Personal All-Time Sports Movies by Genre

[cooperstown]

A buddy and I put together our personal list of all-time best sports movies by category – Baseball, Football, Basketball, Boxing, and “Other.” Our intent had been to list our top 5, but we could only narrow it down to the top 7 in each category and Top 10 in “Other”. No one will agree 100% with any list, but I think it’s fairly solid.

The lists aren’t in any special order. I’ve seen all of these except “Somebody Up There Likes Me” (my buddy’s pick), which I plan to rent soon. A couple of others I haven’t seen in quite a while (Vision Quest, Bang Drum Slowly, North Dallas Forty, Raging Bull) and also intend to rent soon.

Need any changes?

BASEBALL

Field of Dreams

Bull Durham

Natural

Bang the Drum Slowly

Eight Men Out

League of Their Own

Pride of the Yankees

FOOTBALL

Rudy

Remember the Titans

Friday Night Lights

We Are

Brian’s Song

Any Given Sunday

BASKETBALL

Hoosiers

White Men Can’t Jump

He Got Game

Hoop Dreams

Blue Chips

Glory Road

Coach Carter

BOXING

Rocky

Raging Bull

Cinderella Man

Hurricane

Million Dollar Baby

Somebody Up There Likes Me

When We Were Kings

OTHER

The Wrestler (wrestling)

Vision Quest (wrestling)

Victory (soccer)

A Shot at Glory (soccer)

Breaking Away (bicycling)

Chariots of Fire (track)

Slap Shot (hockey)

Miracle (hockey)

Tin Cup (golf)

Sea Biscuit (horse racing)

[Mack The Knife]

I will give my entire lists soon, but I have to say my pick in Other is "The Hustler".

[cooperstown]

I will give my entire lists soon, but I have to say my pick in Other is "The Hustler".

 

We considered that one (and also "Color of Money"), but ultimately decided pool/poker (there's some good card movies out there) are more of a hobby and not a sport along the lines of football, baseball, soccer, hockey, etc....

[Mack The Knife]

We considered that one (and also "Color of Money"), but ultimately decided pool/poker (there's some good card movies out there) are more of a hobby and not a sport along the lines of football, baseball, soccer, hockey, etc....

 

Too bad ESPN doesn't share your opinion.

[Jim Schue]

I don't see "Fast Break" or "The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh."

 

Plus, the greatest football movie of all-time isn't listed: "The Longest Yard." And "Varsity Blues" is a great one as well that should be listed.

[ADopted ADmiral]

I like this one...My dad took me to the theater to see this one...

[Hangman]

I like this one...My dad took me to the theater to see this one...

 

That tag line is a lie... I'm getting married in a few months, and I still love ball just as much. It's the source of very much of her frustrations, actually.

[bigblueinsanity]

Football

 

The Express the Ernie Davis story.

[Hangman]

As for the list, I think it's fairly accurate and lines up with a lot of my thinking as well.

 

The biggest thing that jumps out at me (that I've known for a while) is how weak basketball movies are. You've got "Hoosiers" and that's really about it. The others are fine movies as well, but as a whole basketball just doesn't have movies competitive with the other sports.

[gametime]

Leaving Major League out of the baseball list is blasphemy...

[The Red Rambler]

Leaving Major League out of the baseball list is blasphemy...

 

No doubt!

 

Hey bartender Jobu needs a refill!

[JBCousins]

Add "The Greatest Game Ever Played" to the golf list.

[cooperstown]

I like this one...My dad took me to the theater to see this one...

 

Was actually the last basketball movie that was "cut" from our list. I thought this was a great movie, my buddy not so much. I love Benson's "Shove it with a red hot poker. I can play anywhere I want" line.

[cooperstown]

Leaving Major League out of the baseball list is blasphemy...

 

No question great movie. But since I was the one who had the most input into the final baseball list (my favorite sport), which one of our 7 would you delete? All 7 of those are first rate movies. No way does Field of Dreams, Bull Durham, Natural, Bang Drum Slowly, or Pride of Yankees come down off ANY baseball list anywhere.

[cooperstown]

I don't see "Fast Break" or "The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh."

 

Plus, the greatest football movie of all-time isn't listed: "The Longest Yard." And "Varsity Blues" is a great one as well that should be listed.

 

"Longest Yard" maybe. Maybe. No way "Varsity Blues" can replace any of those movies though. I'd be more inclined to list "All the Right Moves" before that one.