With Iron Man 2 opening today to the delight of RDJ fans – including this one – wanted to give Downey Jr. the same treatment that we gave Johnny Depp a while back and poll the sports blog intelligentsia: Which Sports Biopic would you like to see Robert Downey Jr. star in?

Now I’m no David Rubin (casting director on Less Than Zero, film moguls), but here are some of Downey’s traits I sent around:

• Can play unhinged (citing: Natural Born Killers, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Charlie Bartlett)

• Can dial it back, and play still unhinged, but repressing it (citing: A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints)

• Can Will play black (citing: Tropic Thunder)

• Can make ill conceived career decisions (citing: the 22 episodes of Ally McBeal from 2000-03, and his foray into music)

• Can take his shirt off (citing: Sherlock Holmes)

• Can play British (citing: Natural Born Killers, again)

Realistically, we’re far closer to seeing Downey star as Hugh Hefner, then any sports personalities (H/T Dan Adams). However, I got some great submissions from the sports blogosphere’s finest, all of whom I even sent a picture of 80′s hot Jami Gertz as a source of inspiration. Check out the Top-5 suggestions below, and feel free to add your own in the comments.

Mark Cuban

My quick take is Mark Cuban. We’ve seen him play the brash billionaire quite well in Iron Man, so Cuban’s a natural fit for him. (Ben Q. Rock/Orlando Pinstriped Post)

Theo Fleury

His rise to stardom, fall due to substance abuse, and the recent come back attempt, feel good ending. (Adam Kingsley/The Hoop Doctors)

Helio Gracie

Since Robert Downey Jr. has martial arts training (specifically jiu-jitsu), only fitting that he play the Godfather of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in an MMA origins movie. (Adam Best/Fansided.com)

Lance Armstrong

Ill-advised? Dude was awesome in Ally McBeal.  How bout Lance Armstrong? (David Chalk/Bugs & Crank)*

*I’m pretty sure David couldn’t care less if Downey Jr. plays Lance Armstrong, and just responded to defend his performance in Ally McBeal.

Roberto Clemente

The people have spoken, and an overwhelming majority (45%) believe that Johnny Depp would be best served portraying Al Davis if he chose to delve into the sports biopic genre of cinema. (good call by Isaac on the submission)

Goodman as Madden. The dude whose playing Biggie Smalls in Notorious as Art Shell. Let’s get this thing greenlit!

Feel free to make other casting suggestions in the comments. Thanks to everyone who submitted and voted in the poll, be on the lookout for another on Friday!

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I’d put Johnny Depp in the top-10 actors of his generation. The guy has come a long way from playing Officer Tom Hanson on 21 Jump Street (that dangling earring. regrettable for Depp, I’m sure), and has shown versatility and longevity on the silver screen. However, when it comes to playing crazy people, Depp is in a class unto himself. Jack Sparrow, Willy Wonka, Ichabod Crane, Ed Wood, Ed Scissorhands – all certifiable. You give him a character with any sort of twitch, and Depp will give a smashing performance. Looking back, he’s been a rum swigging swashbuckler, a opium induced inspector (don’t see From Hell if you can help it), a slasher barber – it makes me wonder, why should sports star be the exception?

Hence, that is why I posed the question to sports blog intelligentsia: Which Athlete Should Johnny Depp Play in a Movie?

The creme appears below, with a poll daddy guy at the bottom for you to cast a vote. Anyone interested in participating in one of my weekly polling exercise, email me here.

My personal submission for this: McEnroe. The film will span Johnny Mac’s entire career, and then some – ending with that awkward hug he gave Federer after he lost Wimbledon last year. Federer will be played by the kid from that Twilight thing or somebody, BUT, more importantly Rafa will be played by Benicio, and the deleted scenes will include Depp and him driving through the desert in a ballbuster on the way to Vegas, hyped on mescaline.

…And just because they already made that movie, doesn’t mean we can’t do it again, because McEnroe actually did stuff like this. Now he just makes totally ridiculous commercials…

Here’s the best of the rest…

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Johnny Depp has made a decent living (a killing, in fact) playing crazy folk. From Edward Scissorhands to Ichabod Crane. Hunter S. Thompson to Jack Sparrow . Willy Wonka, Sweeney Todd, Ed Wood. He’s even currently shooting to be The Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland. You reveal the slightest inkling of idiosyncracy, and Depp hits it out of the park.

When we’re talking about nutty characters, sports personalities are far from the exemption. With that said,

WHICH ATHLETE’S BIOPIC WOULD YOU LIKE JOHNNY DEPP TO STAR IN?

Email me your suggestions, and feel free to elaborate in length. All content will be posted with links on Friday morning.