I Coulda Been a Contender: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

'''Terry:''' You don't understand. I coulda had class. [[Trope Namer|I coulda been a contender]]. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am. Let's face it. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0waNRaz6wU It was you, Charley.] |'''''[[On the Waterfront]]'''''}}

 

== [[Comics]] ==

* In the 'Club of Heroes' arc in [[Grant Morrison]]'s [[Grant Morrisons Batman|run on]] ''[[Batman]]'', several of the Batmen of All Nations have fallen prey to this, since the team-up which could have propelled them to international prominence and fame ended up sputtering out after two meetings, one of which Batman himself didn't even bother to show up for. {{spoiler|Wingman}}, however, suffers most of all, since his bitterness at being denied what he sees as his chance to be in the big leagues ends up prompting his [[Face Heel Turn]] in that arc. Batman, naturally, is pretty scathing:

 

== [[Film]] ==

* In the film ''Friday Night Lights'', the ex-star of the central football team's obsessing over his regrets turn him into a violent alcoholic. The current team members are painfully aware that a similar fate awaits them after the glory of the sport has long since faded.

* [[Inverted Trope]] by [[Citizen Kane]], when he is forced to give up the control of his empire. Hardly a nobody. Very disillusioned, he reflects that it were his ''advantages'' that stole him his chance at true greatness:

'''[[Corrupt Corporate Executive|Thatcher:]]''' What would you like to have been? <br />

'''Charles Foster Kane:''' [["The Reason You Suck" Speech|Everything you hate.]] }}

* The [[Quincy Jones]] series ''In The House'' had [[LL Cool J]] play a football star who gets taken out by a knee injury, and starts a gym. His leg eventually heals, and he gets back in the game. Guess what happens?

* The prevalence of this in sports films is parodied in ''That Mitchell and Webb Look'', with a film about cricket; the coach is bitter because he used to play cricket for a team that reached the [[Did Not Do the Research|"final of the Ashes", shyeah]], but he never found fame, because he bowled a wide.

* In ''[[Spaced]]'', Marsha tells Daisy about how she could have been an Olympic sprinter had she not been knocked over by her first husband to be and introduced to alcohol. She still shows interest in it, though, on one occasion persuading Daisy to join her on a run.

* Ted, the co-pilot in ''[[Pan Am]]'', used to be a Navy test pilot...until he crashed his plane, {{spoiler|ruining his chances of getting into the space program}}.

* New Jersey band [[The Gaslight Anthem]] have a song entitled "I Coul'da Been a Contender" which appears to follow the themes of messed up chances and regret; "You were gonna be my [[Judy Garland]], we were gonna share your tinman heart."

* The subject, indeed the first line of the chorus, of "Heavyweight Champion of the World" by Reverend and the Makers:

The [[Title Drop|Heavyweight Champion of the World]]." }}