[Ringo]

(01-24-2013 11:03 PM)Tuthmosis Wrote:  

I never saw Rocky (or Stallone) quite the same when I learned he ripped the story off wholesale from a real dude's life (and never gave him credit or money for it).

I saw a whole thing on it ESPN about it:

He does mention Wepner in the 2nd or 3rd clip, and said the fight against Ali was his inspiration. Besides the fact that Wepner was the underdog and that he survived 15 rounds against the Champ, what else did Sly rip off? The dedicated wife? Honest question.

(01-24-2013 11:55 PM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  

I suppose this is a trivial comment, but that quote you just used runs in exact opposition to the point you just made. Just sayin'.

Haha. You really think so? I don't really see it that way, but rereading what I wrote, it does seem contradictory.
What I mean is: working hard is important, it is what gets us most of the way through, what motivates us. Still, there are times when we need a little extra push, and that's when chance (or luck) comes in. If we hadn't worked so hard for so long, luck wouldn't have had any chance to help us; if we had worked so hard and not have had luck, we wouldn't have gotten some of the opportunities we did, which actually made the difference between you and the average. It's hard work that leads us to places where luck can help us, and as little of a contribution it may make, it sometimes is the most decisive part of the whole trajectory.