Robledo's top ten sports movies of all-time

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About a year back Stevie R., listed his best high school football movies of all-time, but how about the best darn sports movies, period. I left out Steve's favorite, All the Right Moves, and also Eight Men Out, Bull Durham and Field of Dreams, but hey, this is my top ten. The comments aren't all mine, they're borrowed from film teaser's and MoviePhone with an added twist from your host. Here ya go, Robledo's top ten.

1. Rocky: The fist-pumping score, the charismatic turn by Sly Stallone, the glorious training montage, the pitch-perfect ending in which Rocky shows the champ what "showtime at the Apollo" really means ... I remember leaving the movie theatre and shadow boxing all the way to our car. I went back the next day to see it again. For the rest of the top ten, click thread

2. Hoosiers: This David-and-Goliath tale of a volatile basketball coach (Gene Hackman) who leads a small Indiana high school team to the state finals has all the makings of a classic: chills-inducing score, superb game sequences, moving pep talk and, of course, the most badass line in sports movie history: "I'll make it." My favorite part of the movie is when Hackman says, "My team's on the floor."
3. Rudy: It's the ultimate underdog tale: A hobbit-sized goonie boy (Sean Astin) dreams of playing for Notre Dame. What do size, skill and smarts matter when you've got heart? When Rudy finally takes the field, not only does it instantly choke the throat, it makes the small, unskilled and dim-witted among us feel we've got a fighting chance. I watched with it with my dad, and will never forget the tears in his eyes when Rudy ran out the tunnel.
4. Caddyshack: With hilarious turns from Bill Murray as a deranged gopher-hunting, Bob-Marley-joint-smoking groundskeeper and Chevy Chase as a birdie-and-tequila-shooting womanizer, this might just be one of the most flawless comedies in history -- so it's got that going for it, which is nice. If I have to explain why this is here, you didn't get it.
5. Breaking Away: Though ostensibly about aspiring bike racers, this affecting drama is really concerned with how racing is seen as a way to escape the confines of a small town -- in this case, Bloomington, Ind., where the four heroes are derisively called "Cutters" by the college kids there. And so it's a universal theme, played out on two wheels. One of the most inspirational, funny, underdog movies you've probably never seen but should.
6. Karate Kid: Mr. Miage, a handyman/martial arts master agrees to teach a bullied boy karate and shows him that there is more to the martial art than fighting. It had the great line, "Get him a body bag, yeah, and the greatest girl, Elizabeth Shue."
7. The Bad News Bears: There's not an ounce of sentimentality in this comedy about a team of foul-mouthed misfits and their alcoholic manager, and that's what makes it great. One by one, 'Bears' takes aim at three sacred institutions -- sob-story sports flicks, treacly kids' movies and the hell of Little League -- and the result is a down-and-dirty delight. It's amazing watching this 30-years later, and realizing how foul-mouthed they actually were.
8. Slap Shot: There's a lot of comedy in hockey: scraggly mullets, toothless grins, Canadian accents. So it's no wonder this 1977 classic scores so many laughs with its ahead-of-its-time raunchiness and blistering vulgarity, mostly courtesy of that sailor mouth Paul Newman. If you don't like it, the Hanson Brothers will make you see otherwise.
9. Remember the Titans: "Inspirational sports movies" arrive in theaters on what seems like a monthly basis now, and the triumph that was 'Titans' is a big reason for that. It may be conventional, but this genuinely touching tale of ebony and ivory relations on and off Virginia football fields is the best in its class. My favorite movie this decade
10. Friday Night Lights: It's 'Varsity Blues' plus better acting and directing, minus the whipped cream bikini. With this true-life tale, director Peter Berg paints a moving (and disturbing) portrait of '80s small-town Texas: Racism still rages, the economy is ailing and the hopes of an entire community ride on high school football. Another today movie that needs no explanation.


18 Comments

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jcaz Author Profile Page said:


COChargerfan, thanks for the suggestion :)

and to "unreal," Amen brother...

AMAT 73 Author Profile Page said:

Not sure billiards is concidered a true sport but they do show matches on ESPN . But I would put The Hustler in there along with Pride of the Yankees with the real Babe Ruth in a cameo role.

Unreal... said:


jcaz,

My Bad. I didn't read your post where you suggested Brian's Song. The question was directed to Fred but I can see how that could have been confusing.

Brian's Song is the ultimate team movie. The remake was terrible, as they usually are. I was born in the mid 80's and thats one of my favorite movies.

I think the first time I saw it was my freshman year at Amat. Coach DiFiori played it for us during Health.

Too bad more people haven't seen it.

Can I get an "Amen" on Any Given Sunday?

COChargerfan said:

jcaz, I'm with you on Brian's Song...both about it being a great movie and that we are old enough to remember. Problem is that some of these bloggers probably were not even born yet in 1972 or if they were, they were still wearing diapers. Seems like once a year or so they'll play the movie on TV...when they do guys, make a point to watch it. If nothing else, you'll get to see some real footage of Gale Sayers running. jcaz, suggestion...have your kid send you four separate texts...one for each quarter and then the final. At least you'll get some suspense. Have a safe trip.

jcaz Author Profile Page said:


Unreal

OMG dude are you kidding !!

Wow it was an awesome movie, but I can understand why you may never have even heard of it because it was never shown in the movie theaters. It was actually played on TV and in the 1970's.

A very long time ago i'm afraid.

jcaz Author Profile Page said:

COChargerfan

I guess that shows you just how much I know about golf. I really didn’t know it wasn't a movie. Yikes !

Anyway, I’m actually leaving on Friday, and in the late afternoon. in fact, I have to tell you that as funny as it may sound, it's really killing me that I’m gonna miss out on my first home game in a long time. I'm such a die hard when it comes to football.

So I tell my kid to text me the score as it happens right? Only problem with that though, is that the flight leaves at 5pm and won’t get there until about 5 hours later. Unfortunately, for me, the games gonna be over just as I land in Kahului.

Anyway, like I told my kid. I might miss out on one game this year, but I am sure that the Lancers will more than make up for it with all those post season games that Amat gets to play in this time around.

If they don’t, you can bet that I’ll be cheering the Chargers along this time around because I’m going to make it a point to see some of the locals play in the post season if my Lancers falter along the way.

Henry said:

Raging Bull has got to be on any list for best sports films.

Personal favorite that is underrated is Vision Quest.

Unreal... said:

Fred,

Great choice with Rocky at #1. That movie is freaking amazing. Wanna know how good Rocky is??? My girlfriend doesn't understand sports or my "obsession" (Thats right, she says im obsessed) with sports and she absolutely loved it.

Not too sure about breaking away, I would probably rather have Any Given Sunday in the top five. That movie gives you an insiders look at what the NFL athlete goes through the other six days a week. LT and Jim Brown legitimize(Hope thats a word) that movie.

Go Amat!!!

BTW, What about Brian's Song???

Jimmy James said:

Any list missing Raging Bull can't be taken seriously. Raging Bull is No. 1 by about 1,000 miles.

COChargerfan said:

Fred J...I’m with you that Caddyshack is #1 for golf movie laughs followed closely by Happy Gilmore...love the cameos by the pro players. And jcaz, Tin Cup isn't actually a sports movie...it's just a biography about a guy with a big ego...just kidding guys. But the best actual golf movie is "The Greatest Game Ever Played"...based on true story of Francis Ouimet winning the 1913 US Open.

The problem with Rocky is that Stallone made what seemed like 20 sequels so they all run together like a silly soap opera…except for each movie Stallone just kept getting more and more pumped…was he friends with Canseco, just wondering?

Fred, you don’t put “We are Marshall?” on the list instead of Karate Kid, Slap Shot, Bad News Bears and Breaking Away?

jcaz, I thought you were in Hawaii?

FredJ said:

Tin Cup? There was Caddyshack and every golf movie after is a distant second.

jcaz Author Profile Page said:


Fred,

What ?? You didn't include "Tin cup ?"

Gezz Fred, after 12 days of incessant babble (and counting), half of the valley is gonna really get on you for that SNAFU !

Yikes !

But on a serious note, in my opinion the best sports movie ever made, was never even shown on a silver screen in a movie theatre, and that movie was "Brian’s Song."

ON ANY GIVEN LIST said:

ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAY....about as real as it gets...especially the conveying the pressure of the "rush" QBs have to face and the issues involved there.

Lawrence Taylor's speech in the shower was flat out brutal in it's honesty.

Incredible you didn't put that movie on your list.

Best Sport's Movies?????

Gladiator....or Ben Hur....think about it.


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Fred Robledo

Fred Robledo is the Prep Sports Editor for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. E-mail me your opinions, story ideas or tips to fred.robledo@sgvn.com.

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This page contains a single entry by Fred Robledo published on October 28, 2009 8:01 AM.

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