Battle of the Network Stars 2018 Edition

Last year, ABC brought back the classic sports competition show, Battle of the Network Stars, which saw stars from the three TV networks(ABC, CBS,NBC) compete in various sports such as swimming, football, and track.
But the reboot bombed as the new version did not include any current stars and instead had very few participants from current TV shows and comprised its teams of mostly former participants from the original BOTNS.
I wrote a series of articles about BOTNS including one that had teams comprised of participants on current TV shows titled If The BOTNS Reboot Had Current Stars (click on the highlighted text to read that article).
So while the new BOTNS did not get a second season, I have decided to write another hypothetical edition of Battle of the Network Stars with the five broadcast networks(ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CW).
Each team is comprised of four men and four women as they would participate in the sports that were used on the original version(Swimming, Kayaking, 3-on-3 Football, Baseball Dunk Tank, Obstacle Course, Bike Relay, Running Relay, and Tug-of-War).
In picking the celebrities, I tried to pick the one with the most athletic experience as possible or the biggest stars from the biggest shows.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this fantasy edition of Battle of the Network Stars.
ABC
Nathan Fillion, The Rookie(captain)

While Fillion has no background in sports and his workout routine is unknown, Nathan gets chosen as the captain of the ABC team as he is currently on his third series for the network.
Fillion was part of the cast of the late 90s sitcom Two Guys, A Girl, and A Pizza Place, playing Johnny Donnelly, the love interest of the girl, Sharon Carter played by Traylor Howard, then would return to ABC in 2009 with the hit crime drama Castle.
He is now currently playing John Nolan, a 40-yard man who is a rookie cop on the new show The Rookie.
Michael Fishman, The Connors

Fishman, who returned to the role of D.J. Connor this past spring on the Roseanne reboot before it morphed into The Conners, would be one of the strongest athletes in the entire competition since Fishman played independent baseball in Mexico and Japan in between the end of Roseanne's first run in 1997 and its revival in the spring of 2018.
Fishman is still involved in baseball as he coaches baseball and softball clinics for under privileged youths.
Jason George, Station 19

Since 2010, George has played the role of Ben Warren, a surgeon on the long-running medical drama Grey's Anatomy before deciding to trade in his scrubs for a firesuit to became a firefighter on the firehouse drama which premiered in the spring of 2018.
Anyway, George is an natural selection for the ABC team as he enjoys to run track and and play football, which are two sports that would be played in the BOTNS, plus is trained in stage combat and fight choreography.
Freddie Highmore, The Good Doctor

After playing a young Norman Bates on A&E series Bates Hotel, Highmore has transitioned into his role as the autistic surgeon Dr. Shaun Murphy on the medical drama The Good Doctor.
Highmore is an avid soccer fan and loves to play soccer in his spare time, so I think Highmore would be a perfect selection for the ABC team.
Leighton Meester, Single Parents

Some of these choices can be considered as eye candy and Meester definitely qualifies as eye candy for this competition.

Despite that, the former Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl who now plays single mother Angie D'Amato on the first-year sitcom Single Parents, could perform very well in this competition as her workout routine includes cycling and swimming.

Mary McCormack, The Kids Are Alright

While she has no background in sports, McCormack, who is currently playing Peggy Cleary on the sitcom set in the 1970s, The Kids Are Alright, earns a spot on this team because she participated on an episode of last year's BOTNS revival and did very well.
Here are some highlights of McCormack in action:

Caterina Scorosne, Grey's Anatomy

Playing the role of Patrick Dempsey's famed "McDreamy"'s sister, Scorosne has been a part of the Grey's Anatomy franchise since 2010, actually starting on the spinoff Private Practice before moving up to Seattle to Grey's as a regular member since 2014.
Scorosne would be great for the ABC team as she is a qualified canoe instructor which would make a easy choice for the kayak team and also enjoys swimming, so she also could help on the swimming relay.
Constance Wu, Fresh Off the Boat

Wu had a good year in 2018 with her role in the surprise box office hit Crazy Rich Asians as the female lead.
But for the past four years, Wu has played Jessica Huang, the matriarch of the Huang family on the sitcom Fresh Off the Boat, the first show since Margaret Cho's All American Girl back in 1994.
Anyway, Wu earns a spot on this team because of her love for long distance running, which would make a strong member for the relay portion of the competition.
CBS
Maria Bello, NCIS

In her second season as Dr. Jacqueline Sloane on the long-running crime drama, Bello earns a spot on this team because she practices Muay Thai kickboxing to keep her 51-year-old body in shape.
She was also a cheerleader at Archbishop John Carroll High School in Philadelphia and said her favorite memory from making The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor  was playing football with 15 stunt men dressed as mummies.
David Boreanaz, SEAL Team(Captain)

Even though he's approaching 50, Boreanaz earns the captain spot not just because of his athletic background but because of his dedication to stay in shape for his role as Jason Hayes, the leader of Bravo Team on SEAL Team.
Since playing for his high school's football team as an offensive end and defensive back, Boreanaz has kept his body in shape by boxing, biking, and playing a lot of ice hockey.
Kaley Cuoco, The Big Bang Theory

Ever since she was three years old, Cuoco has been in love with the game of tennis, even becoming an nationally ranked amateur player before giving up the sport at 16 years old and focusing on acting.

Even though she is no longer an active player, Cuoco still plays in many celebrity tennis tournaments.

In her addition to her tennis background, Cuoco loves to kickbox in her spare time to got those killer abs in the photo above.

Jay Hernandez, Magnum P.I.

I figure since the original Magnum P.I., Tom Selleck, was on the original BOTNS, it would make sense from the new Magnum be on this hypothetical BOTNS.

To get in shape to play the famous private investigator in Hawaii, Hernandez uses a workout routine that includes aerobics, yoga, and swimming.

Bridget Monyahan, Blue Bloods

Monyahan might be the best female athlete in this competition, not because she dated Tom Brady before he married Gisele Bundchen, but because she keeps in shape by running, riding her bike, and playing tennis.
Plus during her years at Longmeadow High School in Massachusetts, she was the captain of the girls' soccer, basketball, and lacrosse teams.
Shemar Moore, SWAT

Moore is an easy choice for this team as he went to Santa Clara University on a baseball scholarship as he was a pitcher with a 93 miles per hour fastball that helped him get drafted by the Boston Red Sox, then again by the Baltimore Orioles.
But tendinitis in his arm and knee forced to drop baseball and lead him into acting, but I think he would be an obvious pick to throw for the baseball dunk tank segment.
Eric Christian Olsen, NCIS: Los Angeles

Much like David Boreanaz, Olsen is a huge fan of ice hockey and was an all-star player at Bettendorf High School in Bettendorf, Iowa.
Olsen has been able to keep in shape thanks to his older brother, David Paul, who is an former Navy SEAL and acts as Eric's stunt double on NCIS: LA.
Missy Pergerym, FBI

Pergerym, who plays Special Agent Maggie Bell on the crime drama FBI, would be one of the best female athletes in this hypothetical BOTNS as Pergerym played several sports in high school such as soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey plus coached high school basketball before becoming an actress.
She still plays the occasional soccer game in her spare time as well as snowboarding.
NBC
Freeman Agyeman, New Amsterdam

The former Doctor Who companion during the David Tennant years(2006-10), Agyeman now plays Dr. Helen Sharpe on the first year medical drama New Amsterdam.
Agyeman qualifies for this team because of her childhood hobbies which included martial arts, gymnastics, and studying dance which allowed her to perform many of the action scenes during years on Doctor Who.
Jaimie Alexander, Blindspot

Alexander has become of one of the top female action stars thanks to her role as Lady Sif in the first two Thor movies and as the mysterious "Jane Doe" on Blindspot since 2015.
Alexander might be the toughest female in the whole competition as she was on her high school wrestling's team and trained with Navy SEALS to get ready for her role on Blindspot.
Plus, she rides a motorcycle.
Kristen Bell-The Good Place

Bell plays Eleanor Shellstrop in the sitcom The Good Place which takes place in the afterlife, though she is still Veronica Mars and the voice of Anna in Frozen to most fans.
Anyway, Bell gets picked because during her youth she played on an all-boys baseball team as well as street hockey and now uses SoulCycle, the indoor cycling factory which would make her a great pick for the cycling portion.
Justin Hartley-This Is Us(captain)

Playing the present day Kevin Pearson, Hartley earns the captain spot because of his years at Carl Sandberg High School outside of Chicago where he played baseball, basketball, and soccer.
While Hartley is an established actor, he still loves to play basketball in his spare time.
LaRoyce Hawkins-Chicago P.D.

Hawkins, who plays officer Kevin Atwater on one of Dick Wolf's three dramas set in Chicago, was originally recruited to Thornton High School outside of Chicago, ironically, to play basketball, but gave that up during his sophomore year and joined the speech team which lead him into acting.
Still, I think Hawkins' background in basketball would be a vital part to the NBC team.
Miranda Rae Mayo-Chicago Fire

Currently in her third season as firefighter Stella Kidd on Chicago Fire, Mayo earns a spot on this team thanks to her workout routine which includes running and cycling, which are two sports that would be included on this hypothetical BOTNS.
J.R. Ramirez-Manifest

Ramirez plays New York police detective Jared Vazquez on the show that has been described as new version of Lost.
J.R. gets a spot on this team as he took boxing and karate classes when he was young as well as playing tennis and basketball.
Brian Tee-Chicago Med

Before going into acting which would lead him to the role of Dr. Ethan Choi, Tee was the captain of the Glen A. Wilson High School football team in Hacinda Heights, California, which is 20 miles outside of Los Angeles.
Fox
Jamie Chung-The Gifted

Chung has come a long way from being a member on The Real World back in 2004 to a bona fide badass as she plays Blink, a mutant who can teleport, on a show based off the X-Men comics.

But before her role on The Gifted, Chung studied Tae Kwon Do for her role in the 2012 martial arts movie The Man With The Iron Fists  and trained with Navy SEALS for her role in 2011's Sucker Punch.

So Chung should be in tip-top shape for this version of BOTNS.

Matt Czuchry-The Resident

Much like his counterpart Shemar Moore of CBS, Czuchry was a former college athlete as he was captain of the tennis team at the College of Charleston.
While tennis would not be included in this fantasy edition of BOTNS, Czuchry's background in tennis would still make him one of the stronger athletes in the competition.
Taraji P.Henson-Empire

Henson's star has become bigger with her portrayal of the outspoken Cookie Lyon on Empire, though she has been on a member of previous shows such as Boston Legal and Person of Interest.
Henson has no history of playing sports or dance but she works out every day for two hours lifting weights as one article stated she can lift 185 pounds.
Peter Krause-911(captain)

Even though he is early 50s, Krause earns the captain spot for the FOX team because he "works out like crazy" according to his girlfriend, former Parenthood co-star Lauren Graham.
Plus, Krause was a gymnast and track & field star during his high school days in Minnesota until a knee injury on a pole vault steered him into acting.
Ben McKenzie-Gotham

Though Gotham enters its final season, McKenzie still earns a spot on this team because of his background in football as he played wide receiver and defensive back for high school football team in Austin, Texas, where he played with New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.
Michael Michele-Star

Much like Krause, Michele is her early 50s, but that doesn't mean she would be a pushover on BOTNS as she was a versatile athlete in high school as she played basketball, volleyball, and ran track.
Plus, it is said that when she was on the 90s medical drama ER, she would often shoot hoops in between takes.
Adrianne Palicki-The Orville

Palicki was gained a reputation as a female badass with her roles as Lady Jaye in 2013's G.I. Joe: Retribution and Mockingbird on ABC's Agents of SHIELD as well as a part in the first John Wick movie in 2014 before joining Seth McFarlane's sci-fi comedy The Orville as Commander Kelly Grayson.
Plus, she was supposed to play Wonder Woman for NBC, but the show did not get picked up.
You figure with all those hard hitting action roles that Palicki would be a strong athlete but it doesn't end there.
In high school, Palicki played basketball and ran track, so she should be one of the best athletes in the whole competition.
Seann William Scott-Lethal Weapon

The man famous for playing Stifler in the American Pie movies, Scott joined the cast of Lethal Weapon, this year as Wesley Cole, Murtaugh's new partner.
Anyway, Scott gets picked for the Fox team because of his participation in the 2009 Drambuie Pursuit, a sporting event which features kayaking, mountain biking, and rock climbing.
Even Scott is able to do that, then BOTNS should be a piece of cake for him.
CW
Jensen Ackles, Supernatural

As long as Supernatural  remains on the air(its in its 14th season), Ackles would be an obvious choice for the CW team on BOTNS because he was a member of his high school's baseball and lacrosse teams and is a huge basketball fan and fan of the Dallas Cowboys.
Stephen Amell, Arrow(captain)

Even though he did not play any sports in his high school years, Amell gets selected as the captain of the CW team because of his recent participation in professional wrestling.
Amell wrestled a match at WWE's Summerslam back in 2015, then again for Ring of Honor in November 2017, and again in an independent event called All In this year.
Amell also partake in an celebrity episode of American Ninja Warrior in 2017, completing the entire obstacle course.
Melissa Benoist, Supergirl

When you play the Girl of Steel, you should be in tiptop shape and Benoist is, so that gives her a spot on this team.
Benoist works out 3-6 days a week for her role as Supergirl with a workout that includes yoga, Pilates, and running as well as riding a bike.
Plus, Benoist has a background in dancing as she started taking dance classes when she was she three years old in jazz, ballet, and tap.
Grant Gustin, The Flash

Gustin completes the trifecta of CW superheroes(Green Arrow, Supergirl, The Flash)  the Scarlet Speedster makes the team thanks to his workout routine where he works out with an Olympic running trainer to get in shape.
Also, Gustin is an classically trained tap dancer as he took up the art when he was 10 years old.
Sarah Jeffrey, Charmed

Like her teammate Gustin, Jeffrey, who is one of the three witches on the new version of the former WB show Charmed, has a background in dance as she started taking dance classes when she was three and in her spare time performs with the professional dance team known as "Body".
Camilla Mendes, Riverdale

Mendes plays Veronica Lodge in CW's adaptation of the famous Archie comics, Riverdale.
Mendes did not play sports as a youth but works out 3-5 days a week to stay in shape and while she is no expert in dancing, she did do her own dancing for this famous dance-off in the tenth episode of Riverdale.

China Anne McClain, Black Lightning

Playing the younger daughter of the superhero Black Lightning, McClain has no background in athletics or dance but according to her IMDB page she recently learned how to roller blade , so it seems she is willing to try new things like some of the events on BOTNS.
Brandon Routh, Legends of Tomorrow

Another superhero makes the CW team as Routh plays the Atom on the ensemble superhero show Legends of Tomorrow.
Routh has been in great shape ever since he played Superman in Superman Returns back in 2006 and enjoys playing soccer and basketball as well as swimming and biking which would make a versatile asset to the CW team.