his defense. He allowed four runs and five hits with five strikeouts and four walks in seven innings.Leading off the bottom of the first, Brett Gardner ripped a line drive to the warning track that right fielder Joey Rickard tracked down, but the ball bounced off the inside of his glove. Center fielder Adaam Jones then bobbled it, and Gardner motored into third for what was ruled a triple. Tony Pollard Youth Jersey. Carlos Beltran drove him in with a one-out sacrifice fly.The Yankees had not scored a first-inning run in their previous 23 games.Trailing 1-0, the Orioles had the bases loaded with one out in the fourth but Pineda struck out Nolan Reimold and Ryan Flaherty. Pineda allowed five hits and two walks, striking out eight, to post his first win since June 7.He threw 11 pitches to the games first hitter, Rickard, and was constantly pushing up against a high pitch count -- he finished with 113, one shy of his season high. Dellin Betances, Nick Goody and Chasen Shreve completed the shutout to extend the bullpens scoreless streak to 28 2/3 innings dating to July 9.Yankees pitchers have allowed one run or fewer in four straight games for the first time since 2003.NOT TERRIBLEBefore the game, Teixeira had described this season as brutal and terrible. He was batting .186 and had missed three games because of a sore left foot.Then the veteran first baseman lined a solo homer to right in the fourth for a 2-0 lead. He also walked twice, including on four pitches in the sixth with the bases loaded to force in a run and make it 3-0.BELTRANS BASHBeltran, who hit his 20th home run of the season in the eighth off reliever Chaz Roe, started at designated hitter, leaving Alex Rodriguez on the bench.In order for us to make a run we have to be consistent, Beltran said. Weve been pretty consistent this series.HEADLEY OUTChase Headley, originally in the Yankees starting lineup, missed the game with an excused absence for personal reasons. Ronald Torreyes replaced him at third base.UP NEXTYankees LHP CC Sabathia (5-7) starts on his 36th birthday Thursday to close out the four-game series. He has a 7.48 ERA in four career starts on his birthday; he also has a 7.94 ERA since June 22.Orioles RHP Chris Tillman (13-2) and the Nationals Stephen Strasburg will both try Thursday to join Chris Sale of the White Sox as the only pitchers in the majors with 14 wins. ' ' '