Top 5 Sports Movies

The Sports Movie genre is one filled with many classic films. As Americans, nothing gets our hearts pumping like sports, so it's no wonder we love our sports movies. I previewed this last week, and in keeping with trying to roll these out before Friday, I thought I should get this list out there tonight.

I mentioned that "Hoosiers" and "Rudy" aren't in my top 5, they are actually 6 and 7, respectively. Even though I love golf, "Caddyshack" is not even in my top 10...don't get me wrong, it's a really good movie, but I actually prefer more serious golf movies. My top 5 consists of 3 baseball movies and 2 golf movies.

5 - "The Rookie": This movie stars Dennis Quaid as Jim Morris, a high school baseball coach turned Major League pitcher. This movie is actually based on a true story. In the movie, Morris (Quaid) is in his mid 30's, when he starts pitching to his Texas high school baseball team to help them learn how to hit. His players are amazed at the speed he has on the ball, and make him promise to go try out for the Major Leagues if they win state (or maybe it was districts). Well, they do and he tries out and eventually lands with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and he makes his debut in Arlington Texas, with all his family and friends in attendance. Very moving stuff.

4 - "The Greatest Game Ever Played": Yet another movie based on a true story. This is based on the biggest moment in the history of American Golf. In 1913, little known amateur Francis Ouimet shocked the golf word by beating two of Great Britain's biggest stars, Harry Vardon and Ted Ray, to win the U.S. Open, contested at The Country Club in Brookline, MA. Ouimet had caddied at The Country Club as a kid, and was a local hero. Shia Lebouf stars as Franci Ouimet. Bill Paxton directed "The Greatest Game Ever Played" and it has some shots and effects that make this a very different feeling golf movie.

3 - "Bobby Jones, Stroke of Genius": Bobby Jones is without a doubt, the greatest amateur golfer that ever lived. He won 13 major championships (for amateurs, that's US Open, US Amateur, British Open and British Amateur), including all 4 in 1929. He retired in 1929 and 5 years later open Augusta National in Augusta Georgia, and began hosting the Masters. The Masters happens to be my favorite golf tournament in the free or oppressed world. "Stroke of Genius" stars Jim Caveizel as Bobby Jones. The movie follows him from childhood up through winning all 4 majors in 1929 and retiring. I love this movie and watch it every time I can when it's on the Golf Channel.

2 - "Field of Dreams": "Is this heaven? No, it's Iowa." I had a very hard time not putting this #1. Baseball movies seem to be the one type of movie Kevin Costner can really pull off, and he definitely pulls this one off, with the help of James Earl Jones, Burt Lancaster, Ray Liotta and Amy Madigan. I'm sure everyone knows this story. Costner stars as Ray Kinsella, an Iowa farmer who begins hearing voices coming from his corn field. Shot near Dyersville, Iowa, "Field of Dreams" tugs at your heart and reminds you of how great baseball can be. The final scenes of "Field of Dreams" give me goosebumps just thinking about them. "People will come Ray".

1 - "Major League": I know what you're thinking...I can't believe he rated that his #1 sports movie of all time. But, seriously, this is a great movie! Those lovable losers, the Cleveland Indians, are under new ownership, and she hates Cleveland. In an effort to move the team to Miami, the new owner assembles the worst collection of players she can, with the express goal of being bad enough to get out of her contract with Cleveland so she can move the team. The misfit band includes aging catcher Jake Taylor (Tom Berenger), "Wild Thing" Rick Vaughn (Charlie Sheen) at pitcher, and Willie "Mayes" Hayes (Wesley Snipes), Roger Dorn (Corbin Bernson) and Pedro Cerano (Dennis Haysbert) playing the field. This bunch is managed by Lou Brown (James Gammon). Somehow, this band of losers finds a way to start winning and makes it to a 1 game playoff against the hated New York Yankees. Bob Uecker is the play by play announcer and adds a lot of comedy, and I still get goose bumps every time I see the final scene where Rick Vaughn faces off against the Yankees' top slugger. Classic stuff.