History Main / ICouldaBeenAContender

{{Retirony}} is especially cruel when it strikes a character down in his or her prime just as he or she begins embarking on success and glory. At least the old soldiers in combat made something out of their lives even if they found no peace afterwards. These young souls don't have the opportunity to become somebodies -- they get just a little taste of it before suffering a CareerEndingInjury or forced to throw it all away. Naturally, this will be right after they reach the point that would make them bona fide superstars.

* ''Film/ItsAWonderfulLife'' - everything in George Bailey's life [[StatusQuoIsGod conspires to trap him in Bedford Falls]]. Sure, he eventually realizes it was [[TheComplainerIsAlwaysWrong probably better for everyone]] that way, but Creator/FrankCapra doesn't [[BadNewsInAGoodWay sugarcoat]] the initial regret and frustration as it all piles onto George's shoulders.

* In ''Series/{{Graceland}}'' Johnny could have been a US Navy SEAL but on the last day of Hell Week he was hit by a boat. It's subverted because he is not really bitter about it. His time in the Navy got him US citizenship and after leaving the navy he easily landed a job as a FBI agent.

* ''Film/OnTheWaterfront'' ([[TropeNamers Trope Namer]])

* ''Film/ItsAWonderfulLife'' - everything in George Bailey's life [[StatusQuoIsGod conspires to trap him in Bedford Falls]]. Sure, he eventually realizes it was [[AmbitionIsEvil probably better for everyone]] that way, but Creator/FrankCapra doesn't [[BadNewsInAGoodWay sugarcoat]] the initial regret and frustration as it all piles onto George's shoulders.

* In ''Series/{{Graceland}}'' Johnny could have been a US Navy SEAL but on the last day of Hell Week he was hit by a boat. It's subverted because he is not really bitter about it. His time in the navy got him US citizenship and after leaving the navy he easily landed a job as a FBI agent.

* Lenny Mancini was a promising and talented young boxer during the 30s and 40s, having actually become the # 1 contender for the world lightweight champion before he was drafted into the army when WorldWarII broke out. He was wounded in action, and when he came back to the ring when the war ended, he simply wasn't the same. Instead, he supported his son Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini in his own boxing career, who in turn dedicated his title win to his father.

* Subverted by Music/ConwayTwitty. Baseball was his second passion and he received an offer to play for the Philadelphia Phillies but he was drafted into the Army. After Conway [[ReturningWarVet got out of the service]], he made big as a country singer; country music was actually his first passion.

* Ed Crankshaft in ''ComicStrip/{{Crankshaft}}'' was an aspiring baseball player and playing for the Toledo Mud Hens and the Detroit Tigers called him up to the Major Leagues. At the same time, the U.S. enetered WorldWarII and he was drafted into the Army.

* In ''ComicBook/{{Preacher}}'', Jesse Custer becomes the sheriff of Salvation. His key officer is a woman who was going to join the army, but her mother fell ill and she stayed to look after her.

* ''Film/ItsAWonderfulLife'' - everything in George Bailey's life conspires to trap him in Bedford Falls. Sure, he eventually realizes it was probably better that way, but Creator/FrankCapra doesn't [[BadNewsInAGoodWay sugarcoat]] the initial regret and frustration as it all piles onto George's shoulders.

* In ''ComicBook/{{Preacher}}'', Jesse Custer becomes the sheriff of Salvation. His key officer is a woman who was going to join the army, but her mother fell ill and she stayed to look after her.

* Donaldson, the money-grubbing researcher from ''Series/{{Utopia}}'' claims he was a real scientific high-flyer until he discovered that the SARS epidemic did not actually exist and he was ReassignedToAntarctica for his troubles, and now the only job he can get it testing pet food. He is bitterly resentful of this and keeps trying to sell out the gradual uncovering of TheConpiracy to the very people that demoted him [[MoneyDearBoy just so he can be rich again]].

* Ted, the co-pilot in ''Series/PanAm'', used to be a Navy test pilot...until he crashed his plane, [[spoiler: ruining his chances of getting into the space program]].

* Used directly in the film ''Film/MuppetTreasureIsland}}''. As the pirates sing (without regret) about the different possible paths they could have taken in life, one of them comments "I coulda been a contender!"

* In the 'Club of Heroes' arc in Creator/GrantMorrison's [[GrantMorrisonsBatman run on]] ''Comicbook/{{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 sputtered out after two meetings, one of which Batman himself didn't 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 leads to his FaceHeelTurn in that arc. Batman, naturally, is scathing:

* The StartOfDarkness for [[Manga/SlamDunk Mitsui Hisashi]] is this. In junior high school basketball, he's an MVP. He's surely on the way to repeat such feats in high school... then GameBreakingInjury kicked in. As he watched his friend Akagi get most of the glories in his place, Mitsui left the basketball court, bitter with the sport and become a delinquent. Subverted that 2 years later, he's given a chance to redeem himself and be a contender. And a great contender he becomes.

* ''{{Film/Nixon}}'': Exaggerated by Nixon. He is the leader of the most powerful country in the world. Even so, that is little compared to his dreams. His tragedy is that is played straight, not parodied. Nixon is full of bitterness:

{{Retirony}} is especially cruel when it strikes down a character in his or her prime just as he or she begins embarking on success and glory. At least the old soldiers in combat made something out of their lives, even if they found no peace afterwards. These young souls don't even have the opportunity to become somebodies -- they get just a little taste of it before suffering a CareerEndingInjury or being forced to throw it all away, usually because their family disapproves of it. Naturally, this will be right after they reach the point that would make them bona fide superstars.

Compare SorryBillyButYouJustDontHaveLegs, StageMom, GloryDays, TradeYourPassionForGlory. WhiteDwarfStarlet is a related phenomenon, where the person got their moment of glory -- it just didn't last very long, and the bitterness is tangible. Sometimes associated with JadedWashout.

* In the 'Club of Heroes' arc in Creator/GrantMorrison's [[GrantMorrisonsBatman run on]] ''Comicbook/{{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 FaceHeelTurn in that arc. Batman, naturally, is pretty scathing:
--> '''Batman''': [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech You don't understand]]. [[HonorBeforeReason We don't do what we do for]] ''[[HonorBeforeReason fame]]''. [[HannibalLecture How much were you paid to throw away your]] ''[[HannibalLecture morals]]''?

-->'''John Ehrlichman:''' ''[[FreudianExcuse You got people dying because he didn't make the varsity football team]]. You got the Constitution hanging by a thread because the old man'' [[ICouldaBeenAContender went to Whittier instead of Yale]].

* In the musical ''Bye Bye Birdie'', Albert Peterson plans to attend NYU and become an English teacher, until a need for money requires him to go into the music business. He ends up being the producer for a pop sensation (the titular Conrad Birdie) and stays for eight years. He spends most of the show trying to get out so he can marry his girlfriend and secretary, Rosie.

* [[spoiler: Yata/Wiseman]] in DotHack G.U. was once quoted as having a tremendous enthusiasm for football. His career ended up after he got a career-ending injury, ending his hopes of going pro. He's now one of the shareholders of CC Corp at ''seventeen'', yet he's still DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife
* The title character in the {{Sierra}} game ''{{The Adventures of Willy Beamish}}'' uses this line in one of the game's many ItsAWonderfulFailure screens.

* Mitsuki Hayase in ''RumblingHearts''. At the beginning of the story, she's already a bonafide Olympic-grade swimmer. Then, [[WhamEpisode her best friend Haruka got hit in a car accident, all because she chatted with her other friend, Haruka's would-be boyfriend, Takayuki, way too long on his way to date Haruka]]. At that point, she became unable to swim further, eventually quits and ends up as a [[{{Salaryman}} salary woman]]. Over time, when she passes on a swimming pool, she's always reminded with this fact. [[FromBadToWorse And things just go downhill from that point on]].

* Simon Wood of ''SurvivalOfTheFittest'' was an excellent footballer and was more or less set up for a career in the sport... then he is crippled in a horrible car crash.
* This article from ''TheOnion'' tells of a contender that ''no one'' realized was a contender: [[http://www.theonion.com/articles/97yearold-dies-unaware-of-being-violin-prodigy,18194/ 97-year-old Dies Unaware Of Being Violin Prodigy.]] (Warning: Severe TearJerker alert)

* Hank Hill in ''KingOfTheHill'' definitely qualifies, albeit a milder example of the trope. He was a star high school running back that brought Arlen High to the Texas state championships, but a busted ankle pretty much ended his chances for the NFL. It's likely that his failure is why he's pushing sports and other activities toward his son. Nevertheless, Hank ended up content with selling propane and propane accessories.

* Parodied in ''FamilyGuy'', where in one flashback, we learn Cleveland was a fast-talking auctioneer until a bop on the head turned him into the slow-talking man we know today.

->'''Terry:''' You don't understand. I coulda had class. [[TropeNamer 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=3QsNXd57Ppw It was you, Charley.]]
-->-- '''''OnTheWaterfront'''''

{{Retirony}} is especially cruel when it strikes down a character in their prime just as they begin embarking on success and glory. At least the old soldiers in combat made something out of their lives, even if they found no peace afterwards. These young souls don't even have the opportunity to become somebodies -- they get just a little taste of it before suffering a CareerEndingInjury or being forced to throw it all away, usually because their family disapproves of it. Naturally, this will be right after they reach the point that would make them bona fide superstars.

* On ''{{Eyeshield 21}}'', Doburoku Sakaki blew his chance at a professional sports career when he injured himself while recklessly trying to finish the [[TrainingFromHell Death March]] by himself. He seems to take it in fairly good stride, though, and respects the drive and camaraderie of the Devil Bats.
* An example outside of sports: Oji Tanaka, the protagonist of {{The Legend of Black Heaven}}, was the guitarist for the titular heavy metal band. They had a single hit, and the group then drifted apart for reasons even they can't describe. Oji, now a browbeaten middle-management {{salaryman}} with an unaccommodating family, is deeply bitter about his life as it is and as it could have been.
* MawaruPenguindrum provides another music example. Double H, the two idol singers that are all over the place, were originally Triple H before Himari's illness forced her to quit the band.
* This happens at a pretty young age to Coco in ''{{Basquash}}''. After suffering a traumatic leg injury at the hands of a mecha, she became wheelchair bound and unable to continue playing basketball, which is part of what kicks off the series' story.
* Invoked and subverted in Manga/{{Bleach}} with Tatsuki, who broke her arm after getting into the top eight in a fighting competition between girls of her age group, but still managed to earn second place despite the injury. She says that had it not been for the broken arm, she could have won the whole thing.
* The StartOfDarkness for [[SlamDunk Mitsui Hisashi]] is this. In junior high school basketball, he's an MVP. He's surely on the way to repeat such feats in high school... then GameBreakingInjury kicked in. As he watched his friend Akagi get most of the glories in his place, Mitsui left the basketball court, bitter with the sport and become a delinquent. Subverted that 2 years later, he's given a chance to redeem himself and be a contender. And a great contender he becomes.

* In the 'Club of Heroes' arc in GrantMorrison's [[GrantMorrisonsBatman run on]] ''Comicbook/{{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 FaceHeelTurn in that arc. Batman, naturally, is pretty scathing:

* ''OnTheWaterfront'' (TropeNamer)

* ''ItsAWonderfulLife'' - everything in George Bailey's life conspires to trap him in Bedford Falls. Sure, he eventually realizes it was probably better that way, but FrankCapra doesn't [[BadNewsInAGoodWay sugarcoat]] the initial regret and frustration as it all piles onto George's shoulders.
* Subverted in the movie ''{{Unbreakable}}'', where Bruce Willis's character faked a serious injury after a car accident as an excuse to get out of a promising future football career so he could have a normal life with his fiancée, and then forgot he faked it through the normal process of memory reevaluation and editing, leading to his dissatisfaction with his "lost chance" at greatness in the movie's present-time.

* Used directly in the film ''{{Muppet Treasure Island}}''. As the pirates sing (without regret) about the different possible paths they could have taken in life, one of them comments "I coulda been a contender!"

* InvertedTrope by Film/CitizenKane, 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:

* Double Subverted in the film version of ''{{Daredevil}}''. Matt Murdock's father used to be a boxer, and ended up working as an enforcer for the mob. After Matt gets blinded, his father decides to clean up his act and become a boxer again. He does very well for himself. [[spoiler: Then, as he's preparing for a fairly major fight, he finds out that the mob's been behind all his victories, paying his opponents to throw fights]].
* Deconstructed in the film ''TheFan''. RobertDeNiro's character is convinced that he could have been a major league baseball player, and latches onto WesleySnipes' character as someone to live vicariously through. Things go downhill fast. [[spoiler: Near the end of the movie, it turns out that De Niro's character had never played ball beyond ''little league'']].
* {{Film/Nixon}}: Exaggerated by Nixon. He is the leader of the most powerful country in the world. Even so, that is little compared to his dreams. His tragedy is that is played straight, not parodied. Nixon is full of bitterness:

* Bran in ''ASongOfIceAndFire'' is, like so many things in that series, a particularly young example. [[spoiler:He does have the whole wolf possession thing going for him later on, though.]]
* In ''{{Preacher}}'', Jesse Custer becomes the sheriff of Salvation. His key officer is a woman who was going to join the army, but her mother fell ill and she stayed to look after her.

* Al Bundy from ''MarriedWithChildren'' is also an ex-high school football star whose plans for fame were dashed with an injury and [[ShotgunWedding marriage]] to his then-girlfriend, after which he was forced to settle into a banal life as a wage-slave shoe salesman.

* The QuincyJones 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?

* 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.

* R&B singer [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Jones Miss Jones]] had a lot of buzz in the mid-90s after her guest appearance on Nas' ''Sugar Hill''. Especially since she was a singer's singer. However, a lot of set backs (as well as a reportedly [[SmallNameBigEgo bad attitude]]) derailed her music career. She went into [=DJing=] after that, hosting the morning show on the NewYorkCity rap station Hot 97, before controversy got her kicked off of that station (look up "Hot 97 tsunami song" for a particularly noteworthy sample of her antics). She's now a DJ for a UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}} radio station.

* [[DeathOfASalesman Willy Loman]] could have been running the New York office by now.
* [[BloodBrothers Blood Brothers]] has an interesting variation, in the final words of Mickey ''I could have been him!'' - to his mother, who gave his twin brother to an upper class family.