Shot to Nothing

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Top Ten Sports Films From The Last Decade

Bring It On!Here is the list of top ten sports films made in the last decade. Don’t come whining to me because there’s no Rocky or no The Bad News Bears Go To Japan, both those films were made in the 70’s and so don’t meet the requirements. Jerry Maguire also just misses out because it was made in ’97. And because it sucked.

And yeah, Varsity Blues didn’t make the list either whip cream bikini or no whip cream bikini.

So, in reverse order:

10. The Rookie (2002) - Dennis Quaid, Rachel Griffiths
The Rookie is a Disney film. That tells you all you need to know. It’s not a bad film at all, but in short, this film does exactly what it says on the tin.

9. One Day in September (2000) - Documentary
Technically this film is more about what surrounds sport then the actual sport itself. It is the story of the 1972 hostage situation that took place during the Olympic Games in Munich. It is a harrowing watch, but also an exceptionally interesting one.

8. The Hurricane (1999) – Denzel Washington
In many ways the story of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter has not been given the attention it is due. This film however, lays it all out for us in an ‘impossible to ignore’ fashion. Denzel Washington puts in an incredible performance and shines throughout this sad but inspiring tale.

7. Any Given Sunday (1999) – Al Pacino, Jamie Foxx
Pipe down I don’t want to hear it. People love to rag on this film but what they often miss is what this film was all about. Any Given Sunday is to Football what Raging Bull was to Boxing. No other film has ever captured what it’s actually like on the field as well as this one. It’s a fast paced, realistic tale of life in Pro football.

6. Bring It On (2000) – Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku
I fail to see how any guy can not like this film. Seriously, Kirsten Dunst and Eliza Dushku playing cheerleaders with attitude, what’s not to like about that? If you’re ready to turn your brain off and have some fun, then Bring It On is a great film. And did you know how many cheerleading squads have popped up around the world since this film came out? Several thousand at-least.

5.61* (2001) - Barry Pepper, Thomas Jane
61* was originally made for TV but such was it’s beautiful story telling, directed by Billy Crystal, that it has fast become a DVD hit. Yankee fans will obviously love it, but any baseball fan, even a Yankee hater, will revel in its historic tale.

4. Remember the Titans (2000) – Denzel Washington, Will Patton
The second outing for Washington in this list, but in less of a vehicle role this time. The beauty of Remember the Titans is in it’s true story, which is one of the real life examples of how sport can conquer all. All at once inspiring, uplifting and well crafted, this film is certain to impress.

3. Rounders (1998) – Matt Damon, Edward Norton
Why is a film about poker so high on a top ten sports films list? It’s simple; Rounders was a film that created a sport. Ok, poker had been around a while but before this film it was grossly miss-understood. Poker’s representation in films was flowery and filled with unrealistic royal flushes and four of a kind aces (think Maverick) and it’s image was quaint. Rounders single-handedly changed all that and gave ESPN something to show relentlessly at every hour of the day.

2. Million Dollar Baby (2004) – Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank
The ‘best film since’ moniker is often a damning form of praise, but in this case it is a compliment that rings true. Million Dollar Baby really is the best boxing film since Raging Bull. The very few people that don’t like this film tend to be those who need their entertainment ‘dumbed-down’. Underneath Million Dollar Baby is a complex story, but it’s also a very rewarding one.

1. Friday Night Lights (2004) - Billy Bob Thornton, Lucas Black, Derek Luke
The first time I watched FNL I thought it was a ‘pretty good’ movie. Then I watched the DVD extras and my eyes opened. The casting for this movie is better then any I have ever seen. Each (at the time) relatively unknown actor is not only exceptionally talented, but also remarkably similar in many ways to the real life players.

Watching those extras, seeing the guys behind the story, made me realise just what kind of effect intense High School Football can have on the young guys who take part. Not only is it their hopes and dreams on the line, but it’s also those of their parents and their peers and the people they buy their sodas from. And this film analyses that situation perfectly.

In my opinion FNL is the best sports film made in recent times. Well worth watching.

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129 Comments:

At 10:21 am, Anonymous nosilence said...

Thanks, nice list! I think i've seen most of them, but will surely try to see the ones i missed :)!

Cheers,


http://www.in2poker.org

 
At 4:19 pm, Anonymous dave said...

How could you not include the movie "Miracle" in this list? A true story about about the US 1980 mens hockey team pulling off one of the greatest upsets ever in sports againts the communist Russians who had previously destroyed the NHL all star team a few weeks earlier 5-1.

 
At 4:24 pm, Anonymous jay said...

I will also agree with Dave that 'Miracle' needs to make this list. It may be one of the best movies..not just sports movies..in the past decade.

 
At 4:24 pm, Anonymous moxin said...

Good list but Varsity Blues was the shit. Kudos on recongizing the greatness of FNL and Rounders.

 
At 4:24 pm, Anonymous jay said...

I love rounders!! Fantastic!!

 
At 4:25 pm, Anonymous Jeff said...

Friday Night Lights was pure garbage. Being from Texas, they totally screwed that movie up.

Any Given Sunday was pure crap as well. It was nowhere close to what happens on a football field.

You should have added The Greatest Game Ever Played. While the book is much better, when is that not the case, it is a much better film than the two listed.

 
At 4:37 pm, Anonymous chris said...

Tin cup should crack that list somewhere

 
At 4:37 pm, Anonymous Truman said...

TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY and SEABISCUIT deserve notice too.

 
At 4:41 pm, Anonymous Alex said...

Two that I think you left out are Miracle and Cinderella Man. Cinderella Man is a great film that fell short of its unrealistically high expectations.

Seriously-- "Bring it on" over Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott?

 
At 4:41 pm, Anonymous Sanchez said...

'Miracle' - Doh! there's always one you miss! Where would you guys have it on the list?

 
At 4:43 pm, Anonymous Jay said...

If FNL is #1 because of its casting, miracle MUST be included on this list. The cast (outside of Russell) consisted of real hockey players who were puposely picked for their resemblence to the player they were portraying. And the filmakers did everything possible to make sure the movie and especially the on-ice scenes were as true to life as possible. "The Rookie" & "Bring It On" over "Miracle"?! Give me a break! You might as well have "Stomp the Yard" and "Step Up 2" on your list. What an insult to Herb Brooks and that team.

 
At 4:44 pm, Anonymous Ray said...

Rounders?! The movie where supposedly unbeatable poker player John Malkovich's "tell" was the way he ate an Oreo? You have to be kidding me. That was unspeakably lame. And Malkovich's accent was equally cheesy. Give me a break. Tin Cup, Field of Dreams, and Eight Men Out were better than anything on this list.

 
At 4:48 pm, Anonymous Shree said...

What about "We are Marshall?".

 
At 4:51 pm, Anonymous Chris said...

How are you going to sleep on Hardball?? It has everything, poor kids who suck at baseball but then with the help of their gambling addict coach, Keanu Reeves, dramatically rise together and beat the hated Waatas in the championship game. Viewers might struggle to sit through the gut wrenching death of G-Baby, but if you make it then you are treated to an uplifting eulogy by none other that the aforementioned Reeves. Plus I'm pretty confident this is a true story based on Keanu's childhood.

 
At 5:05 pm, Anonymous Jim said...

I thought rounders was a very good film, but how poker is considered a sport I will never be able to understand? It would be like listing Stictly Ballroom, as it is an Olympic Sport! Could Munich go on the list or is too far afield?

 
At 5:30 pm, Anonymous greg said...

How could you leave out the classic One on One with Robby Benson. It's timeless and provides a somewhat realistic look at college basketball

 
At 5:30 pm, Anonymous Beantown said...

I'd put Invincible up there, it's at least a better movie than The Rookie. Not the best, but belongs on the list.

 
At 5:33 pm, Anonymous Brian said...

Any Given Sunday was good. But if you think that film encapsulates what it is "really like" to be on the field, you haven't seen North Dallas Forty.

 
At 5:49 pm, Anonymous feigningenius said...

uhhhh, Baseketball? Come on, put some comedies up there. When did Happy Gilmore come out? Probably over 10 years ago.

 
At 5:58 pm, Anonymous Nick said...

He Got Game
Miracle
Seabiscut
Greatest Game Ever Played
Coach Carter
Glory Road
Ali
Murderball
The Heart of the Game
Dogtown & the Z-Boys (Documentary not Motion Picture)
Cinderella Man
...just to name a few...

 
At 6:00 pm, Anonymous Noah said...

OK Greg is trying to be funny by saying One on One but remember it is films of the past decade knucklehead. I would probably put Miracle in at 2 or 3. I thought it was terrific.

As for the funny where was blank ____ Movie? You could make a case for the Gridiron Gang. C'mon - Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson gives a gutty performance as a real life white guy with a mustache. That alone should show his true acting ability and his plucky knack for overcoming hard roles. See ... a hint of sarcasm, combined with a far fetched point of being an idiot will do it every time. Robby Benson .... hah!

 
At 6:06 pm, Anonymous Mark said...

Wow. Without even researching other possibilities on the web or taking more time to think about it, I would have to vocalize my horror of the exclusions of Miracle, Seabiscuit, Cinderella Man, and maybe Glory Road, while also noting the low ranking of The Rookie and Remember the Titans, and the absolute idiotic notion that Bring It On would even be included on any "best" list.

 
At 6:17 pm, Anonymous Slumley said...

What? Slapshot isn't on the list? Come on!

 
At 6:17 pm, Anonymous slik said...

Here is my one problem with Rounders...In the opening scene when they are playing Hearts the last card played is a Queen of spades and everyone at the table acts SHOCKED...Any real players of the game would have known who had that card a couple hands before that, and even an amateur would have know it hadn't been played yet. There are a few mistakes in the movie, but it truly is a solid flick.

 
At 6:28 pm, Anonymous Rickbo said...

What, no Field of Dreams....no Bull Durham. You got a problem with Costner?

 
At 6:31 pm, Anonymous Darwin said...

First, I'm sorry that half the people respnding didn't see or are ignoring the "in the last decade" part of this post. It must be frustrating.

Anyway, what's missing and what isn't will go on and on, as is the point of this (though I have to imagine you're at least considering watching Miracle at this point), so I'm not concerned with that. What I am concerned with is the notion that Rounders changed anything in the world. Be it the careers of its stars or the "sport" of poker. However you think of it as a movie, objectively, Rounders was a horrendous failure in terms of box office. It had very little impact on anything, never mind poker's popularity. Clearly, it was well ahead of its time, it would have done a lot better had it been released a few years later, but like Swingers did with swing dancing, it was just trying to capitalize on something on the rise already. Poker is thriving (or was, as the case may be) despite Rounders. Not because of it.

 
At 6:31 pm, Anonymous anonymous said...

It may not be #1, but there is no excuse for omitting Caddyshack from the Top 10.

 
At 6:31 pm, Anonymous john said...

In terms of Poker in films prior to Rounders being quaint a lot of that is true. However, the best Poker film ever made is still Robert Altman's California Split in which it is in no way portrayed as flowery. Rounders is still a great film and much undervalued.

 
At 6:38 pm, Anonymous Lisa said...

i don't get including movies where sports is a subtext, like the olympic movie.

AND POKER IS NOT A SPORT. PERIOD.

Definitely Miracle, Cinderella Man... and what about Cars? I know it's a cartoon but that movie is awesome.

 
At 6:51 pm, Anonymous Matt said...

For those of you who say poker is not a sport, how many of you have actually sat down in a poker tournament and played a 12 hour day where one mental mistake can cripple or even completely blow your chances of losing. It is mentally, emotionally, and physically draining to sit for 12 hours and focus to that intensity. You all are probably the same people who think golf isn't a real sport because all a person does is stand still to hit a ball, then walk from one spot to another.

As for Rounders, I agree that it is in the top 10. Anyone who has gotten into poker in the last ten years can quote any number of lines from that movie, and most have watched it just because other players have said how much fun it is. It may not be the most accurate telling of poker (the oreo tell by KGB is horrendous), but it is closer than that of maverick. Those who don't think it did anything to the sport of poker just have to look at the WSOP in the last 5 years to realize how wrong you are.

 
At 6:51 pm, Anonymous Rick said...

Miracle is definitely a mistake to leave out... As to the people including Bull Durham, Caddyshack, Field of Dreams - this is the past decade: 1998 - 2008.

 
At 6:55 pm, Anonymous James said...

For anyone who has played SPORTS "For the Love of the Game" and Bull Durham hit right on the head from a players view point.

 
At 7:02 pm, Anonymous Jay said...

If poker is a sport then so is scrabble, chutes-and-ladders, and spelling bees.

 
At 7:09 pm, Anonymous mustafa shabaaz aziz tariq wahad mohammed shiek said...

Any list without "The Garbage Picking Field Goal Kicking Philadelphia Phenomenon" is flawed at best! Tony Danza is god!

 
At 7:10 pm, Anonymous arnold the pig said...

THE MIGHTY DUCKS!
CADDYSHACK 2!

 
At 7:21 pm, Anonymous Lisa said...

Poker is not a sport. It is a game.

Poker is no more of a sport than chess or checkers or Scrabble or Uno.

 
At 7:27 pm, Anonymous Deeznutts said...

This is one of the worst "best" lists I have ever seen. Any sports movie with "Bring it On" gets automatically disqualified. Rounders is one of my favorite movies and I could play poker 20 hours a day, but it is NOT A SPORTS MOVIE. This is horrendous.

 
At 7:41 pm, Anonymous Klaatu said...

Poker is not a sport.

Matt argues that it's physically and emotionally draining, and very intense. That instantly means that being a police work, firefighting, medicine, social work, criminal law and teaching are sports as well.

Poker is not a sport because you sit on your ass. Even horse racing or F1 actually requires physical exertion. Rounders is an awesome movie, but it's not a sports movie.

 
At 7:49 pm, Anonymous huh??? said...

Everyone please give Matt a chance to correct his comment (post 31) and please don't anyone notify any of his sponsor's at this time - lets assume he has at least one. I mean for God's sake, this man is sitting for 12 hours with the weight of cards in one or both his hands.

Anyone please correct me, but if you play poker, I'm thinking the objective (end results/end game) is to win - be the "winner" (Danny). The other option, at least presented from the movie Rounders, was to be a grinder. It's a living.

Matt, please focus and stay loose.

 
At 7:57 pm, Anonymous Carl said...

This list should be the top ten most depressing sports movies of all time. Million Dollar Baby sucked and I would rather rub feces on my head then sit through it again. Seriously, if that came on TV would you actually want to watch it?

 
At 8:15 pm, Anonymous Nate said...

No "Miracle", no "World's Fastest Indian", no "Cinderella Man", no "Murderball"? You've got to be kidding me. This list is nothing short of a fraud. Your audience deserves better. Dumbed down entertainment is a little more like it. While your at it, why don't you toss "backdoor sluts 9" onto the list, i mean, i think your audience could understand that dumbed down entertainment. I don't know if there was little or no time put into this list, but i was able to come up with all four of those movies in less than two minutes. Please...do your job.

 
At 8:18 pm, Anonymous Jake said...

Everyone that has responded so far needs to watch "Worlds Fastest Indian" with Anthony Hopkins. This a true story based on the life of Burt Munro, a motorcyle riding legend from New Zealand. I do not understand why so many people have failed to see this film.

 
At 8:28 pm, Anonymous Jim said...

Bring It On? What are you, 12? And a girl?

Leaving "Miracle" and "Talledega Nights" completely negates this list.

 
At 8:38 pm, Anonymous Matt said...

I agree Miracle and We Are Marshall deserved to be on this list, especially over Friday Night Lights, Any Given Sunday and Bring it On.

 
At 8:54 pm, Anonymous TX said...

One word - Dodgeball

That's an interesting strategy, Cotton!

 
At 8:56 pm, Anonymous Joe said...

Bring It On, but not Varsity Blues? I think someone's Man Card is about ready to be revoked....

 
At 8:59 pm, Anonymous Juan said...

I can't seem to get the reality of somone loseing an eyeball in the middle of a football game. "Any given sunday" could have been a great football movie until Oliver Stone decided to direct it. IT SUCKED!!! It has got to be a black spot in any one's career who acted in it except for Bill Bellamy,that no talent fool!

 
At 9:17 pm, Anonymous Eric said...

How in the world could you leave "Cinderella Man" off this list?! A great film and a true story! Way better than "Rounders", and more truly sports-oriented.

 
At 9:27 pm, Anonymous Edson said...

Does Angelo Pizzo get no respect, were are Hoosiers and Rudy? And Costner, no Field of Dreams nor Bull Durham? Not to mention others like Breaking Away, Rocky, and Pre. Then there is a long list of average films that could replace many on this list.

 
At 9:35 pm, Anonymous DONNIE said...

CINDERELLA MAN WITH RUSSELL CROW, ONE OF THE ALL TIME GREATEST

 
At 9:53 pm, Anonymous Ben said...

The fact that Miracle is not on this list is a complete disgrace. The movie not only told the true story of perhaps the greatest upset in sports history was done so perfect it was almost like watching the actual highlights.

 
At 10:09 pm, Anonymous Matt said...

For those of you listing movies older than ten years old please read the entire article before you start critisizing. I don't agree with Bring It On, Any Given Sunday and The Rookie. I would add, Miracle, Cinderella Man and Glory Road.

 
At 10:11 pm, Anonymous Mark S said...

Where's "Hoosiers" and/or "Raging Bull." "Bring it On?" Are you nuts?

 
At 10:13 pm, Anonymous Mark S said...

OK - my bad on missing "the last decade" part.

 
At 10:17 pm, Anonymous Todd said...

How is "When We Were Kings" not on this?

 
At 10:31 pm, Anonymous Rob said...

Bring It On? are you effing kidding me?!? You just lost what little credibility I was giving you to start with.

 
At 10:46 pm, Anonymous Jay said...

You gotta put Miracle on there. One of the best sports stories ever as well as a great movie. Also, Cinderella man is big-time underrated.

 
At 10:57 pm, Anonymous Sam said...

Poker is a sport? I agree, Rounders is a great movie, but poker is NOT a sport!!

 
At 11:13 pm, Anonymous rob said...

Where is Miracle????

 
At 11:40 pm, Anonymous Alan Z said...

Cinderella Man. Ali. The Hurricane.

 
At 11:40 pm, Anonymous Alan Z said...

Invincible. Miracle. Rocket.

 
At 11:44 pm, Anonymous Alan Z said...

The Big Lebowski. Kingpin. Tin Cup.

 
At 11:45 pm, Anonymous Alan Z said...

and Summer Catch, lol. that's my ten.

 
At 12:09 am, Anonymous Phil said...

What part of LAST DECADE do people not understand? Tin Cup and Field of Dreams are not in that category.

 
At 12:33 am, Anonymous jordan said...

how do you put Remember the Titans behind Rounders and FNL. That makes no sense. And where is MIRACLE???????????????

 
At 12:37 am, Anonymous jordan said...

thats probably the worst sport movies list I have ever seen. Period.

 
At 12:42 am, Anonymous Sule said...

Ummmmmm The Legend of Bagger Vance!!!!!!
How has that not been said. Matt Damon and the Fresh Prince kill it. Murderball was nuts too.

P.S Poker is fun but its not a sport. Then go fish and war would be sports too.

 
At 12:52 am, Anonymous Tex said...

How could you forget Talladega Nights? Classic.

 
At 1:10 am, Anonymous Cody said...

Like someone said earlier, thank you for recognizing the brilliance of Friday Night Lights. It's hands down one of my all-time favorites, capturing the turmoil and pressure that surrounds a high school football team.

Also, I don't see how Rounders made the list. Granted, it's a great movie. But poker is not a sport, it's a game. We don't watch ESPN to see chess.

 
At 1:18 am, Anonymous Cody said...

And for those of you who keep saying We Are Marshall should be on the list, that movie was terrible. I don't feel like watching Matthew McConnaugheh pretend to be some head coach with a disgraceful impression of a Southern drawl. I'm sorry, but some school replacing its crappy football team with a bunch of even crappier scrubs is not compelling. There is no interesting character development of any kind. You can figure out everything about that movie by watching the preview.

And Talladega Nights has its moments, but other than that is simply retarded. Good sports movies should be dramatic and uplifting, not based around the rivalry of an ignorant moron and a gay Frenchman.

 
At 1:29 am, Anonymous Eddie said...

I don't know what movie this guy saw, but there were no royal flushes or four-of-a-kinds in Rounders. The movie exaggerates the skill and downplays the luck involved in the game and necessarilly makes it more exciting than it actually is, but aces-full of nines is not all that rare, and it's not four-of-a-kind. More proof that reporters and "professional pundits" don't know what they're talking about.

 
At 1:48 am, Anonymous TeddyKGB said...

he beat me fair and square. pay him. pay that man his money.

 
At 1:53 am, Anonymous kkaraboo said...

Miracle
Seabiscuit
Cinderella Man
Murderball

These would have to be on my own Top 10 list. I love how much outrage a Top 10 list generates. The other night saw the greatest level of disagreement ever experienced between me and some of my friends over our Top 10 alltime sports movies. It was fun being the only girl in the mix!

 
At 1:55 am, Anonymous Jason said...

Did you even think about this list before you wrote it? Miracle, Bend it Like Beckham, Goal, Tin Cup, Cinderella Man, Hoosiers, Bad News Bears, Dodgeball, Seabiscuit to name just a few. The poor choices shows a lack of knowledge about sports movies if not sports in general. Shameful.

 
At 2:06 am, Anonymous Jasen said...

This list had some good movies. Bring it on being on this list is ridiculous. Did anyone see Invincible?

Mark Wahlberg? anyone? anyone?

Great movie and nobody mentioned it. Was at least better than bring it on and any given sunday for that matter.

 
At 2:21 am, Anonymous jenn said...

how did slap shot not make this list!!? hilarious!!!

to kkaraboo: LOVED murderball!! great movie!

and i have to add a goofy one: happy gilmore! a golf-playing hockey player gets his ass beat by bob barker! what's not to love?...

 
At 2:23 am, Anonymous Troy said...

Any "top ten" list is conjecture at best and will always be subject to argument. Having said that, I will add mine to the voices that have rerided you for leaving Miracle off of this list.

Not only is it a true story about one of the greatest stories in modern sports history, it also has several other things going for it. Superb acting from a mostly inexperienced cast, great action that made the transition to film really well, and it highlighted what us hockey fans have known and loved about the game forever.

Leaving Miracle off of any list of best sports movies, of the last decade or of all time, just shows ignorance.

 
At 3:13 am, Anonymous Sebastian said...

Too right!

 
At 3:15 am, Anonymous Paul said...

I needed dramamine to cure my motion sickness watching Friday Night Lights.

 
At 3:27 am, Anonymous TheDeeZone said...

Friday Night Lights? Come on that movie is so messed up. Like the game against Abilene Cooper played in early Sept. at PE Shotwell Stadium in Abilene. Coats at nigt? Gee, it is just a chilling 95 degrees. BTW, I saw that game.

What about Radio & Coach Carter?

 
At 3:30 am, Anonymous Max said...

"Rounders"?!?!? Please. Poker is not a sport. It's a game. Matt Damon is over-hyped and under-talented. I hope you got a lot of money to shill for him.

 
At 3:30 am, Anonymous nmhood said...

by the way, if you are interested in "Friday Night Lights" I recommend reading the book the movie was based upon.

 
At 3:30 am, Anonymous nmhood said...

Bring it on? Seriously? ... I agree with 9 of the 10. And, Rounders = poker is not a sport. It is a card game.

 
At 3:32 am, Anonymous ezlnwv said...

When did Hoop Dreams come out? It is probably from last decade but it is worth mentioning nonetheless.
Also, if you liked the movie Friday Night Lights, check out the book-it will blow you away.

 
At 3:33 am, Anonymous Hank said...

Okay Okay Okay - this is a list comprised of "the best" in the last 10 years - but still, because the following were omitted:
(1) Miracle
(2) Bull Durham
(3) Seabiscuit
(4) Cinderella Man
(5) We Were Kings
(6) Maurice Richard
(7) Bend It Like Beckham
(8) The World's Fastest Indian
(9) Dogwon and Z-Boys - just saw it after seeing it on a comment on this list - great!!!

(1) Million Dollar Baby = legit
= I have to wonder if you are actually watching movies these days...let someone who is make up this list.

 
At 3:48 am, Anonymous Under The Hill said...

Anyone forget these great classic movies?

Hoosiers (starred Gene Hackman about the 1950s Indiana high school basketball team)

Slap Shot (hilarious movie about hockey and the love of hockey).

The Longest Yard (the 1974 film with Burt Reynold)

The Bad New Bears! (the 1976 classic! The kids were a riot act and Walter Matthau was better than Billy Bob Thornton)

Bull Durham and the Field of Dreams? Hello?!

A League of Their Own (women in professional baseball during WW2)

The Pride of the Yankees (1942 classic about Lou Gehrig)

Rocky!

and....

Rollerball! (the 1975 classic, not that 2002 remake crap!)

 
At 4:13 am, Anonymous RealityCheck said...

Folks - come one and learn how to Read. The title is "Top Ten.. from the LAST DECADE" - not the last 100 years. Geeze.

 
At 4:13 am, Anonymous Q said...

Kind of dissappointed in that list. A few solid choices, but you are definitely missing a few of the best. I'd mention them but other people already have.

 
At 4:24 am, Anonymous joe butela said...

friday night lights is suppose to take place in 1988 but yet in the movie they managed to all have under armour on..ruined what could of been a very good sports film

 
At 5:32 am, Anonymous JoNNyB said...

First of all Rounders has to be number one it is one of the greatest sports movies ever made it had incredible acting and was an amazing movie. And yes Miracle should be definitely added on here. And Friday Night Lights number one? Are you kidding me? I didn't even finish the movie before I turned it off, I don't think it should even be in the top 10. And Cinderella Man was a beautiful film with wonderful acting by Russell Crowe and an amazing storyline. Someone should have thought before making this list...

 
At 5:35 am, Anonymous PJ Fuller said...

Miracle. The fact that Bring It On is on this list, by the author, is like admitting to loving Barry Manilow while wearing a leisure suit.

Miracle was a not just a great sports movie, but a very, very good film in any genre.

 
At 5:45 am, Anonymous Lady Jaye said...

Pretty good list but like everyone else, Miracle definitely deserves to be on the list and i think Glory Road was probably better than a lot of other sports movies from the last 10 years as well.

 
At 6:15 am, Anonymous Mark Adam said...

Mystery Alaska? Hockey movie, right?
I don't follow hockey so I have no idea how realistic it was, but I liked the film as entertainment.
Am I off base (no pun intended) here?

 
At 6:50 am, Anonymous bolsonon said...

Your exclusion of "Seabiscuit," a very well-made and moving movie about one of the greatest Thoroughbred legends in the history of sports, and your inclusion of "Bring it on" along with your #1 choice being Friday Night Lights indicates that your list is poorly thought-out and more important that your taste in movies, in general, is nothing more the mediocre.

 
At 6:52 am, Anonymous Neil said...

If you enjoyed FNL, you must not have read the book. The movie totally bastardizes the book.

The book is about how there is all this pressure on H.S. football in Texas, but that it's idiotic, counterproductive, and ends up making failures of the kids, because they lose perspective on what really matters in life. It's also an indictment on how pathetic the adults in Midland for caring that much about H.S. athletics.

The movie is just your typical dumb football movie that glorifies that ignorance.

I really, honestly believe that if you thought FNL was a great movie, you're probably pretty stupid.

 
At 7:25 am, Anonymous You suck said...

Wow. You are fucking gay. The Rookie? Friday Night Lights? Bring it On? Holy gay.

 
At 7:45 am, Anonymous Βαλάντης Γάσπαρης said...

Holy gay, I agree!! Although I agree Clint Eastwood is the shit and Million Dollar Baby isn't a bad movie...it DOESN'T FREAKING DESSERVE TO BE LISTED 2ND IN THE BEST SPORT MOVIES! HARDLY 10TH! Million Dollar Baby is a Hollywood soup movie! SUCKS!

 
At 8:54 am, Anonymous pipitblog said...

Uhmmm...THE LONGEST YARD, anyone???

 
At 9:19 am, Anonymous schuhbox said...

This list is terrible. I coach high school football and you couldn't pay me to watch that movie again. It was awful. Sorry, call me sexist but cheerleading is definitely not a sport. It is supposedly entertainment at a sporting event. I've never seen the movie but if you're watching it because it is soft porn, get a life. I loved Rounders, but I refuse to call poker a sport. Shouldn't be on the list. Any Given Sunday was terrible. The Rookie was only average. Million Dollar Baby is a chick flick. You should be embarassed.

Remember the Titans, Cinderella Man and Miracle belong at the top and this clown doesn't even have two of those movies on the list.

 
At 9:27 am, Anonymous schuhbox said...

Also please stop comparing Rounders and Maverick. Maverick was a goofy a$$ comedy and not meant ot be taken seriously. Why don't you complain about how factually incorrect the classic "Dogs Playing Poker" pictures are next?

 
At 11:55 am, Anonymous Kamenjak said...

Can't believe you left off Hoosiers and Cinderella Man!! Both are great movies.

 
At 12:30 pm, Anonymous aarongershfield49 said...

Nice list. I like how you considered poker a sport. I also agree that Friday Night Lights is probably the best football movie ever. Any Given Sunday was a little over the top (I mean it did have LL Cool J doing a line off a prostitute's breast), but it still showcased a good football movie. I thought ESPN's football show Playmakers was pretty good. But we're not talking about sports shows...

 
At 12:35 pm, Anonymous Troy said...

Man oh man, I agree with you for the most part. But how is Remember the Titans a worse movie than Friday Night Lights? I liked FNL, and would even go the distance to say I loved it, but in no way would I ever put give it more personal accolades than Remember the Titans. Remember the Titans implemented the game of football, morals in life, the overbearing amount of racism in the south, and how a team that, despite their racial differences and one time disputes, come together to pull off an undefeated record to win the state championship.

That, my friend, beats a bunch of football games that I could watch on ESPN Classic any day.

 
At 1:07 pm, Anonymous sittingpugs said...

Yes! Bring It On.

I also like the inclusion of Rounders. I'm not at all upset Rocky didn't make the cut, but no Hoop Dreams? overrated?

 
At 1:08 pm, Anonymous Alasdair said...

"Truman Says:
February 14, 2008 at 4:37 pm
TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY and SEABISCUIT deserve notice too."

I don't know about the last two, but Talladega Nights should be renamed Talladega Sh**e! ... a far more accurate descrioption.

More importantly though why is there no Rocky?!! ;)

 
At 2:07 pm, Anonymous crushliberalism said...

Rudy was awesome, but yeah, it was more than a decade ago. Same with Hoosiers.

I really liked Invincible. Also, another Barry Pepper movie: 3. He played a convincing Dale Earnhart.

 
At 3:03 pm, Anonymous Joel said...

I think you missed out on some obvious ones. Where's Coach Carter and Glory Road? I also agree that Cinderella Man and Invincible were snubbed as well. These films were better than The Rookie. I don't agree that Miracle should've been on the list, so good job leaving it out.

 
At 3:25 pm, Anonymous scott said...

I just have a few that should be added...

*Miracle
*Slap Shot
*Rocky (maybe not the best but damn if those werent some entertaining movies....ill leave it to you all to debate which of the series should be on there)

 
At 3:28 pm, Anonymous Lee said...

The first thing you idiots are missing is he said "Decade".

Second, anyone who thinks that poker is NOT a sport, has NO idea the stamina it takes to play competitively and probably isn't smart enough to comprehend the idea of "sport" in the first place. 'Rounders' clearly ushered in the Poker Movement and defines the sport, much like 'The Color of Money' did for Pool.

I do think the exclusion of 'Miracle' is a bad one. While I do agree that 'Bring it On' might be a defining movie for cheerleading, any guy who would really watch it for Dunst/Dushku is probably a Perv.

 
At 3:30 pm, Anonymous matt damon said...

sorry john, i dont remember

 
At 3:43 pm, Anonymous coach yokst said...

what you did with those boys, you were the right man for the job

 
At 3:43 pm, Anonymous denzel washington said...

your a hall of famer in my book

 
At 4:02 pm, Anonymous Sports Talk on KentuckySportsRadio.com » Blog Archive » Bryan the Intern’s Picks to Click said...

[...] Cheerleading and poker.  Are these sports?  I don’t know, but they made the list of the greatest sports movies of the last [...]

 
At 4:10 pm, Anonymous JV said...

This is a horrible list, Bring it On? Are you serious? Wheres Rocky, Hoop Dreams, Baseketball? And Friday Night Lights as number 1? Read the book it blows it away.

 
At 4:26 pm, Anonymous Jason Lindsay said...

Bagger Vance would definitley be in my top 10.

I noticed there is a made for TV movie in there. If you can track it down, there was a real good one on the CBC Network up here in Canada called NET WORTH.

It basically told the story of how the hockey players started up the NHLPA to take on the owners in the NHL. So many good performances. Al Waxman as Jack Adams stands out.

 
At 4:30 pm, Anonymous Gar said...

No particular order........

Hardball
The Rookie
Seabiscuit
Ali
Glory Road
Coach Carter
We Are Marshall
Cinderella Man
Remember the Titans
Miracle

To the guy that likes Bend it Like Beckham, you forgot Herbie Fully Loaded and Blue Crush.

 
At 4:35 pm, Anonymous Ozymandias said...

Nice list.

 
At 4:46 pm, Anonymous Jason Lindsay said...

Oh, I'm not sure if I can sneak this one in, but what the hell

SNATCH.

Brad Pitt as Mickey the Pikey stole the show. And Bricktop. Best bad guy role I have seen in a long time. Also, it got you a look at the Unlicensed Boxing world in England. ALso, the boxing scenes were really good, especailly at the end "All he has to do is stay down"

 
At 4:59 pm, Anonymous Sanchez said...

Thanks for all your comments peeps (even the ones questioning my heterosexualness!)

It's good to see some people actually understood the word 'decade' even if a turck load of others didn't!

With a list like this (where you've only got ten spots) there are always going to be great films that are overlooked and expecially in 'Miracle's' case, sorry about that!

What I've tried to do is bring in to play the influence on the sport in question that a certain film had and also to look outside the norm of the posrts field genre. That's kinda why 'Bring it on' is in there. You know how many cheerleading squads with no teams to support were set up after that movie came out?

But anyway, I'm glad to have sparked a good debate with y'all and again, thanks for all your comments!

 
At 5:38 pm, Anonymous Tony Giordano said...

I've seen half the list. So far, you're right on the money. I'm going to try to watch the others soon. My company makes a Rounders memorabilia piece, if anyone's interested. www.lipf.com. Email me for a wordpress discount. agiordano@lipf.com

 
At 6:44 pm, Anonymous mattuba said...

Among baseball movies, you could really make a case for Field of Dreams. And Cinderella Man should be in your top five.

 
At 7:13 pm, Anonymous joe said...

i have to agree with some of the boys, miracle is one of the best movies i have ever seen, ps guys the list is of the last 10yrs so get real about north dallas forty and one on one get ur heads out and think.

 
At 1:05 am, Anonymous favrav said...

Through The Fire - Sebastian Telfair documentary. The part where Bassy's at the All-American is gold.

 
At 7:54 am, Anonymous Puneet said...

i like rounders ,it's just marvelous..

:)

http://www.punup.co.nr

 
At 1:07 pm, Anonymous Greg Webb said...

If you poll 100 people and ask them if "Bring it on" was a better movie than the all time greatest sports movie of "Hoosiers" 100 percent would say no contest. I can't believe anyone would not at least include "Hoosiers" in a top ten list, let alone at the top!!!

 
At 7:22 pm, Anonymous Kevin said...

So you guys think "Bring It On" is better than "Miracle"? What a joke!

 
At 10:07 pm, Anonymous Craig said...

I think it's funny how people don't read, or can't add (2008-one decade/10 years = 1998). They just like to spout off about how you missed this one and that one. If people would pay attention to what they're talking about, there would be little or no mention about such movies (albeit great) like Hoosiers, Slap Shot and the like.

This is a nice list. I don't like the inclusion of Rounders (cards are for drinking, not a sport) and would replace it with something like Seabiscuit or Cinderella Man.

 
At 7:25 pm, Anonymous JJ said...

I want that NBA referee to make a movie about what he did. I would love to know the scope on what really happened. I guess we will never know.

 
At 6:15 pm, Anonymous Mookie said...

This topic is so subjective guys, stop acting like pricks and calling this a terrible list.

And the fact that this got 128 comments is impressive......

 

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