"The Blind Side" Nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards

Much like its central character, Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher, The Blind Side continues to surprise.

The film joined nine other nominees in the Best Picture category when the Academy Award nominations were announced this morning in Los Angeles.

Sandra Bullock, who portrays Oher's adoptive mother Leigh Anne Tuohy, also received a nomination for Best Actress.

Among sports movies, The Blind Side is now in a very select group. Only 12 other sports films have been nominated for Best Picture, and only three have won the award.

The winners are Rocky (1976), Chariots of Fire (1981), and Million Dollar Baby (2004).

Other nominees include The Champ (1931), The Pride of the Yankees (1942), The Hustler (1961), Heaven Can Wait (1978), Breaking Away (1979), Raging Bull (1980), Field of Dreams (1989), Jerry Maguire (1996), and Seabiscuit (2003).

Early betting odds provided by InTrade suggest The Blind Side will likely not become the fourth sports movie winner. According to the odds, the film has only a 1.9 percent chance of winning Best Picture.

This year's other nominees are Avatar , District 9 , An Education , The Hurt Locker , Inglourious Basterds , Precious , A Serious Man , Up , and Up in the Air .

The Academy Awards will be presented on March 7th at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.