The Greatest Moments in Sports Movie History

Sports movies do what other lesser, non-athletic films cannot. They have the ability to inspire the lazy, to instill hope in the jaded, to make tough guys tear up. They make you chuckle, chortle, cry and reminisce in the span of a couple hours. 

You don't discuss a typical drama film with the same reverence for which a sports movie is recalled. They're special, and have those indelible parts that stick with you long after the BluRay goes back on the dusty shelf. 

From chants of "Rudy" to a "quack, quack, quack" for a bunch of Mighty Ducks and everything in between, watch clips of the moments Bleacher Report savors the most. 

Advisory: Remember these are sports movies, so the language can get a little spicy at times. Be advised before you crank up your iMac at work and earn yourself an appointment with HR.

20. "Major League": Just a Bit Outside

Might as well start off with one of the all-time classics.

Like many of the movies on this list, "Major League" is a.) a baseball movie, and b.) loaded with so many awesome moments it was excruciating to pick one.

But this scene levitates itself above all the Willie Mays Hayes hi-jinks and Wild Thing things to earn the nod.

Why? Simple: Staying power.

Bob Uecker's perfectly-deadpanned pitch call has been an oft-repeated fan phrase and sportscaster go-to ever since this film debuted in 1989. 

19. "Tin Cup": Go for It

Idiot. 

Come on, Roy. You could have won the U.S. Open. But no, you had to go fairway wood. Even your caddie, the most famous stoner ever, was clairvoyant enough to know it wouldn't end well. 

Jean van de Velde thinks you're pathetic. 

But really, credit "Tin Cup" for not completely following the expected cliched storyline of nobody-to-champion that is the central theme of so many sports films. In end, he still got the girl, and finished in the top-15—even with that 12 on the 18th hole. 

18. "Remember the Titans": Blitz All Night

Make no mistake, everybody knows "Remember the Titans" is Denzel's movie. Every movie Denzel's in is Denzel's movie. He's a screen-presence commander, a consummate scene-stealer. This film's no different. 

But when co-star Will Patton finally gets his solo, he trumpets his way to sports movie glory with a speech that we all...remember. In 50 seconds, coach Yoast makes every out-of-shape ex-varsity football player want to grab some shoulder pads and hit somebody. 

17. "The Mighty Ducks": Quack...Quack...Quack

There's plenty of mid-20s dudes around the Bleacher Report office, and dudes in their mid-20s consider "The Mighty Ducks" essential viewing—your's truly included.

How can you not pull for Gordon Bombay and his band of rag-tag, wrong side of the iced-over pond misfits who become the best dang hockey team around? 

They're a flock, and we'll never forget that. (You're welcome to forget the sequel all you want.)

16. "Chariots of Fire": Opening Scene

This movie won a bunch of Oscars and tackled the mature topic of religion—two things that usually don't occur in the sports movie spectrum.

But as heralded as the film is, the most famous, everlasting part comes right at the beginning.

And it's not even about the cinematography or the actors—it's about the music.

15. "White Man Can't Jump": Shootout Bet

Remember that warning to turn down your computer if you're at work?

Heed it now, or grab some headphones. 

This is trash-talking at it's cinematic, unfiltered, low-brow-yet-clever best. No need for over-synthesised music (see previous slide) or speeches of climatic fervor (see slide No. 18) here.

Sometimes all movies need to have to be great is great dialogue delivered by a pair of actors who know what they're doing. 

"White Man Can't Jump" slam dunks that premise, even with Woody Harrelson's weak hops. 

14. "Any Given Sunday": Inch-by-Inch Speech

Thank you, "Any Given Sunday." 

You're real. You show a side of professional sports that exists, but is usually glossed over in movies and replaced with stories of tribulation segueing into triumph.

Not here, though—not with Oliver Stone in the director's chair. 

Sex, subterfuge, drugs—they very much exist in the world of sports. While this portrayal is obviously over the top, it's refreshing to see a movie that takes risks in its genre.

But still, it's a sports movie, and sports movies need impassioned speeches to rile the troops during "The Big Game."

Cliche? Sure. But who cares when Al Pacino delivers one this awesome. 

13. "Slap Shot": National Anthem

Ahhh, a true classic. "Slapshot" is a movie parents remember from their day, yet has enough enduring qualities to resonate with a younger generation, too.

Comedy, really good comedy, can do that. It doesn't need CGI or IMAX cameras to be branded a classic, just a bunch of laugh-tastic moments. 

Like this one...

12. "Raging Bull": You Never Got Me Down, Ray!

Don't take our word for it, take Rodger Ebert's: "Raging Bull" is one of "The Great Movies." 

Not a great boxing movie. Not a great sports movie. Not a great Martin Scorsese movie. 

No, one of the greatest movies ever.

Scenes like this are why. 

11. "Rocky IV": I Must Break You

Sorry CCCP, but Rocky and democracy have other plans.

Thank goodness for "Rocky IV," only because it helps make you forget about the one that came after it. 

That one, Dolph, you can break into a million pieces with your performance-enhancing boosted biceps. 

10. "Happy Gilmore": Are You Too Good for Your Home?!

Who hasn't felt this way when missing a putt?

Okay, maybe we don't go off on a profanity-filled rampage on national television, beat up Kevin Nealon and throw the flagstick at a cameraman.

Happy Gilmore does, though, and more power to him. He's got hockey tryouts to stay psyched-up for, remember.  

This movie is about as lowest common denominator as this list gets, which makes perfect sense considering it's one of this writer's favorite movies.

9. "Hoosiers": Final Shot

There's so many good moments from this movie it's hard to pick one—and that's proof to why "Hoosiers" is such a classic.

It's not a singular scene everybody remembers, it's the whole body of work: a well-crafted piece of cinema that has plenty of sharp points that stick out at you even if it's been years or decades since you last saw it. 

So while there's people out there, B/R's office included, who picked a different scene, you can never go wrong with the last shot.

8. "Caddyshack": Ty Webb Putting

It's been scientifically proven that it's 100 percent impossible to play a round of golf without making a "Caddyshack" reference. You just can't go 18 holes without channeling one of the memorable scenes from this comedy gold mine.

Well, you can, but that would be boring. 

And of all the "Caddyshack" references, none is more oft-repeated and mimicked than producing Chevy Chases' putting sound effects. 

7. "Field of Dreams": People Will Come...

James Earl Jones should make a speech in every movie. Any film in which he speaks is thereby made a minimum of 68 percent better because of his smooth, sub-woofer low voice vibrato-ing through your TV's speakers. 

Now make it a baseball movie—a heart-string pulling one at that—and you have scene that helps make "Field of Dreams" such a classic. 

6. "Bull Durham": I Believe Speech

Hard to argue with Crash here.

Like the home run record his character is chasing, Kevin Costner knocks it out of the park with this tell-off speech in "Bull Durham." In a movie stuffed with one-liners and the best public relations advice ever, this scene remains the quintessential part. 

5. "The Sandlot": You Play Ball Like a Girl

Take that, rich kids. Props to Benny and the boys for showing up the spoiled travel-ball brats.

The "Sandlot" is one of the best kids movies because adults can also appreciate all the nostalgia —Erector sets! PF Flyers!—that come along with it. 

There's plenty of scenes from this flick that could have qualified. But for the sake of anyone who just ate, we decided to skip the scene where they celebrate with chaw and carnival rides with a predictably projectile result.

4. "A League of Their Own": There's No Crying in Baseball

Why is there no crying in baseball? We've seen plenty of football players cry, and they're playing a sport that's far more manly and violent than baseball.

That's a question for another day, though. 

It's a hardened rule that You don't shed a tear on the diamond, and Tom Hanks makes sure that rule is enforced regardless who is playing for him. Factor in all the acting talent in "A League of their Own," and it's easy to realize why this scene became so memorable. 

3. "Rudy": Rudy, Rudy, Rudy

Don't lie: You love this scene. LOVE IT.

It moves you, and it moves every man who watches it.

You can try and puff out your chest and look tough and say this moment doesn't trigger your emotional switch, but we don't believe you. 

"Rudy...Rudy...Rudy." 

It's just so (*sniffle*) wonderful. 

2. "The Natural": Roy Hobbs' Home Run

Bobby, did you ever pick out a winner.

Goodness, isn't "The Natural" just awesome? It's the only time in history that you can appreciate an egregious electrical fire hazard. I mean, there are sparks and shards of glass falling on those fans, and they don't even care because Hobbs' homer was just so amazing. 

What a movie. 

1. "Rocky": Training Montage

Like our pugilist protagonist at the top of the stairs, this scene makes the top of our list because it's just so well-known, respected and empowering. 

How many movie montages were crafted just trying to capture a sliver of the magic this one had? This scene was a game-changer.

And the music—oh, the music. You hear the first two notes of this song, and your head goes to "Rocky." 

You've been wired through the years of hearing it at every sporting event ever. Yet, it still rocks.