ROCKY AND VINCE PAPALE: PHILADELPHIA
HONORS TWO COMEBACK HEROES
Film Icon And “Invincible” Football Star
Feel The Love In Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA, August 22, 2006 – The comeback kids
will have their day as two great sports stories – both
tied to Philadelphia – are reborn 30 years later. The
city will celebrate the opening of the film,
Invincible, on August 25 and honor Philly-born Vince
Papale, whose story as an unlikely walk-on to the Philadelphia
Eagles in 1976 inspired the new movie starring Mark Wahlberg and
Greg Kinnear. Two weeks later, the city will honor
Rocky, 30 years after Sylvester Stallone’s
famous run up the steps of the
Philadelphia Museum of Art as Rocky Balboa in the
1976 Academy Award-winning film.
View from the Rocky Steps
Photo by C. Barrington for
GPTMC
Some of the Balboa/Papale connections are obvious; some not so
obvious. All are fun. Papale was called “Rocky”
when playing with the Eagles football team from 1976-1979. The
film,
Rocky, debuted in 1976, the same year Papale earned a spot
on the Eagles. Rocky Balboa fought Apollo Creed on the
nation’s Bicentennial, July 4, 1976, when the Liberty
Bell historically rang; Papale played with the Philadelphia Bell, a
World Football League team.
More details on celebrations for both men will be forthcoming.
Here’s a preview of what’s in the works:
- Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street will declare August 25
“Vince Papale Day,” which the Philadelphia
Eagles will recognize during their pre-season game against the
Pittsburgh Steelers at
Lincoln Financial Field on the same day. In
addition, a Vince Papale itinerary that points visitors to some
of the sports legend’s favorite neighborhoods and
places to go will appear on
www.gophila.com. More
details on Papale activities will soon follow.
- “Philly Loves Rocky Week” runs September
6-9, 2006. Early plans include the dedication of the Rocky statue
with a scheduled appearance by Sylvester Stallone, a boxing
exhibition and a Rocky/Adrian look-alike contest in
LOVE Park and the
Hero Thrill Show at the
Wachovia Spectrum, also featuring Sylvester
Stallone (scheduled). More details to follow.
The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC)
makes Philadelphia and The Countryside™ a premier
destination through marketing and image building that increases
business and promotes the region’s vitality. For more
information about travel to Philadelphia, visit
www.gophila.com or call the
Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National
Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676.
Note to Editors: For photos of Greater Philadelphia, visit
our
Photo
Gallery. On the pressroom, you can also subscribe to RSS feeds
to receive updates on topics that are specifically of interest to
you: What’s New, Dining, Events, Seasonal Travel, Hotel
Packages and Tourism Research.
CONTACT:
Cara Schneider, GPTMC
(215) 599-0789,
cara@gptmc.com
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