Continuity mistake: In Rocky's first match at the church, when he gets to his corner a towel on the ropes disappears.
Continuity mistake: Around the beginning while Rocky stops by at Adrian's store, she has 3 boxes which become blue cylinders.
Continuity mistake: While Rocky is getting money from a guy, he drives a green cart and is wearing a helmet that disappears between shots.
Continuity mistake: Rocky and Paulie are going to Adrian's place, Paulie has a bottle in his right pocket but then inside the house it's on his left side.
Continuity mistake: The number 2 on Rocky's door disappears during the film.
Continuity mistake: After Rocky gets to Paulie's job he punches a piece of meat and gets some blood on his hands but it disappears a few shots later.
Continuity mistake: Before the two girls ask for an autograph from Rocky, there is an extra with a hat and glasses in the gym that changes his position between shots.
Other mistake: After Paulie gets mad in his place using the bat, he breaks the lamp and the room goes dark, but there's a second lamp which should be illuminating the room.
Revealing mistake: While Rocky is running through the small market, on the street people are looking at the camera.
Continuity mistake: When Rocky is inside the pet store for the first time he picks up a can of turtle food and then reaches into his pocket. The next shot is side on and he is holding the can with both hands and Adrian, who was facing side on to the cash register, is now facing it.
Revealing mistake: When the first fight is about to begin, there are several shots of a crowded arena and people watching. The grainy and slightly blurry look of the film reveals they're stock images. The filming set had no budget to fill the place with people.
Continuity mistake: When Rocky grabs a guy and asks for his money, the guy's hand is either holding Rocky's lapel or not, depending on the shot.
Continuity mistake: Rocky is in the pier walking towards a small yellow truck in front of him. A frame later, from a different angle, the truck has moved to the left side, in front of a car.
Continuity mistake: Rocky covers Rob's mouth and asks him for money. Rob grabs Rocky's arm, but when the angle changes he isn't grabbing it.
Revealing mistake: When the movie begins with Rocky and Spider fighting, their punches miss each other by far, though each one reacts as if they were hit. It is so obvious that it's ridiculous.
Answer: They mean the entire year, 1976, is America's birth "day," being the bicentennial of the Declaration of Independence. So the fight, taking place on January 1, is the "first sporting event on our two hundredth birthday."