The 10 Best Sports-Related Sitcoms of All Time

The television airwaves aren’t exactly flush with sports sitcoms, but there have been some great ones over the years.

First, let’s be clear on what I mean by sitcom—that is, a situational comedy. Unfortunately, that means Friday Night Lights can’t be included on this list of stellar TV shows.

What can be included are long-running favorites like Coach and gone-too-soon gems like Sports Night. Of course, the quality of any TV show is purely a matter of opinion, but here are 10 that certainly got some laughs in their day.

Honorable Mention: Seinfeld

Seinfeld certainly wasn’t a sports show, but it gets an honorable mention because of the incredible George Steinbrenner and Keith Hernandez storylines. 

George Costanza, played by Jason Alexander, was hired to work for the New York Yankees in Season 5. He stayed there for several seasons, often interacting with Steinbrenner, voiced by Larry David. Former New York Mets player Keith Hernandez also made a couple of hilarious appearances in which he was accused of spitting on Kramer.  

The Tournament

The Tournament was a Canadian mockumentary about a youth hockey league and the goings-on around it. The show aired for just two seasons in 2005 and ’06. 

If you like The Office and Parks and Recreation, and if you have ever played youth hockey, chances are you’ll find this show pretty funny. According to a review on The Serious Comedy Site, the show is “one hell of a dark hockey comedy with some very warped and funny characters.”

1st and Ten

The HBO comedy 1st & Ten aired from 1984 to 1991 and starred O.J. Simpson, among others. The plot followed the California Bulls, an obviously fictional pro football team, and the very HBO-like exploits of its players.

The team also had a female owner, played by Delta Burke, and guest stars like Joe Namath and Herschel Walker appeared on the show. Mix in '80s style with the comedic antics, and you have a decent comedy.

Hang Time

What person who came of age in the '90s hasn’t at least heard of Hang Time? This show was like Boy Meets World but with basketball. It ran from 1995 to 2000 on NBC on Saturday mornings. 

A group of seven high schoolers tackled their high school issues around the nucleus of their school’s basketball team. There were jocks, cheerleaders and best of all, a head coach played by former NBA star Reggie Theus. Also, Kobe Bryant once made a guest appearance—for real.

Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper

Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper was another '90s gem (1992 to 1997), in which comedian Mark Curry played an NBA player-turned-high school teacher and basketball coach. The show also featured Holly Robinson Peete as Curry’s roommate and Omar Gooding as one of his players.   

Fun fact: The show was set in Oakland, California, just across the bay from the Full House gang in San Francisco. The littlest Tanner, Michelle, once made an appearance on Hangin' in an episode titled “Hangin’ with Michelle.”

Blue Mountain State

Blue Mountain State aired on Spike from 2010 to 2012. It was sort of like Varsity Blues, but for college, and not quite so serious. There was also no whip-cream bikini that I’m aware of. The plot focused on a fictional college football team, the Mountain Goats. 

Though the show only aired for three seasons, it had enough of a following to raise $1.9 million on Kickstarter for a film adaptation.

Arliss

Arli$$ was an HBO comedy about a high-powered sports agent that ran from 1996 to 2002. Think Entourage meets Jerry McGuire. Robert Wuhl played Arliss Michaels, the Ari Gold of this show. Athlete cameos were abundant with guest appearances by Bruce Smith, Warren Moon and Michael Andretti, among others. 

The show got mixed reviews during its seven-year run, but the talented cast, including Sandra Oh, was certainly a highlight.

Sports Night

Sports Night aired on ABC from 1998 to 2000. The show featured Josh Charles and Peter Krause as best friends and co-anchors of a fictional nightly sports show. The writing was on point, as you might expect from Aaron Sorkin, whose other credits include Moneyball, The Social Network and The West Wing. 

Though critically acclaimed, the show's ratings weren’t where they needed to be to get the show past its second season. Like Friday Night Lights and Arrested Development, some shows just aren’t fully appreciated in their own time.

The League

Warning: Video contains NSFW content. 

The League is an FXX sitcom about a group of middle-aged Chicagoans in a fantasy football league. The raunchy series features comedians Mark Duplass, Nick Kroll, Paul Scheer and Stephen Rannazzisi as old buddies who still prank one another and talk trash mercilessly. 

FXX picked up The League for a seventh and final season that will air in fall 2015.

Eastbound and Down

Warning: Video contains NSFW content.  

If The League is too raunchy for you, don’t watch Eastbound & Down. But if you enjoy inappropriate sports-related hilarity, this is the show for you.   

Danny McBride kills as Kenny Powers, a washed-up MLB pitcher who ends up teaching gym class at his old middle school. The Will Ferrell-produced show ran on HBO from 2009 to 2013 and produced such hilarious quotes as, “I play real sports. Not trying to be the best at exercising,” and other, less G-rated gems.

Coach

Coach was certainly one of the most successful sports sitcoms of all time, running from 1989 to 1997. Craig T. Nelson played Hayden Fox, coach of the Minnesota State Screamin' Eagles football team. 

Co-stars Jerry Van Dyke and Bill Fagerbakke played assistant coaches and added comedic depth to the well-received sitcom. Coach featured a series of famous football guest stars over the years, including Troy Aikman, Keyshawn Johnson and Mike Ditka.