With the 91st Academy Awards airing tonight, we look at how current Chargers players compare to the Best Picture nominees…
The Los Angeles Chargers may have missed the Super Bowl, but tonight is the Super Bowl for all movie enthusiasts: The Oscars. Which got me thinking: If the Bolts were Best Picture nominees, which players would I compare them to?
Hey, it’s the offseason. Here’s who I think best represents each of tonight’s nominees:
Bohemian Rhapsody: Adrian Phillips, S
Bohemian Rhapsody was a film panned early on for its generic take on the life of one Freddie Mercury, with nothing more than average storytelling most of the way. Then, suddenly, it went fresh, and made almost $855 million dollars at the global box office. It went on to become a huge hit, and is now one of only eight films nominated for Best Picture.
Adrian Phillips wasn’t a breakout hit to begin with; far from it. He was an average talent, neither talented nor productive enough for teams to even consider him as a draft pick. Eventually signing with the Chargers, Phillips was cut and brought back more times than the initial rendition of the Bohemian Rhapsody song. Somehow, though, he managed to hang in there despite criticism. His nomination? A 2018 First Team All-Pro and starting Pro-Bowler. Just like the sensational Live Aid concert at the end of the film, Phillips goes to show you it’s not as much about how you start, but how you finish.
Black Panther: Derwin James, S
When it comes to drafting defensive talent, Tom Telesco is just like Marvel; always a big hit, always coming through with a good addition. Maybe it’s a guy like CB Desmond King, who like the Guardians of the Galaxy was a pick from obscurity that turned out to be a genius selection for the team. And although LT Russell Okung graduated from Wakanda Tech, he’s not the athlete I’m thinking of.
This past year, it was Derwin James; like Black Panther, he’s one of the highest-rated members of the group, and one lauded for a performance that changed the culture around him. He may not have won Defensive Rookie of the Year, and Black Panther does not appear to be a front-runner for a Best Picture win, but James will always be remembered as the big contributor that took the league by storm.
Vice: Melvin Gordon, RB
I’m cheating here, and talking about another award for which this Best Picture contender is nominated for. If Vice were a favorite to win any category tonight, it’s the Oscar for Makeup and Hairstyling. Here’s a hairstyle that would compete in this category:
The People's Champ, @Melvingordon25. pic.twitter.com/2yedfbtVAM
— Los Angeles Chargers (@Chargers) February 1, 2019
Sure, the contest was for “best dressed”, but just look at that hairdo. Looks good up, looks good down, with a face always on point on game day.
Green Book: Philip Rivers, QB
There’s a lot of comparisons to be made here: Maybe it’s the goofiness of the lead, or having to “drive” his “team” and keep things moving throughout the film. But Green Book is also a love story between a husband and wife as he has to drive many miles to work to feed his family, all the while sending letters back to her and their children. If anyone is going to be compared to a love story between husband and wife, it’s Philip Rivers, who is expecting his ninth child.