The All-Time Top 50 Sports Movies, Pt. 1

Here are the Top 50 All-Time Sports Movies. I think too often movies that are comedies are seen as simply "stupid" movies and have no content, when they are actually very funny and have plenty of real-world context that athletes can remember nostalgic events from their own past.

To get into my Top 50, the movie must be mainstream in American Pop culture (meaning some AWESOME foreign flicks will not be on this list, so I don't have to deal with someone asking why their favorite film isn't on the list but Out Cold is), relatively successful, must be relatively believable—hence why Teen Wolf does not make the list—and lastly, and what I think is most important, The Story.

So here they are.

50. Out Cold

This was a great stoner/ski bum movie. A Casablanca remake mixed with a parody of '80s ski flicks. Best scenes: Spinning Car, Stuck in the Hot Tub, Internet Love Connection.

49. Talladega Nights

This is a hilarious parody of NASCAR. It pokes fun at so many of the stereotypical NASCAR fans, drivers, owners, and personalities. Add Sacha Baron Cohen as an obnoxious french Formula One Racer, and you've got some great comedy.

48. Blades of Glory

Jon Heder and Will Ferrell in a hilarious parody of the figure skating world. When two rival Olympic ice skaters were stripped of their gold medals and permanently banned from men's single competition, they use a loophole that will allow them to qualify as a pairs team, and the fun ensues.

47. The Great White Hope

This boxing bio flick is about Jack Jefferson (James Earl Jones), a boxer dealing with racism. He is the first black heavyweight contender, and he's also in love with a white woman. This powerful movie deals with black on black, white on black, and white on white hatred.

46. Any Given Sunday

This movie gave you a behind the scenes take on professional football full of sportswriters/journalists, drug use, unethical medical practices, discrimination, sexism, and greed.

This movie has some "Major League" themes involved with the evil female owner wanting to move the team for financial reasons. Wish the acting was better.

45. Mystery, Alaska

Great movie about a small town and their best hockey players who play against the New York Rangers. The best is Mike Myers and his "Don Cherry" scene. It's too bad that the real New York Rangers wouldn't do the movie.

44 - Million Dollar Baby

Now, I don't think this movie was as good it's been portrayed. The genius that is Clint Eastwood doesn't save this movie for me, but the directing was great and the story was good, I think it was Hilary Swank i didn't go weel with.

43 - Major League

In this baseball comedy classic the owner of the cleveland Indians puts together a team of losers, over-the-hill veterans, unproven rookies with raw talent, and plenty of egos. They win just to prove her wrong and along the way find out who they really are.

42 - The Harder They Fall

When an fight promoter hires a jobless sports-writer to promote an Argentinian fighter with nopower and a glass jaw, the current champ gets upset at the attention he gets while winning his rigged fights.

The sports-writer debates weather or not to tell the young fighter about the gig before he gets killed in the ring. Great movie, gotta love Bogart in this one.

41 - National Velvet

Ok, now someone mentioned that not many people have seen this one. I know a lot of women who saw this when they were children and I've shown it to my daughter. It's a great little horse movie for girls! So why is it on this list?

Well horse racing is technically a sport, and you've got Mickey Rooney, Angela Lansbury, and Elizabeth Taylor. If you haven't seen this, watch it with your resident horse-loving children.

40 - Love And Basketball

Great story line and great acting make this a little gem that just doesn't get enough respect.

Monica moves in next door to Quincy who's dad is an NBA pro. As high school ends they become a coupleonly the break up playing ball at USC.

When they are finally pro basketball players they cross paths and end up playing a high stakes one-on-one game.

39 - The Rookie

A modern version of The Natural, The Rookie is a high school baseball coach who's got a wicked arm and his kids challenge him. If they make the playoffs, he goes pro. Good acting and good story, best scene: when Quaid throws the ball and the radar shows a slow speed and as he walks away it shows the real speed which is a pro level speed.

38 - Field Of Dreams

Eveyone knows this movie. "Build it and they will come" is probably one of the most famous sports-movie quotes of all time. James Earl Jones is the star of this one and the ties to the past make this a great sunday afternoon movie with the fam and friends.

37 - Jerry Maguire

"Show me the Money!!" As Jerry Maguire, Tom Cruise takes the high road on morality and loses all but one of his athletes. He falls in love with his girlfriend/assistant and her adorable little son. Fun movie for all.

36 - 61*

This is an awesome period piece that tells the story of Maris and Mantle as they try to break Babe Ruth's single season home run record of 60.

It's the original Sosa vs. McGuire, but they are on the same team. As much as I hate the Yankees, I enjoyed this movie directed by Bomber fan, Billy Crystal.

35 - Rudy

Now we get into the "keeper" movies. These flicks should be in every sports fan's collection. Rudy is the ultimate feel good, tear-jerk, go home and think back to what could have been when you played football in high school. It's an inspiring story and a great movie. Should be in everyone's home.

34 - The Bad News Bears

I remember getting so excited when this movie would come on cable. This movie is great in and of the fact that it's been redone so many times ie the remake with Billy Bob Thorton, Mighty Ducks, etc. You can't deny this movie is a classic.

33 - Somebody Up There Likes Me

The original Rocky. This movie is the biographical drama about one of the greatest fighters of all time. Paul Newman plays Rocky Graziano, a young punk who goes to jail, then drafted into the army, then goes awaol and becomes a fighter. Awesome movie and great story.

32 - The Hurricane

Now the story was majorly distorted as Hollywood often does. The acting and story line are what make this movie a gem. Denzel is awesome as Ruben "Hurricane" Carter.

31 - Champion

Kirk Douglas stars as Midge, the great boxing hero who's a piece of crap as a human being. He beats the crapout ofoppenents, get's smacked around as well, hooks up with women, and is an over-all bastard. Good acting and good story line.

30 - Rocky III

This is an awesome movie. Rocky has been kicking butt and taking names, he even wrestles Thunderlips (Hulk Hogan), then when he's thinking about retiring, Clubber Lang challenges him to a fight he can't refuse. Just before the fight, they get into it backstage and Mick gets hurt, with his mind on Mick, Rocky gets beat.

His former adversary, now best friend, Appollo Creed bring him back to challenge Lang for the title. Awesome movie and don't forget "Eye of the Tiger"

29 - The Mighty Ducks

A remake hockey of The Bad News Bears, The Mighty Ducks wins big with it's good story lines and decent child actors. This movie introduced a whole generation to the term "deek."

Most "what-the-heck-is-hockey-about" child athletes were introduced to hockey through this film and Disney went to the bank with sequels and a professional hockey team which survives to this day as the Anaheim Ducks.

28 - Coach Carter

Great story and great young cast of basketball players. This movie is about a team who's coach sets some ground rules for them to play by. Do well in school, follow a dress code, and behave like gentlemen.

They go undefeated and then the coach find out they have slipped back to thier old ways. He locks them out and upsets the team, the community, and the school. This is how high school coaches SHOULD be. Great movie and great message.

27 - Legend of Bagger Vance

This is an awesome golf movie directed by Robert Redford. When the tax collectors tell Charlize Theron (FREAKING HOT) that she should sell her dead father's golf course, she holds an event to raise money. Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen compete for $10,000 but the townsfolk want a local to play, so in comes Junuh her old fling.

He's a drunk and can't play anymore until Bagger Vance comes along and changes everything. you can't go wrong with good directing, good story line and Will Smith, Matt Damon, and CHARLIZE THERON!

26 - Caddyshack

The ultimate golf movie and comedy flick all wrapped up in one. Bill Murray is awesome and the gopher deserved an award as well. There's no question that this movie is awesome.

25 - Days Of Thunder

In this NASCAR movie, Cole Trickle (Tom Cruise) is a hot headed young rookie driver who pisses EVERYONE off. Now the cast is awesome and the story line is great, Cary Elwes is an awesome bad guy and guess who's in this movie? John C. Reilly played Buck Bretherton a pit-crew member, ironic no?