THE BEST OF THE REST

Let's be honest, in our quest for some of the best sports movies of all time we have neglected those that dont fall under the shroud of the four major sports. The drama often falls under those sports less thought of. They often feature a man v. man affair in which it is do or die, you win the race or you don't and there is no blaming your teammates, because you are on your own. So here it is the dramatic conclusion of Movie Week here on SportsNight with the Best of the Rest.

SEABISCUIT

This inspiring and moving story tells the Depression Era triumph of the horse Seabiscuit. The movie demonstrates how this one horse not only brings hope to fans in these trying times, but tells how this horse brings together the owner, jockey, trainer and everyone else involved. It has a couple great scenes of Toby McGuire alone riding the horse, and one gets an insight into how important the chemistry between a horse and a jockey truly is. A great movie.

Quote: "You know everyone thinks we got this broken down horse and fixed him. But we didn't. He fixed us. Every one of us. And I guess in a way, we fixed each other, too."

CADDYSHACK

What do you get when you mix, Rodney Dangerfield, Billy Murray, Chevy Chase, a gopher and golf…one heck of a movie. Danny Noonan is a young caddy who tries to sure up his future by getting a caddying scholarship. Al Czervik is a rude, and overly eccentric millionaire who has interests in purchasing Bushwood. Judge Smails shows a quick disliking towards Al and soon there is a conflict between the Judge and Al, the Judge and Danny, and even between the Judge and Ty Webb the charming golfer who is slowly helping Danny figure out his real goals. On the outside of this is Carl Spackler the Golf Course Grounds keeper, who's goal is eliminate a rampaging gopher who is chewing up holes throughout the golf course.

Quote:

---“License to kill gophers by the government of the United Nations. Man, free to kill gophers at will. To kill, you must know your enemy, and in this case my enemy is a varmint. And a varmint will never quit - ever. They're like the Viet Cong - Varmint Cong. So you have to fall back on superior intelligence and superior firepower. And that's all she wrote” Carl Spackler.

---“IT’S IN THE HOLE!!!” Carl Spackler.

COOL RUNNINGS

A movie that combines John Candy, bobsleding, and the word "mon" (man), has to be a hit right? We'll this comedy sure was, and was based on the true story of the Jamaican bobsled team that went to the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. Will they do not end up winners, the team bonds together as brothers and brings pride and some Winter Olympic glory to island in the caribbean. It combines comedy, pride and sport to make one of the funniest PG movies around!



Quote:

"Our Father, who art in Calgary, Bobsled be thy name. Thy kingdom come, gold medals won, on Earth as it is in Turn Seven. With Liberty and Justice for Jamaica and Haile Selassie. Amen."

ROCKY

In 1975, virtually unknown actor Sylvester Stallone wrote the script for Rocky in three days after going to a boxing match between the underdog Chuck Wepner (Rocky) and the great Muhammad Ali (Creed). Inspired by this unique fight, Stallone captured and created on of the most beloved characters in movie history.

Rocky is the only movie that we have covered this week that won the Oscar for Best Picture. Stallone plays the bum from Philly, Rocky Balboa. The southpaw slugger was at “rock” bottom and was an out of shape club fighter with a dead end career. Then luck finds him when showboat boxing champ Apollo Creed decides to give an unknown a shot at the title. Creed played by former NFL player, Carl Weathers who delivers a great Muhammad Ali impression.

Rocky knows he can’t beat the champ but he declares that winning is taking everything he’s got and going the distance. He has unorthodox training routines such as pounding meat, lifting logs and of course running up the “Rocky Stairs” (Philadelphia Art Museum). But nothing is more inspiring to him than the support of his love interest Adrian. He goes the distance and gives hope to all of the underdogs in the world. He came at the perfect time for the country that was still in despair, he still to this day personifies the city of Philadelphia. Who hasn’t run up the steps?

Quote: “Yo Adrian!”

...And Shoot!

The hardwood has not been the stage for many classic sports movies, yet it has produced probably one of the best ones ever. While recent basketball movies have focused on the flair that goes with the game, these three films focus on fundamentals, passion, and teamwork.

3. Space Jam
Yes this movie does have all three of the things that I mentioned. The Looney Toons played well together, helped develop their own talent and had the passion to win against the Monstars. This movie also combines the talent and leadership of Michael Jordan with the hilariousness that is Bill Murray.

Quote: Bill! We're on defense!
Whoa hoa hoa! I don't play defense!

2. Glory Road
In 1966, a small school from Texas accomplished the unfathomable. Not only did they beat Adolf Rupp’s legendary Kentucky Wildcats to win the NCAA D1 Basketball Title, but they did so with a starting lineup of all black players. Did I mention it was in the 1960’s? Coach Don Haskins pursuit of talent, left him blind to the color of his recruits, allowing him to create an outstanding team. Josh Lucas takes on the role of Don Haskins, and does a good job portraying the legendary coach. It’s a movie about how the court brought equality.

Quote: “They're trying to take our dignity away from us.
Your dignity's inside you. Nobody can take something away from you, you don't give them”

1. Hoosiers
Far and away one of the greatest sports classics of all time, regardless of sport. It tells the story of a small Indiana high school and town coming together to make it to the state championship game. The journey helps to define character for a number of players, including the assistant coach, Shooter, who happens to be the town’s local drunk. In one of the most classic scenes, as they arrive at the huge arena for the state championship game, Coach Dale, played by Gene Hackman, measures the dimensions of the court to show that they are the same as the court they play at back home in Hickory. It’s just a classic.

Quote: If you put your effort and concentration into playing to your potential, to be the best that you can be, I don't care what the scoreboard says at the end of the game, in my book we're gonna be winners.

Box Off-ICE Hits

Over the years hockey has had a flare for the dramatic. But making a quality hockey movie takes impressive action shots, which are not always easy to come by. That is why there have been very few hockey movies that are worth noting. With that said it was still hard to break it down to the three best. Here we go the best movies of all time for the coolest, fastest sport out there…

3. Mystery, Alaska
The setting is a small town in Alaska who lives, breaths and eats hockey. Only the best of the town played for the team. Team captain and town sheriff, Russell Crowe leads Mystery on the ice against the opposition as well as winter’s vicious bite. After Sports Illustrated comes to Mystery to write a human interest piece the team ends up getting the opportunity to play the NHL’s New York Rangers as a publicity stunt. The town and team rally together to welcome the NHL’s best. In the biggest day of their lives Mystery pushes the Rangers to the brink. It is a really fun movie that shows some of the hockey culture that the average person isn’t able to see.

Quote: “Look, I play hockey and I fornicate, because those are the two best things to do when it’s cold outside.” Skank Marden

2. Miracle
Unarguably the best moment in sports history was when the 1980 United States Olympic team shocked the world when they defeated the Soviet Union in the Medal Round of the Winter Olympics. “Miracle” is the movie that follows the ragity bunch of college kids who are united under the tyrannical yet inspiring coach Herb Brooks. He taught them to believe in themselves and he changed the way that the US played hockey and it was the team who taught the world to change the way they think. This movie captures the drama of the time period as they show the escalation of the Cold War and the despair that accompanied it. It showed how thirsty the country was for a victory, a sliver of hope. Unlike other sports movies when they teach actors how to play the sport, “Miracle” took hockey players who could act. This made the action shots very realistic. The climax of the movie is Herb Brooks’ speech before the game. It sends chills up my spine every time I watch it. The movie ends with one of the most memorable calls in sports history, the call by Al Michaels, “Do you believe in MIRACLES?! YES!”

Quote:
Eruzione: “Mike Eruzion, Winthrop, Massachusetts.”

Brooks: “Who do you play for?”

Eruzione: “I play for, the United States of America!”


1. Slapshot
If you have ever made of hockey with the cliché, “I went to a fight and a game broke out” it is probably Slapshot that you are referencing. The ultimate hockey movie features hockey, girls, fights and comedy. The Chiefs are a two bit minor league hockey team in desperate need of a winning season. Head coach and captain Reggie Dunlop leads the Chiefs to a great season behind the Hanson brothers. The triplet terrors physically dominated every opponent and became the face of the movie. In the Federal League championship game the Chiefs had to take on the murderer’s row of the Syracuse Bulldogs including Dr. Hook and Ogie Oglethorpe. The team wins because of some unorthodox means that will never be forgotten. You can’t mess with slapshot.

Quote: No quotes available that satisfy FCC regulations.

TRIBUTE TO THE GODS: The Mighty Ducks
You have to love the fun the Ducks have. As they always face the same predicament and then come to the idea that hockey should be FUN and then of course win.

Quote: “QUACK, QUACK, QUACK---GO DUCKS!”

Diamond to Silver Screen

Some of the best sports movies of all time have their setting on the baseball diamond. Being a slow game, baseball is easy to film, seems to take on a metaphor for life quite easily, and happens to be the American pastime. So with so many movies to choose from, it was quite hard to pick the top three.

3. Bull Durham
The late 80’s classic features Crash Davis, a washed up minor league catcher, mentoring stud pitching prospect Calvin Laloosh. It emphasizes the crud yet essential part of the game, as well as highlights the ruggedness that is minor league baseball. Crash Davis, played by Kevin Costner, is the kind of teammate you wish you had, and Annie Savoy, played by Susan Sarandon, is the kind of fan you wish you always had watching you on the field. It’s comedic, yet provides some serious insight into what the game of baseball is like away from the Majors.

Quote: “This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains.”

2. The Natural
Roy Hobbs, the best there ever was. The story, based on a novel, tells of Hobbs’, played by Robert Redford, big league story, as he takes the Majors by storm as a 35-year old outfielder. The movie’s real legacy is in the title. It portrays a man’s love for the game and how gracefully he plays. It emphasizes that baseball is a part of natural heritage and that it should be a part of our youth, as there are a few scenes of Hobbs as a boy and him playing catch with his boy. The final scene leaves the crowd in “ahh”, as Hobbs hits a winning home run that smashes out the lights. Literally.

Quote: “Go pick me out a winner Bobby.”

1. Field of Dreams
This movie is a very hard one to describe, as it is multi-faceted, however its theme is not. Baseball is a passion. It can be seen in Ray Kinsella, played by Kevin Costner, as he tears down a few acres of his corn farm to create the most pristine baseball diamonds that Iowa has ever seen. It can be seen in Shoeless Joe Jackson, played by Ray Liotta, as he believes that this field is heaven. It can be seen in “Moonlight” Graham, in the way he plays the kid as a mere youth. Also, its got a few monologues from James Earl Jones…Awesome!

Quote: “People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come.”

There are many others that could have been chosen, so here is a list of honorable mentions:

The Sandlot – “Oh yeah, the Great Bambino. Of course! I thought you said the Great Bambi.”

Little Big League – “If I owned the Twins, I wouldn't even show up here. I'd just hire a bunch of scientists to do my homework. I mean, if you're rich you don't have to be smart. That's the whole beauty of this country.”

Eight Men Out – “Say it ain't so, Joe. Say it ain't so.”

A League of Their Own – “Are you crying? There’s no crying in baseball

GRIDIRON'S GREATEST

If you look at the best sports movies of all time you will find that not many of them take place on the gridiron. Hollywood has churned out some great football movies but they can’t seem to compete with the best in other sports. This could be attributed by a number of factors. Unlike baseball, boxing and basketball, football action shots are hard to make look realistic. They end up being too violent and not believable. Then the characters all seem to be the same. The quarterback is the main character, typically with a love interest while the receiver has blinding speed but is plagued by horrible hands. Then of course there is the bloodthirsty giant of a linebacker and a showboat running back who “needs his touches”.

In order to overcome these stereotypes of football movies the producers have had to invest into dramatic off the field plot lines in which the team has to overcome enormous odds, football or otherwise to become victorious. Because of these themes the moments on the field are intensified by the conflicts that the characters have to tackle off of it.

In real life, football provides us with dramatic moments more than any other sport. Maybe because of the physicality, the awareness that is either “YOU” or “ME” that makes the sport a pleasure to see. Last second drives and time-expiring field goals. In no other sport can a person sacrifice his body for the good of the team like they can in football. Football more so than baseball or basketball a person can make up for their lack of skill with a tremendous amount of heart. It is the struggle that makes us watch, the hope that the runt can become a hero and whether a David can conquer a Goliath. So we begin our Movie Week here on SportsNight with the great game of football.

#3 FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Friday Night Lights takes the audience into small town USA where football is everything. Many of us can’t imagine our lives peaking, our fame climaxing in high school but the kids of Permian High School have to live with that harsh reality. This movies shines light on the pressure that these high schoolers have to deal with. Through the thick of the season the players begin to understand the shocking reality that there is more to life than high school football.

QUOTE TO REMEMBER: “Being perfect is being able to look someone in the eye and know that you didn’t let them down” Coach Billy Gaines.

#2 BRIAN’S SONG
In 1971, Godfather star, James Caan and Stars Wars’ Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) team up to make this touching TV movie. Really realistic action as the movie used real Chicago Bears footage. It is a story that features Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo. One black and one white, one loud and one shy, one talented and the other a hardworking runt face unprecedented odds and become best friends. Their tallest task is when Brian is diagnosed with cancer. It is a true buddy story that strikes the heart of the ultimate sports theme, love your teammates.

QUOTE TO REMEMBER: (Before the game) “I love Brian Piccolo. And I’d like all of you to love him too, and tonight when you hit your knees. Please ask God to love him.” Gale Sayers.

#1 REMEMBER THE TITANS
This is my favorite football movie by a long shot. I mean when you mix Denzel Washington, football and a grade-A soundtrack you are going to have a good movie. It follows the season of high school in Alexandria, VA during the Civil Rights movements. The school was the first in the area to mix black and white students, which meant the football team, would be too. In a remarkable training camp the team rallies together only to be hit with the racism and chaos of the real world. Instead of folding under the pressure the team becomes a beacon of hope for the town and the time. The team ended the season undefeated, a perfect season, not for the wins and losses but for the extraordinary maturity that the team showed during some very dark times. Did I mention Denzel was the coach?

QUOTE TO REMEMBER: “We will be perfect in every aspect of the game, you drop a pass you run a mile, you miss a blocking assignment you run a mile and if you fumble the football? Then I will break my foot off in your John Brown hind parts AND then you will run a mile…PERFECTION.” Herman Boone.

Other Movies: Knute Rockne, All American, the Longest Yard, Rudy, Little Giants

Dishonorable Mention: The Replacements

GET YOUR POPCORN READY!

No, do not worry we are not going to make you watch Terrell Owens' new show, the TO show or watch Shaq strip down to swim gear and race Michael Phelps. To be honest this week is going to give me a lot of anxiety. Will the Phillies land Roy Halladay? Will Favre return? Will Michael Vick see the field for camp? All of these questions monopolize much of my TV time. That got us thinking here on SportsNight about TV, that led to movies and then of course sports movies. This week on SportsNight we are going to look at the three best sports movies by sport. So check in everyday and let us know if we missed your favorite sports flic.