The 10 Most Underrated Sports Movies

The classic sports movies have been seen by most adolescent males hungry for their testosterone fix:

Rocky, Hoosiers, Slap Shot, Raging Bull, and Field of Dreams.

But what about those underrated sports movies.

Those moves that deserve to be ranked up their with classics, but for some reason, don't get the respect of their counterparts.

Here is, the top ten underrated sports movies . . .

Honorable Mentions

1. "Happy Gilmore" - Some people classify this as a silly comedy, but this is one of the few Sandler classics. Funny as shit all the way through.

2. "Miracle" - I watched it in a room full of people and we were all chanting "USA, USA" by the end of it. Extremely emotional.

3. "The Longest Yard" - Burt Reynolds kicking ass all over the screen.

4. "Invincible" - Mark Whalberg laying it on a little thick in the cheese department. Kinda lame, but still enjoyable.

5. "Eight Men Out" - A good movie, all the way through, but they could've done better. 

10) Teen Wolf

This film is lamer and cheesier then Carlos Mencia's comedy act . . . still, it's pretty great entertainment watching Michael J. Fox turn into a wolf and start owning high school basketball like Jordan in his prime. A perfect 80s movie.

9) Million Dollar Baby

A kid from a poor Indiana town becomes obsessed with the Italian racing team. Of course, the Italians turn out to be douche bags. The bike race at the end still gives me chills. The movie was an oscar for original screenplay.

8) Baesketball

Forget the comedy aspect of the film. Matt Stone and Trey Parker single-handily predicted the rise of entertainment and commercialism in the way that it would eventually relate to sports: owners naming their stadiums after company's, free agents switching teams like LSU co-eds switch partners, and ridiculous touchdown dances. 

7) Big Fan

Patton Oswalt is known for his dark comedy, but there is little comedy in this very dark movie about a New York Giants fan living at home who gets involved in a violent interaction with his favorite player. The saddest moment in the film comes at the end as he calls into his favorite radio show, and his mom picks up on the other end, leading him to become berated by the hosts. 

5) Bad News Bears

Walter Matheau plays a mean-spirited drunk who thinks it's a great idea to teach young kids how to play baseball. Tatum O'Neal and Jackie Earle Haley both star at the beginning of the child star fame. The Bears start to play well, lose the championship game, but get drunk anyways.

6) Rocky IV

My favorite Rocky movie. The training sequence in the winter forest is still the coolest thing I have ever seen on film. Dolph Lundgren, with his performance, proves to be the most understated actor of his generation. Ivan Drago's training sequence is a good estimation of what Barry Bonds was doing in the early 2000s.

4) Fat City

Jeff Bridges plays an upstart boxer dueling with Stacy Keach, the guy losing his stuff with age. Great performances in a film that has more blood and grit then your grandfather's underwear.

3) Breaking Away

A kid from a poor Indiana town becomes obsessed with the Italian racing team. Of course, the Italians turn out to be douche bags. The bike race at the end still gives me chills. The movie was an oscar for original screenplay.

2) The Wrestler

Mickey Rourke gives a tremendous performance. The only problem with this film is that it's a huge downer. If you can sweat out a bloated, roided up athlete basically kill himself just so he can "perform" the sport that he loves, then go for it.

Side note: Marisa Tomei gets naked a lot. It's quite a site so if you have heart problems I would stay away.

1) Hoop Dreams

Half-way through the movie you're think, "this is some pretty good drama." And then you realize that the film is about real people in real situation. This documentary follows two young guys, Arthur Agee and William Gates, as they play high school basketball in Chicago. 

The saddest scene in the film is the long take of Arthur Agee meeting his father on a basketball court in the part and then watching him walk over to the drug dealers on the corner to buy heroin.