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Foxy's Top Ten Sports Movies - The End
In the previous blog I listed five of my top ten favorite sports movies. Listed chronologically, they are: Brian's Song (1971), Breaking Away (1976), Rocky (1976), The Natural (1984) and Hoosiers (1986).
At the risk of disappointing some people, here are the next five:
(6) Major League (1989) - Perhaps one of the funniest baseball movies ever and characters like Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn (Charlie Sheen), Willie Mays Hayes (Wesley Snipes) and Pedro Cerrano (Dennis Haysbert) steal the show. The Bob Uecker role as announcer Harry Doyle is great! A great movie to watch with your kids!
(7) League of Their Own (1992) - The story of the Women's Professional Baseball League. And I'm sure there really were such wild and crazy characters blazing the trail for women's sports, long before the advent of Title IX. The cast of characters is like a Hollywood Who's Who of zaniness: Madonna as Mae Mordabito, Rosie O'Donnell as Doris Murphy, Geena Davis as Dottie Hinson. And with Tom Hanks as manager Jimmy Dugan this movie has just the right recipe! "There's no crying in baseball!" shouts manager Dugan. But there is plenty of laughing!
(8) Blue Chips (1994) - Some remember this movie as the acting debut of the legendary Shaq, Shaquille O'Neal, as the coveted basketball player known as Neon. The movie gives a glimpse into the underworld of college recruiting and Nick Nolte as coach Pete Ball plays it to the top. If Gene Hackman is the best at shouting in an angry emotional scene, then Nick Nolte gets the runner-up spot. Plus, there's a great foul-shooting scene with NBA Hall of Famer Bob Cousy, one of my childhood favorites.
(9) The Fan (1996) - This sports movie is more about the fan (as in fanatic) than it is about the sport of baseball. But Robert DiNiro is his usual spooky self in his portrayal of tough-luck loser Gil Renard, a guy who gets obsessed with the San Francisco Giants' Bobby Rayburn, who could remind you of Barry Bonds. Throw in the beautiful Ellen Barkin as Jewel Stern and you've got a spellbinder in more ways than one!
(10) Kingpin (1996) - By now you probably have got the point that I love comedies. And the movie Kingpin somehow combines the competition in the world of professional bowling with the comedic acting talents of Bill Murray and Woody Harrelson. Harrelson is Roy Munson, a one-armed bowler, and Murray is Ernie McCracken, the all-time bowling champ. The climax of the movie keeps you laughing on the edge of your seat. The movie soundtrack includes a great song, "Showdown," by Electric Light Orchestra (remember ELO?) Plus, I bet my friends the Munsons over at North Bowl Lanes love this movie. It can make you fall into the gutter with laughter.
So, that's my list. A few surprises, huh? And I left out the movie SANDLOT, a real good one, a throwback to the days when we all used to play sandlot baseball. I even could have included THE JACKIE ROBINSON STORY, which actually featured the Brooklyn Dodger trailblazer, Jackie Robinson, showing his real talents were on the diamond, not the stage. And then there's the movie ROOGIE'S BUMP, which featured many Brooklyn Dodger players showing that they can't act, either.
Did I leave out your favorite?
Comments
Foxy,
I must concur with Craig Mathews. His choices would be mine. Slap Shot was one of the all time funniest movies made let alone being a sports movie. North Dallas Forty, following the book, was as realistic as it could be for that era. Many great movies but those 2 I watched several times. Also, Foxy to get off the subject. This past August I attended an Altoona Curves Double A baseball game. What a ball park and community!! I was wondering if you had ever made it there. How about a blog about memorable baseball fields and ball parks many of us saw or played on.
Bullet
(Foxy's note: Great idea, Bullet! I will mention some of my favorite ballparks in an upcoming blog -- I have a few real favorites in my travels, but have never been to Altoona.)
Posted by: Bullet | September 18, 2007 3:00 PM
Geez Foxy I know your television is small and operates on tubes but there are some modern sports movies out there that you might be able to watch on it. You might enjoy them better on a large screen that has a remote though. Ha!
Invincible the story of Vince Papale of the Philadelphia Eagles, For Love of the Game with Kevin Costner, Its kind of a chick flick at times but poignant for all you old guys who are retiring and still watching Rudy. I think I was 11 when Papale played.
Still we believe. it’s a documentary on the 2003 Red Sox from the fans point of view. (Real Fans of Baseball) Enjoy.
(Foxy's note: Your "updated" suggestions are appreciated. And your opening comment is very funny. I see your sense of humor has improved since you were at the middle school! -- Many people have suggested I see "Invincible," so I'll put that on my "to do" list.)
Posted by: LaPoint | September 18, 2007 12:40 PM
Hey Fox,
Two of my personal favorites are "Mr. Baseball" and "Sandlot." Funny, funny funny!
Posted by: Auntyellow | September 18, 2007 9:22 AM
Some may call this a stretch as the sport involved is the Circus - but, hey, there's acrobatics in the Circus, right? The 1939 classic "You Can't Cheat an Honest Man" starring W.C. Fields and Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy. This is a 'got to see'. Someone mentioned Babe Ruth - my Dad caddied for the Babe once when he was playing with my great-uncle Roger up in Lake Placid.
Posted by: Miney Rowlson | September 18, 2007 8:54 AM
I personally enjoy "For The Love Of The Game" with Kevin Cosner.
Posted by: The Donald | September 17, 2007 4:50 PM
Sorry for the delay in my reply, but I was in New Hampshire watching a little NASCAR...thus my next point of requesting that we do an additional blog just addressing comedy sports movies….like Talledega Nights, The Legend of Ricky Bobby! Funny, funny movie!
I can’t believe you didn’t have “Rudy”. What a bummer.
Posted by: Kern | September 17, 2007 1:31 PM
Foxy,
Major League? I think even I could hit Charlie Sheen. How about Field of Dreams?
Don Carlisto
(Foxy's note: Yes, probably Field of Dreams should be on my list. But I do like the funny characters in Major League!)
Posted by: Don Carlisto | September 17, 2007 12:01 PM
foxy, I don't agree with some of your choices, but then again I'm not Roger Ebert.
My personal preferences are mostly the old biopics of significant sports legends to include the folllowing: The Pride of the Yankees (Lou Gerhig) Babe (Babe Ruth) Hard to believe I'm a Red Sox fan. but also include the Jimmy Piersall Story, Add to the list Jackie Robinson story and the Ty Cobb story.
Somebody Up There Likes Me, Rocky Graziano The Great White Hope, Henry Johnson and The Raging Bull are also on the list
In addition to your list add The Legend of Bagger Vance, Rudy,The Natural and the first three Rockys.
There are probably more, but those that hit my mind at the moment.
Posted by: skip zatonski | September 17, 2007 8:47 AM
I can't believe you left out "Rudy"
(Foxy's note: Everybody likes "Rudy" -- maybe I'll have to watch it again and see if it pulls at my heart strings.)
Posted by: Kathy | September 16, 2007 6:45 PM
Foxy,
Two of my favorites are Slap Shot and North Dallas Forty.
Craig Mathews
Posted by: Craig Mathews | September 16, 2007 4:07 PM
Foxman. I like the choices of Major League, Blue Chips, and Kingpin. But I must say i'm rather disapointed that Rudy is not in there, nor is Miracle.
Rudy, like Rocky is a classic underdog story, and has such a great feeling at the end when he sacked the QB in the end.
Miracle is the story of the greatest upset in U.S sports history, maybe in all of sports. And with it taking place in the North Country I figured you would put that on the list. But hey, I realize that you are not perfect (just kidding).
Keep up the good work, you entertain me all the way down here! Talk to you soon!
(Foxy's note: Always great to hear from Benway, the kid from Jay who is now the Laredo (Texas) Bucks hockey play-by-play man!)
Posted by: Bryan Benway | September 16, 2007 3:32 PM
foxy...what about bad news bears, tin cup, happy gilmore....where is your comedy side??..just kidding..you have some great choices..
(Foxy's note: Yes, I did like Tin Cup, but not being a golfer it dropped out of my top ten. )
Posted by: bill glasscock | September 16, 2007 1:50 PM