Stallone at the Linc Was a Surprise

Craig / / 2003, Family, Honors, Jennifer Flavin-Stallone

Posted on Wed, Sep. 10, 2003 at Philly.com

Stallone at the Linc was an Eagles surprise

The Eagles‘ most effective stealth play Monday was the one that brought actor Sylvester Stallone to pump up the crowd for the Eagles‘ first regular-season game at Lincoln Financial Field.

The Eagles learned last month that ABC, which televises the Monday night games, was planning to air a video promo featuring Stallone. Team officials, sensing a Rocky moment, went through ABC to ask Stallone to also come to the city he immortalized on-screen.

“He was about to go to Europe, but he was gung-ho about [doing] it,” team president Joe Banner said yesterday.

For years, the team has been showing a Rocky video to end pregame festivities. As the presentation concluded Monday, the Linc‘s cameras turned to the north end zone, where Stallone, wearing a No. 22 Duce Staley jersey, jumped and waved.

With wife Jennifer Flavin and brother Frank, Stallone stayed in owner Jeff Lurie‘s box until the game was nearly over.

The Birds put up the Stallones, traveling in a party of seven, at the Four Seasons Hotel. “We hid him away. We didn’t want to ruin the surprise,” Banner said.

The Stallone brothers, however, were seen on 18th Street near Rittenhouse Square Monday afternoon with a small entourage. They stopped at Maron Chocolates/Scoop de Ville. While picking up ice cream (and tipping $8 on a $12 order), Sly spotted T-shirts reading, “Life is short… Eat dessert first,” and bought four.

The Stallones also visited artist Perry Milou‘s studio/gallery, where they talked about art and palette knives for 15 minutes. Stallone signed one of Milou’s pieces and gave him his home address. Milou plans to send him a painting.

Thanks to Bill Eaton for the tip!- Craig Zablo

Stallone Still a Heavyweight

Craig / / Uncategorized

From the on-line edition of the Fairield Daily Republic [Fairfield-Suisun City, California]

Stallone still a heavyweight after 25 years
by Ted Sillanppa

From the moment the original “Rocky” movie ended with the lead character standing after 15 rounds just to prove “he weren’t another bum from the neighborhood” in south Philadelphia, Sylvester Stallone became the preeminent film star of the last 25 years.

Maybe Stallone vehicles like “Judge Dredd” and “Oscar” allowed Al Pacino or Tom Hanks to move their filmographies past Sly‘s body of work. Maybe, but not in our house. Once he told Apollo Creed that he “didn’t want no rematch,” and stood in the ring screaming for his homely girlfriend Adrian (Talia Shire), he became our guy.

Stallone wrote “Rocky” and had the stones, even though flat broke, to sell it only to a studio that would allow him to star as the down-and-out bum who gets in improbable chance to fight the heavyweight champion.

Stallone became Rocky Balboa.

Actors are always trying to play athletes, but Gary Cooper as Lou Gehrig didn’t leave folks wondering if Coop could really play for the New York Yankees. Burt Reynolds didn’t get an NFL tryout after either “Semi-Tough” or “The Longest Yard.” People actually wondered if Stallone could hold his own against a real professional fighter, though. He looked that good.

OK, so we had a soft spot for the wee, little fella when we learned the celluloid heavyweight champion is 5-foot-7 and shorter than the shortest member of a family of vertically challenged males. His weakness for a beautiful woman was appreciated almost as much, no a lot more, than his interest in the arts.

We love Sly.

So no one here cares that the Philadelphia Eagles had to put franchise history in sad perspective by asking Stallone to show up before Monday’s game to play the role of Philadelphia sports hero and get the crowd going. We’re just happy he got back into the spotlight – at 57, pounding the heavy bag and working hard in the ring in an ABC “Monday Night Football” segment about pride, pain, pleasure and toughness.

Yes, we’d rush to see a sixth installment of the “Rocky” films and, oh, if Sly got into the ring at that height and that age to show us that not all movie tough guys are prima donnas like Tom Cruise, running for governor in California or watching punk’ish Ashton Kutcher date his ex-wife. Cruise, Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis would have to yield, permanently, to Stallone.

Yo! Adrian! He did it!

Sly and Frank Stallone on Monday Night Football

Craig / / 2003, Commercials, Frank Stallone, TV

Sylvester Stallone will be the Guest of Honor on the season premiere of ABC’s Monday Night Football on September 8, 2003. Sly is one of the celebrities asked to tape “openings” for the games this season. Sly has the honor of the first game of the season.

If you’d like to see a preview of Sly’s footage, the SZ has it! Access Hollywood ran the piece on Friday and thanks to our own Wizardfenix, we had it posted the same evening! [You may need to go to www.divx.com and get the download.] After viewing it, there can be no doubt that Sly could easily come back for Rocky VI!

Frank Stallone will also be at the game with Sly. During the game, odds are good that the new commercial for ABC’s NYPD Blue fall season will air. When it does you’ll hear Frank singing the song ‘It Had to Be You’.

A tip of the hat to Wizardfenix and Simon! – Craig Zablo