What if they were real?

Haven't you ever wondered if Roy Hobbs really could destroy a ballpark? Or if Shane Falco really could rally a group of nobodies to defeat a team full of pro football players. That's what I'm here for. To let you know if these fictional athletes really could dominate a sport like they did in their respected movies.

Shane Falco: No way. His mechanics are lousy and the deaf tight end was the real story in "The Replacements." Falco reminds me of a poor man's Jake Plummer. He can scramble some and look great at times, but he's not a quarterback that can take you to a championship.

Roy Hobbs: Robert Redford's movie version of the ace pitcher turned amazing slugger in "The Natural" is plausible, just ask Rick Ankiel. But I don't think he is that clutch or powerful in real life. I'm thinking a 2008 Josh Hamilton-esque season for Roy. And for those of you interested or hate spoilers, Roy strikes out in the book. Quite different than destroying the stadium with a moonshot.

Jimmy Chitwood: Holy cow he has a dream of a shot. If he didn't come like a decade after Larry Bird, I would think Chitwood inspired Bird. He would definitely be a star SG on an NBA roster. Not only is he clutch from downtown, but he can drive to the hoop, rebound and pass. Heck, I don't think he's ever missed a free throw. Honestly, he's probably a high-round draft pick in any standard fantasy basketball draft.

Paul Blake: OK, he was a 40-year-old freshman quarterback for the Texas State University Fightin' Armadillos in "Necessary Roughness." His record was something like 1-8-1, but he beat the No. 1 team in the country in his last game. He was also on a team that had 18 players, so he wasn't exactly working with the talent surrounding today's babied QBs. Despite taking brutal hits, just about every snap, Blake has a rocket for an arm and has surprising accuracy. Look what Brett Favre is doing with the Minnesota Vikings. Blake could definitely lead a team to the playoffs.

Benny "the Jet" Rodriguez: In "The Sandlot," Benny had all kinds of tools. He hit for power, stole bases, played defense at just about every position and was a mentor to the younger players of his team. We flashed forward in the movie and he was pinch runner. Was he a bust, or was he just taking the day off. As long as he continued to improve throughout the high school and college days, I'm sure he would be a first round pick with tons of upside. He definitely would be a 20-20 guy with potential for 30-30. The one question is, what position would he play? He might be like Pujols early in his career, just playing wherever to get him in the lineup.

Charlie Conway: Definitely didn't make it to the pros. He was a wimp that couldn't even make the varsity team at his college in his freshman year. For those of you who think Goldberg would be a star, you obviously didn't see "D3." He didn't have what it took to be a goalie and he's way too fat to play the ice. Adam Banks was the only player on that team with NHL potential. Well, Fulton Reed could have been a goon, but that's stretching it.

Captain Robert Hatch: He was the goalie in "Victory," where Allies POWs played the German National team in a game of soccer. He would start for any national team in the world. Why? Because he CAUGHT a friggin' penalty kick. And he helped a team compete with the German National Team. He might be the biggest lock of this list.

The Jamaican bobsled team: Why am I even bothering? They don't have snow in the island nation and there is no way they can go from no practice on the real stuff, to medal contenders. I'm sure they could be great sprinters and be medal contenders in the proper sport. Bobsledding though, they are toast.

Kevin Costner: I'll mention his characters later, but he played a pitcher with perfect game stuff and a crazy golfer that goes big or goes home. As a golfer, I give him a punchers chance. Look at who won majors this year. A guy named Yang and another one named Glover, no relation to Danny. While he won't sniff the top of the money list, Roy McAvoy could definitely win a major and maybe a few other tour events.

Billy Chapel probably makes it too. He threw a knee buckling breaking ball in the first inning of his first game that would freeze Ichiro on a good day.

Now the tough one is Crash Davis. Catchers with pop are hard to come by. He calls games well, but sometimes goes too far. You don't, under any circumstances, give the pitch away to a batter. Sure, he wanted to teach the young hurler a lesson, but there are better ways to go about it! Until he matures and learns to handle pitchers in a proper way, he's stuck in AAA ball.

Reno Hightower and Jack Dundee: They were the quarterback/receiver combo that hooked up late in "The Best of Times." Hightower had the arm, but Dundee is undersized for today's NFL. He was jammed at the line just about every play except the last one where he pulled a nice spin move. That will work maybe once a game. Hightower was tough and played by Kurt Russell. As we know, Russell fails at nothing and would rock the NFL.

There are millions of movie athletes, but that's what I have for now. Please share your own thoughts.

Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Pat Benatar