MWil23 Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 After people in the WAYTA thread debated and subsequently bashed and then listed various sports movies from the late 80s and early 90s including, but not limited to The Mighty Ducks, Bull Durham, Major League, and the Sandlot, I've decided to come up with some clear cut criteria on what constitutes a great sports movie. The goal of this, is based off of MY CRITERIA (feel free to humbly request that I take your opinion into consideration and add/amend the below criteria), we will discuss and submit our greatest sports movies, by sport. Baseball will obviously be the most difficult, as most great sports movies are by default baseball movies (Major League, the Sandlot, the Natural, etc.). Now, on to the criteria: 1. IS THIS MOVIE ACTUALLY A SPORTS MOVIE? This one, while it seems to be the most obvious, is actually the most difficult to define. For example: 2. If the movie is based off of a real event/person, it's effectively eliminated. Sorry, no docudramas. Prefontaine (Jaret Leto), Miracle, 8 Men Out, 61, The Pistol and a host of others are eliminated 3. If the movie is a chick flick masquerading as a sports movie, it's eliminated. Sorry For Love of the Game and Love and Basketball. That doesn't mean that they can't be good movies or have good sports aspects. For Love of the Game is great at depicting the art of the perfect game, the culmination of a career, realistic moments like realizing that he had one going in about the 6th inning (very realistic), the antagonistic playoff atmosphere, honing in, Vin Scully...etc. But, at the end of the day, he cries because he loses/thinks he loses the girl and couldn't enjoy his perfect game. This take is controversial, but I stand by it. 4. The MAIN focal point/thesis of the film MUST be sports centered. Rocky (the original) is disqualified. This is clearly a film about the American Dream, someone who lacks intelligence/education, is a "nobody" chasing after the American Dream, being a contender, valuing family/relationships. Boxing is merely the avenue/conduit of the film. Cinderella Man is also disqualified. While these movies are fantastic and have great sports scenes/moments, they're not really "sports movies". Rocky IV is also a Cold War propaganda movie. Rocky II is actually more focused on family/relationships/interacting with the real world and adjusting to life without sports than more think/believe. Rocky III, however, centers around being on top of the boxing world. We'll allow it. 5. Is Shawn Bradley supposed to be a Superstar with elite athletic ability, and is this ability stolen by cartoon aliens who battle Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes for eternal slavery on Moron Mountain, while eluding to legitimate gambling references with the greatest superstar on the history of the planet who conspiracy theorists believe was banned from basketball for a two year period for gambling? Sorry Space Jam 6. Originals ONLY (Exception: Sequels/Trilogies/Anthologies) Sorry the new Longest Yard 7. It must be a good movie Sorry Days of Thunder 8. Casual fans must be able to discuss this. No ridiculous cult classics/obscure movies. Discuss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shady Slim Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 to be a goat sports movie it must -be any given sunday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cddolphin Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 Any mention of Remember the Titans should result in an auto-ban. That being said, Bend It Like Beckham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramssuperbowl99 Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 ctrl+f "smug" No results Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dome Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 Any of the Step Up movies for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AFlaccoSeagulls Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 Friday Night Lights is my favorite sports movie ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ET80 Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 The Program was pretty good. Mike Tomlin did a good job as the rookie RB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gopherwrestler Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 4 hours ago, MWil23 said: 7. It must be a good movie Sorry Days of Thunder This was going to be such a good thread until this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gopherwrestler Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 1. Days of Thunder 2. Goon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bucsfan333 Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 Dodgeball Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
August4th Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 Hoop Dreams not sure it fits this criteria tho Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyers0909 Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 The Replacements Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LETSGOBROWNIES Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 Necessary Roughness was a favorite when I was a kid. The Program was cool. Duane Davis was in both. He’s the son of Willie Davis and the father of Wyatt Davis from THE Ohio State University. Prolly Major League tough tbh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malfatron Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 Days of Thunder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinneasGage Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 johnny tsunami Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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