Rocky reigns tall, proud.

        Fighting, dreaming, inspiring.     

         Love the underdog.

Yo! What gets more love (visitors), the Liberty Bell 
or the Rocky statue?

    While one is a historical site and the other is fictional, both are inspirational lasting symbols reminding us why we admire the underdog.

    More than 4 million visitors flock to see Rocky, according to the Philadelphia Visitors Center that tracks the data, making Rocky a formidable contender. The National Park Service (NPS) confirms around 1,63, 479 people pass through to see the bell. (The NPS uses sensitive technology the counts the people.) Now for the record, the data declaring Rocky entertains more people is based on cellphone data and foot traffic near the art museum where his statue lives. 

    Still, I believe Rocky is twice as popular thanks to his international fan base. Tourist buses stop in front of the art museum for a glimpse of the champion. No matter the season, day or night, people pay homage by walking, jogging, and running up the museum’s 72 steps to recreate the famous movie scene. Until the end of December, there’s a second statue on loan at the top of the steps.  

    So what if more people have posed with Rock Balboa than the Liberty Bell. I’m not going there. Because we need escapism in films, books, and art. I want to meet fictional characters to admire who achieve what I aspire to. Personalities who dream the impossible dream and fight the unwinnable fight.

    This year the first Rocky movie starring Sylvester Stallone marks its 48th year anniversary?  

    I watched the Rocky II film in a crowded London movie theater in the summer of 1979 with a friend from French class. We stopped in England before heading to France. 

    Boxing  (real or staged) is painful for me to watch. I cringed and ducked in time with the punches. Eyes closed, I relied on the sound effects such as crunching, grunting, and the cheering crowd for the ring-side experience.

    Today, Rocky lives in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection. I imagine Rocky feels at home standing near the art museum rather than his former residence — the stadium. Not everyone believes Rocky deserves a Philadelphia home, and the museum, once opposed to the statue, now embraces him and his spirit.