By Thomas Sellers Jr.
We’re still going out to the movies with The Best Sellers’ List.
Let’s pick up our tickets to view some of the absolute greatest sports films of all time. Whether they are biographies, documentaries or parodies, movies based on sports have been a traditional money grab in the United States.
The genre of sports films is larger than I realized. According to screenwriter Eric R. Williams, there are 11 super-genres of movies like action, crime, fantasy, horror, romance, science fiction, slice of life, thriller, war and Western.
I will argue that sports can combine all of these elements into a genre. Some of the best sports movies you won’t see on my countdown are “Southpaw,” “The Way Back,” “Eight Men Out,” “Remember the Titans,” “Bend it Like Beckham,” “Miracle,” “The Natural” and “The Pride of the Yankees.”
And to be fair, I did not include wrestling movies. They deserve their own special countdown. And finally to compose this particular list, I have excluded “Rocky IV” and “Rocky Balboa.
The Rocky series would take up at least three to four spots in any responsible all-time top 10 sports movies list.
With my rules clearly outlined, let’s start with the honorable mentions: “The Waterboy,” “The Longest Yard,” “White Men Can’t Jump,” “Dodgeball,” “Talladega Nights,” “Rudy,” “The Bad News Bears,” “Hoosiers,” “He Got Game,” “When We Were Kings,” “Ali,” “Bull Durham,” “Hoop Dreams,” “Raging Bull,” “Any Given Sunday,” “The Sandlot,” “Cobb,” “The Mighty Ducks,” “The Blind Side,” “Rookie of the Year,” “Over the Top,” “Slap Shot,” “The Replacements,” “Blue Chips” “Little Giants” and “Tyson.”
- “Necessary Roughness”
RELEASED:
Sept. 27, 1991
A common theme you’ll notice quickly is I love comedy sports movies. Covering sports for a living, I see enough drama right in front of me. Sports is supposed to be an escape from reality, so when I pay good money to head to the theater for a sports flick, I want to laugh.
My first entry this week lived up to this demand for almost two hours. Tasked with overhauling a Texas State University football team after it was ripped apart from rules violations, Wally Riggendorf (Robert Loggia) and Ed Gennero (Héctor Elizondo) have to assemble a roster.
Bring in the misfits and the laughter. Ancient quarterback Paul Blake (Scott Bakula) led this crew to a season to forget. But there is a happy ending when TSU took on its biggest rival. - “Cool Runnings”
RELEASED:
Oct. 1, 1993
Based on the first Jamaican bobsled team, this movie is funny and inspiring and will bring out a few tears by the conclusion.
John Candy was terrific in his performance as the coach of four Jamaican bobsledders who dreamed to compete in the Olympics. But Jamaican sprinter Derice Bannock’s (Leon) dream was the 1988 Summer Olympics. An unfortunate accident at the qualifying race cost him his chance. Faced with losing his dream or waiting another four years, Bannock collected the best talent he could find and sold 1968 Winter Olympic gold medalist Barrington Coolidge on using his bobsled knowledge to coach them to the top level.
Hijinks, a learning curve and endurance help the four men and coach reach the Calgary games in 1988.
The Jamaicans didn’t see snow until they arrived at the Olympic site. But Coolidge had a theory the sprinting skills of the Jamaicans could translate to major success in a bobsled.
Through tragedy and defeat, the Jamaican team found glory and victory. - “Pumping Iron”
RELEASED:
Jan. 18, 1977
This is kind of a documentary because some parts of it were scripted. I grew up watching my dad, Thomas Sr., hitting the weights on a routine basis. My father had a consistent schedule of working his job and heading to the gym. But his occupation of being a bartender kept him out late on weekends.
My dad would still get up early Saturday morning to get his workout in. But one Friday night going into a Saturday morning, we took out an hour and 30 minutes to watch the Godfather of bodybuilding, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
That’s when I fell in love with weightlifting and saw some of the many gratifications my dad got from his hobby besides a great-looking body.
“Pumping Iron” illustrated the bond bodybuilders have and displayed how they make a living out of something love.
The movie based in the 1970s was more than an inside look two major competitions, Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia. We got an inside look at legends like Mike Katz, Ken Waller, Lou Ferrigno, Franco Columbu and of course Schwarzenegger. - “Caddyshack”
RELEASED:
July 25, 1980
Let’s get back to the laughs. The classic film “Caddyshack” rings Kenny Loggins into your ears, gives you the visual of a dancing gopher and iconic performances from a trinity of comedic actors: Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield and Bill Murray.
The story begins with Danny Noonan (Michael O’Keefe), a teenager down on his luck. This everyday kid works as a caddy at the high-class Bushwood Country Club to raise money for his college education.
Danny is trying to increase his chances of getting the club’s scholarship by befriending the influential and prominent Judge Elihu Smails (Ted Knight). Knight takes on the Club’s misfits like Al Czervik (Dangerfield) and Ty Webb (Chase).
The subplot between Carl “The Groundskeeper” Spackler (Murray) and the gopher is an amazing distraction from the war between the judge and the new members. - “Major League”
RELEASED:
April 7, 1989
Baseball movies can have their own countdown. And I would argue the funniest baseball film of all time is “Major League.” With other elements like romance, an underdog tale and a great antagonist, “Major League” is just a good movie.
The person you’ll love to hate is the new owner of the Cleveland Indians, former showgirl Rachel Phelps (Margaret Whitton).
She has a potential deal on the table to move the team to Miami. To break the lease with the city of Cleveland, ticket sales have to plummet. So her plan is to assemble a team of minor leaguers and dudes off the street.
The move to Miami looks good early in the season with a nearly blind pitcher named Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn (Charlie Sheen) and aging catcher Jake Taylor (Tom Berenger) the best players.
But once the team gets word about the potential move, they are inspired to win the division. Winning brought in the fans and the pain for Phelps. - “Creed”
RELEASED:
Nov. 19, 2015
The Rocky series is iconic. And to pick it up with a new character was a tricky proposition. Screenwriters Ryan Coogler, Aaron Covington and Rocky himself (Sylvester Stallone) were able to pin the perfect story and transition with Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan).
A deeper look into the past of Johnson: He is the son of Rocky’s biggest rival-turned-friend, Apollo Creed. Adonis has fighting in his blood, and he turns down a life in corporate America to get in the ring. He wants his legacy to be a secret in order to move up the ranks on his own. But Adonis does enlist the help of Rocky to train him.
The common link of Apollo brings the duo together, but struggles and coming of age form a nephew/uncle connection for Adonis and Rocky. Then through the blood, sweat and tears in the ring, the relationship becomes father/son. - “The Karate Kid”
RELEASED:
June 22, 1984
In 1984, this was the best sports movie around. Something most of us can relate to as a teenager is being bullied or having to overcome shortcomings. This movie deals with that with a cloak of karate.
Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) moves to Southern California with his mother from New Jersey.
Already sad about living his life on the East coast behind, Daniel runs into a group of bullies who happen to study karate.
Daniel is tortured before running into his saving grace Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki “Pat” Morita). The unassuming, little Asian repairman happens to be the master of martial arts.
Now Daniel-San learns the art of fighting, learns discipline and gets enough skills to compete with the boys from Cobra Kai in the real world and in the dojo.
The legal or illegal Crane Kick delivers the happy ending all of us need a few times in our life from the ages 13-19. - “A League of Their Own”
RELEASED:
July 1, 1992
Three of my favorite things to combine for an ideal movie is comedy, sports and history. Thank you, Penny Marshall, for bringing all three to life as the director of “A League of Their Own.”
Taking us back to the World War II effort, several young men, including Major League Baseball players, were called to duty.
That gave birth to an all-female professional baseball league. Our story focuses on sisters Dottie Hinson (Geena Davis) and Kit Keller (Lori Petty). They have a little rivalry going on, with Kit being the main person competing.
Dottie is naturally beautiful and gifted. She becomes the Babe Ruth of the league quickly under manager Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks).
The comedy is fluent through the movie from the scouting process to the hijinks in the locker room. History is displayed through various scenes, including the exclusion of black women from the league. And the sports scenes hold up today and are very believable — even seeing Kit finally getting the better of her big sister. - “Happy Gilmore”
RELEASED:
Feb. 16, 1996
This is one of the funniest movies to ever be made. The realms of hockey and golf just happen to help drive the plot. Reject hockey player Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler) has to raise money for his grandma’s home to be saved.
Discovering he can drive a golf ball 400 yards per swing, Happy feels he can hustle up on some cash at the range. But by luck and coaching from former golfing pro Chubbs (Carl Weathers), Happy wins a tournament to earn a spot on the Pro Tour.
Enter our bad guy Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald) and our love interest Virginia Venit (Julie Bowen). Happy brought his hockey mindset and approach to the white-collar world of golf. Meanwhile he’s winning enough money to keep his eye on the goal.
Shooter’s shine and spot at the top of his sport is being challenged by a goofy hockey wannabe.
The laughs never stop, and you get that sweet ending you’re rooting for. - “Creed II”
RELEASED:
Nov. 21, 2018
If your favorite sports movie of all time is “Rocky IV,” then it is natural the movie that borrows its underlying plot from the movie has to rank among the best of all time.
Back in 1985, Russian boxer Ivan Drago kills Apollo Creed. The man who died that night in Las Vegas is the father of now world boxing champion Adonis Johnson-Creed.
At Christmas 1985, Drago went on to fight boxing legend Rocky and lose. That defeat took everything from Drago and he was left the joke of Russia.
Fast forward to 2018, Drago has trained his son to be a beast and regain everything he loss that night to Rocky.
Meanwhile, Rocky has trained Apollo’s son to be one of the best in the world and put him in a position to be challenged by the best pugilist.
Drago’s son puts out the challenge to Adonis. Rocky fears history will repeat itself. Adonis wants to avenge the Creed name.
The two sons step into the ring and the audience relives 1985 all over again. Adonis is overmatched. Now he knows what his father endured that night. He didn’t die in the ring, but Adonis buried a part of himself in order to give birth to a new and improved Creed.
THOMAS SELLERS JR. is the editor of The Millington Star and both the sports editor and a weekly personal columnist for West 10 Media/Magic Valley Publishing. Contact him by phone at (901) 433-9138, by fax to (901) 529-7687 and by email to [email protected].
