156 Watches of the Final Fight: Inside Mike Sielski's "Going the Distance"

Joe Matarese sits down with longtime Philadelphia Inquirer sports columnist and author Mike Sielski — who's written books on Kobe Bryant and the history of the dunk — to talk about his new book Going the Distance, out this November, about the making and the myth of Rocky.They get into why Rocky hit Philadelphia the way it did in the mid-'70s, the Steadicam-prototype magic behind the art-museum montage, and Bill Conti's "Going the Distance" as the unofficial anthem of every late-inning Phillies rally. Mike shares what a year and a half of research did to him — including watching the final fight 156 times and getting more emotional with every viewing — and makes the case that Rocky isn't really a sports film at all, but a love story shot through the lens of boxing.Plus: listener voicemails on whether a fictional boxer's statue overshadows Philly's real legends, Mike's road from a disastrous 1981 Eagles Super Bowl party to the Inquirer sports page, his influences (Bill Lyon, Jason Stark), the Dick Allen and Frog Carfagno story, and his one tip for anyone who wants to write better.Hosted by Joe Matarese. Produced by Danny.Follow Mike: @mike.sielskiFollow Joe: @thejoematareseChapter Markers00:00 — Cold open01:30 — Who is Mike Sielski + the "Going the Distance" book06:34 — Mike joins the show06:38 — Joe's "falling out" with Rocky09:08 — A year and a half of research (and 156 viewings of the final fight)10:11 — Why great films reward rewatching1:00:11 — Talia Shire and the making of Adrian1:01:44 — Voicemail: fictional heroes vs. real athletes1:08:26 — Voicemail: Mike's path into sports journalism1:09:02 — The 1981 Eagles party & growing up a Philly fan1:11:44 — The Dick Allen & Frog Carfagno story1:12:39 — One tip for better writing in a video-first world1:17:28 — Rocky as a love story, not a sports film1:19:49 — Voicemail: does a fictional statue overshadow real legends?