Posted by
flagwaver on Wednesday, August 06, 2008 12:52:31 PM
With Barack Obama and John McCain on the trail attempting to foo..., I mean
convince the voters to install them in the White House, it is time to inject some sanity into the process. In a season that has gone on for seemingly the last 3 years, we are all starting to get a serious case of "campaign fatigue", but if you just hang with me.....
Aww, screw that! I am sick to death of the race right now, and I'm pretty sure you are too. So how about this; this installment is going to be about something that is fun for all of us.
Everyone loves a good movie, right? And every sports fan loves a good sports movie…there’s just something about a good sports movie that inspires us. Whether it’s a movie based on true events or one that is total fiction, sports movies touch sports fans in a way that nothing short of a real sporting event can touch them. So, since there were no Golden Globe’s this year I decided to give out my picks for the top 5 sports movies I have ever seen.
#5. A League of Their Own: This movie starring Geena Davis, Madonna, Lori Petty, Rosie O’Donnell, and Tom Hanks makes the list because it is so well written and acted. The story of the All America Girls league that played during World War 2 was a story that needed to be told, and this telling of it was excellent. Geena Davis and Lori Petty were excellent as the ultra competitive Henson sisters, and Tom Hanks gave us one of the immortal lines in movie history: “Are you crying? There’s no crying! There’s no crying in baseball!”
#4. Rudy: Pretty much every sports fan has seen this movie, and love it or hate it the movie has made an impact on society. How many times have we heard a player that was too small, too slow, too whatever to make it as an athlete referred to as Rudy when they get the chance to live their dreams? Notre Dame haters loathe the movie because it is about Notre Dame, but it really isn’t; it’s all about a kid who wanted to do something special and never quit on his dream. Regardless of the way one feels about the Irish, there is no denying that this is a message that we all can go for…never quit on your dreams.
#3. Code Breakers: While this was never a feature film, it was feature film quality. This ESPN original presented the story of the honor code violations at the US Military Academy (West Point) during the 1950s, a time when the Army was still a football power. A group of football players and other athletes conspired to cheat on exams in order to stay eligible, and in so doing dishonored the very Academy they claimed to love. One non athlete learned of the conspiracy and did his duty to the Academy by blowing the whistle on the scandal and paid a heavy price by doing so. If you haven’t watched this, it is well worth the time and is available on DVD.
#2. Eight Men Out: This story of the 1919 Chicago White Sox is a movie that I watch every chance I get, it is that good. The costumes are wonderful, the acting is superb, and the story is just so compelling. It gets me fired up every time that I see it, because although I know that it was wrong to throw those games…I understand the emotions involved. Having been shafted by owner Charlie Comiskey on their pay and bonuses, the players involved decided to make some money on their own by throwing some games in the series. The attitudes of baseball ownership and the lure of “easy money” collide to bring about a scandal that rocked MLB to its foundations and continues to haunt it today.
#1. Hoosiers: This is my favorite sports movie of all time...today. The story of the little team from backwoods Indiana that wins the state title is always a thrill ride for me. Watching Jimmy Chitwood knock down jumper after sweet jumper always gets me in the mood for hoops. And the acting of Gene Hackman and Dennis Hopper make this movie a must see in my opinion. It’s not just the basketball that does it for me, but the whole story of the coach trying to redeem himself, trying to forge a real team, and trying to redeem Shooter (Hopper) from his drinking problem makes this one of my favorite movies of all time.
And an honorable mention goes to the following movies: 3, The Junction Boys, Through the Fire, and Hoop Dreams.