TOP 10 Sporting Movies of All Time
Year after year, there seems to be always a new stellar sports movie that really captivates the essence that goes on with some teams and individuals in sports. They have the magic, the team spirit and the will of individuals to win. That being said, I have compiled a list of the top 10 greatest sports movies of all time in response to ESPN’s terrible ranking of the top 20.
*Numbers in parentheses after the movie title is ESPN’s rank- NR stands for not ranked
1. Rocky (2) – This movie was the ultimate motivating movie for any athlete on any level. A man who has struggled with his life, made all the wrong moves and gone nowhere with his career finally gets a break. But his competition gives him no respect, and he has to earn it by going the distance with the champ. It’s not about winning or losing, but being the best you can.
2. Rudy (NR) – Another inspirational story about a teenager who just wants to play Notre Dame Football. However, he has trouble getting into the university, but eventually does and works his way to being the most loved player at the end of the game with chants of RUDY! RUDY! RUDY!
3. Hoosiers (4) – A classic movie that shows the adversity that a team has to go through to win the Indiana state championship. A recent movie, Coach Carter, is a very comparable film, but doesn’t capture the same essence as Gene Hackman does in Hoosiers.
4. Field of Dreams (7) – A truly well directed film that captures one man’s vision and allows him to show others. Kevin Costner and George Earl Jones are incredible and really bring to life the pursuit of one’s dreams
5. Rocky 4 (NR) – One of the better movies of the Rocky series, its Russia vs. the U.S.A and this one is for all the marbles. Captivating and compelling fight of nations leaves you fighting for your country. The best of the Rocky series in this writer’s opinion. (Note that this film didn’t even make ESPN’s Top 20 or received votes)
6. Bull Durham (1) – Here comes Kevin Costner again. This time he is the old dog breaking in a new pup into the big leagues. Costner is chasing his own personal HR for the minor’s record of all time, a record that he doesn’t want because it signifies him not making the major leagues. In the end, he realizes that he had more in his life than most people do and is happy to hold that record.
7. The Program (NR) – This movie crack’s my top 10 because this is a movie that exploits the pressures of drugs, violence, and differential backgrounds of several individuals. The pressure to compete leads these athletes into doing whatever it takes to make it.
8. Major League (NR) – What a classic and a cast full of stud actors. A tremendous story of an owner trying to sell the ballpark and move it. She gets the worse players and trades away the big dog to a division team. Little does she know, these players have something yet to prove to themselves and to baseball. WILD THING SONG! AwesomeâÂ?¦
9. Miracle (NR) – I have watched both versions of this movie and have to say that the more recent one was so captivating and fantastic that it has cracked my top 10. The story of a youth team playing against some of the best veteran teams in the world in the Olympics. They make miraculous comebacks in each game and this is one of the greatest stories of teamwork and ethic.
10. The Natural (6) – Yet another baseball movie makes the list, but this one is up there as being one of the best inspirational films of all time (behind Rocky). This is the old dog actually making it to the majors, unlike in Bull Durham, and sending his team to victory after victory.
These are the greatest 10 sports movies of all time and will be for a long time to come. Note that 5 of the films I have listed aren’t even listed in the top 20 for ESPN or even received points. To check out ESPN’s top 20 of all time, check out the website below.
