nt heel in the vein of Midge Kelly, the protagonist of Champion, who even treated his crippled brother like dirt. Nowhere near it. Hopkins has quietly

From Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth struggling to find top form to Bubba Watson showing signs of his best, we look back at the main talking points from this weeks Northern Trust Open. Consistency key for RoryIf McIlroy could have produced four solid rounds rather than three in each of his early-season appearances, its more than possible that the world No 3 would already be a three-time champion in 2016. A sloppy second round in Abu Dhabi and a blip in the middle of his Dubai Desert Classic defence cost McIlroy a Desert Swing victory, while it was a disappointing final round in California that ended his Riviera hopes. McIlroy finished the week in a tie for 20th His Northern Trust debut and first PGA Tour appearance of the year was going to plan when an eagle at the par-five first on Sunday moved him in to a share of the lead, only for McIlroys game to fall apart as the round progressed.Three bogeys in a four-hole stretch saw McIlroy begin his slide down the leaderboard, while four more dropped shots along the back nine left the Northern Irishman card a four-over 75.McIlroy was clearly frustrated with his performance when speaking to the media afterwards, but knows he has the chance to immediately bounce back when he features at this weeks Honda Classic. Golfs big five? Bubba Watson claimed a one-shot victory at Riviera While attention surrounds young guns Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson continues to show hes very much among the worlds best.The 37-year-olds hard-fought victory makes Watson the first multiple winner on the PGA Tour this season and sees him leapfrog two places and back in to the worlds top four.Watson showed the calmness under pressure sometimes lacking from his game to finish brightly, posting back-to-back birdies from the 16th and nudging a tap-in par at the last to claim the title.The victory is Watsons second in six starts and, aside from an off-key week at Pebble Beach, the American has looked in fine form so far this season. Bubba Watson was pleased with his patient display after claiming victory in the Northern Trust Open The recent run of results, combined with an increased mental toughness, will give the two-time Masters champion plenty of encouragement in the run-up to first major of the year. Could we see Watson win a third Green Jacket in 2016?Stutter from SpiethSpieth may still sit top of the world rankings, but the 22-year-old is still some way from showing any signs of replicating last years tournament-winning performances.The world No 1 found himself 16 shots off the pace after carding his highest first round score as a professional, with a much-improved 68 on Friday not enough to avoid a first missed cut since September. Spieths opening round was his worst since the 2014 Tour Championship Wayward driving and iron play around Riviera regularly left Spieth out of position, with the two-time major champion also struggling with his usually red-hot putter.Fridays performance, though, just like the week before at Pebble Beach when he narrowly reached the final round, was an example where Spieth performed better with the pressure off and the damage already done.The last time Spieth suffered an early exit in a tournament, the Masters champion was back within the winners circle two events later. Although he needs to improve, you wouldnt bet against him doing something similar again. Scotts putting strengthAlthough it wasnt quite enough to secure a first worldwide victory since 2014, Adam Scott is evidently making great strides in his first full season back using a conventional putter.Scott reverted away from the broom-handled club in October and at times produced magic-like putting in California to move up the leaderboard.The Australians flat stick was red-hot during the early stages on Sunday, making more than 100 feet of putts over the first four holes, but Scott couldnt quite continue that through the remainder of his round. Scott celebrated holing from off the green at the par-four last Having sank a 35-footer to eagle the first, the former major winner followed a 15-foot par save at the next by drilling in birdies from 30 and 20 feet at three and four to force his way in to a share of the lead.A chip-in gain at the last still wasnt quite enough to force a play-off, but a four-under 67 and a tied-second should provide plenty of moments to take in to the Florida Swing. A great settingRiviera Country Club once again proved to be popular venue among the players to round off the West Coast Swing. Nick Dougherty talks us through a short history of the Riviera Country Club McIlroy enjoyed his debut so much he has already confirmed he plans to make the event a regular part of his schedule, while Spieth had already admitted its one his favourite courses to visit.The course is ranked third behind only Augusta and RBC Heritage venue Harbour Town in the list of the PGA Tour pros favourite courses, with its glorious weather and great location helping to create another fine weeks entertainment. Watch the PGA Tour throughout the season live on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf Also See: Watson snatches narrow win McIlroy enjoys Riviera debut Patience key for Bubba Golf live on Sky Sports 4 Jrue Holiday Pelicans Jersey . A statement from the worlds top-ranked player says all checks "were satisfactory and showed positive evolution" regarding the injury, which contributed to his loss to Stanislas Wawrinka in the final in Melbourne. New Orleans Pelicans Jerseys . 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On Sept. 7, 1894, heavyweight champion Jim Corbett, wearing what looked like a cross between a jockstrap and a thong, stepped into an improvised ring at Thomas Edisons Black Maria studio in West Orange, New Jersey. Smiling condescendingly throughout, Gentleman Jim sparred six one-minute rounds with crude-swinging Peter Courtney as a 35-millimeter camera recorded the proceedings.The resulting filmstrips were to be used in a kinetoscope, an exhibition devise designed for films to be viewed through a peephole. Few, if any, would have guessed it at the time, but it was the birth of what would eventually become a staple of the motion picture industry -- the boxing movie.The venerable genre has been counted out almost as frequently as the sport itself, but always manages to stage a comeback thanks to creative people on both sides of the camera. They are irresistibly drawn to boxings innate drama and raw emotion, as well as the fascinating characters that populate it.In the last 17 months alone, four major boxing films were released -- Creed, Southpaw, Hands of Stone and Bleed For This -- and theres every reason to believe the tradition still has the legs to last a few more rounds.Although the boxing world is still getting used to the sight of Bernard Hopkins ending his career upside down on the arena floor, his story is unique, even for a boxer, and in the right hands would make an intriguing film.Selecting the right cast is key to the success of any movie, and choosing the right actor to play Hopkins would be crucial.Hopkins is a complex man with contradictory personality traits. The actor will have to peel back several layers to reveal the man behind the executioners mask Hopkins wore into the ring for many years and reprised for his final bout -- an eighth-round knockout loss to Joe Smith Jr. last Saturday.Readers, Im sure, will have alternate suggestions, but the pick here is Sterling K. Brown, best known for his Emmy Award-winning role as Christopher Darden in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. Not only does Brown have the acting chops to pull it off, he has the physical wherewithal to go with it.Perhaps the trickiest part about making a movie of somebodys life is deciding what to keep in and what to leave out. One solution is to pare it down to its essence and focus on events upon which the story hinges.The Vinny Paz biopic, Bleed For This, begins with the boxer swaddled in plastic wrap and furiously peddling an exercise bike in order to make weight. Boiling down was the bane of Pazs early career, but it wasnt the pivotal moment that defined him. That came later when he survived a horrific car wreck and, against overwhelming odds, returned to the ring.Hopkins is a different kind of survivor, and the opening scene of his movie would most likely focus on the day he left Graterford Penitentiary, paroled after serving almost five years of an 18-year sentence for strong-arm robbery.When the doors of freedom swung open in 1988, it was game on, time to keep the promise he made to himself while locked up inside one of Pennsylvanias most dangerous maximum-security prisons: He was never coming back. No way. Not ever.Trying to find a job when youre a convicted felon is crushingly bleak and the temptation to fall back into the lifestyle that led to incarceration in the first place is almost too strong to resist. But Hopkins held fast. Although he had the street cred to make plenty of easy money, he took a job washing dishes at a Philadelphia hotel instead.Imagine the character-building potential of a scene in which Bernard is seen wearing an apron, his hands submerged in soapy water, a proud man doing a humble task for a noble reason.When he was fired for conveniently forgetting to mention his prison record on the employment applications, Hopkins could have easily backslid. Instead, he redoubled his effort to make a success of his nascent boxing career. He persevered against tremendous odds to eventually achieve more than he or anybody else would have dreamed. But it was far from easy and took much longer than it should.Any Hopkins movie would have to have at least one courtroom scene. He was a maverick who sued almost every promoter he worked with and testified in Congress about the evils of the boxing industry. That didnt exactly endear him to the powers that be, but he continued to swim against the tide until he reacheed a point where he could call the shots.ddddddddddddy then Hopkins had mastered his art to such a sublime degree, he proved the cynics wrong time after time and fought on with uncanny success until a month short of his 52nd birthday, when he proved the pundits wrong one final time by losing to Smith, a handpicked opponent Hopkins was favored to beat.An unabashed publicity hound, Hopkins alternately charmed and bullied the media throughout his career. Exceedingly accessible and cooperative most of the time, he would also unleash a torrent of abuse when he couldnt get his way or the chip on his shoulder chafed is his ego.Recreating the ugly incident following his bout with Morrade Hakkar would be one way to shine a light on Hopkins dark side. It had been a pitiful mismatch fought before a tiny crowd in his hometown, and Bernard was embarrassed. But instead of acknowledging the farce for what it was, he accused media members of being racists for having the audacity to question his challengers worthiness.Hopkins is not, however, an unrepentant heel in the vein of Midge Kelly, the protagonist of Champion, who even treated his crippled brother like dirt. Nowhere near it. Hopkins has quietly given back by supporting Philabundance, the largest nonprofit food bank in the Philadelphia region, and making private donations to those in need.Its just that the ruthless side of him, a side that all great fighters have, isnt confined to the ring. Hopkins had no qualms about casting aside trainers Bouie Fisher and Naazim Richardson when he felt it was to his advantage to do so. He can be cold that way.Fisher had given Bernard a job at his transmission repair shop when he lost his dishwashing gig and helped take him from the penitentiary to the middleweight championship and beyond. As is usually the case, money came between them and Fisher eventually sued.Clarke Peters, who played detective Lester Freamon in The Wire and Albert Big Chief Lambreaux in Treme, would be an excellent choice to play Fisher. Cuba Gooding Jr. is a natural for the role of flamboyant promoter Butch Lewis, a former used-car salesman who thought wearing a tuxedo jacket without a shirt was the epitome of style and eventually lost a bitter lawsuit to Hopkins.Adrian Grenier (Entourage) would be good as Oscar De La Hoya, the superstar Hopkins eviscerated with a left hook to the liver and then went to work for, becoming a shareholder and corporate officer in Golden Boy Promotions.And we mustnt forget Joe Smith Jr., last seen knocking Hopkins through the ropes and into retirement with a four-punch combination -- a perfect cameo for Channing Tatum, perhaps.The director would have a plenty of fights to choose from, but Hopkins upset knockout of Felix Trinidad at Madison Square Garden to unify the middleweight title, 18 days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, would be a must. It was his masterpiece, truly a performance for the ages, fought in front a hostile crowd and in the shadow of one of our nations darkest days.Hopkins turned pro with a loss in October 1988 and bowed out with another defeat a month before his 52nd birthday. During the 28 years between, he complied an unrivaled résumé of accomplishment, including unifying the middleweight title for the first time since 1987. All told he made 20 successful defenses of the 160-pound championship, breaking a record that had stood since Carlos Monzon retired in 1977.Hopkins also won the light heavyweight title on three occasions, the second time in 2011, making him, at age 46, the oldest boxer to ever to win a major title. Then he broke his own record, winning a 175-pound title a third time in 2013.Movie audiences eat up the old-guy kicking-ass stuff, and thats what the last third of Hopkins career was all about. From now on, however, hell be the guy in the expensive suit hyping Golden Boy fights, one of the sports most prominent elder statesmen, loved by many, hated by some and respected by all.Hopkins election to the International Boxing Hall of Fame is assured, but the promise he kept when he left prison remains his greatest triumph. It is the underlying theme of any movie attempting to capture the true spirit of the miracle worker who fell to earth last Saturday. ' ' '