Best Sports Movies of All Time

For the most part you could say that I am not a huge sports fan. I do watch college football and have my favorite team that I support (Go Dawgs!), but other than that not a huge fan here. So, how am I qualified to give you the best sports movies of all time? Technically, I'm not. I can give you the ones that have made it to the shelf in my home and are watched repeatedly when there is nothing good on TV or at the rental store.

We'll start by working backwards with number 10.

10. Resurrecting the Champ This movie came out in 2007. It stars Samuel L Jackson as The Champ and Josh Hartnett as Erick Kernan, Jr. Hartnett comes across The Champ as he is being beaten by thugs and the story unfolds. The challenge here is whether or not this bum Hartnett rescues is telling the truth or not. It is an engaging story if not a sad one. Jackson brings you into his life as he rose to fame and then fell to the streets. I give this one 4 stars.

9. A League of Their Own. Tom Hanks and Geena Davis make this movie. The story of the first women's baseball league is a compelling story where the often quoted saying began; "There's no crying in baseball". No matter how many times we watch this movie it always has that feel good experience and comes across as a classic even though it was released in 1992.

8. Sticking with the baseball theme, Bull Durham has to top the list. Kevin Costner as Crash Davis plays an exceptional part of a pitcher sent back to the minors because he is aging. During this film he meets Annie Savoy played by Susan Sarandon. The sexual tension of these two on screen leads you to believe they will see a happily ever after, but do they? This is another oldie released in 1988, but certainly a goodie. If you like baseball and you want something that brings you closer to the players, this one is a sure fire bet.

7. One you wouldn't necessarily find on many best sports movie reviews is Gladiator. Released in 2000 and starring Russell Crowe as Maximus this movie is all male. Crowe portrays the slave turned gladiator to satisfaction with his underlying desire to bring down Commodos played by Joaquin Phoenix. If you are looking for hard bodies, fights to the death, and a good story line, be sure to pick this one up.

6. Ultimately, I had a hard time choosing for this one. I wanted to include a movie with car racing and while Fast and Furious comes to mind and is good, I had to go with Death Race. Jason Statham plays Jensen Adams in the movie released in 2008. Framed for murder, he is sent into a maximum security prison where Warden Hennesey played by Joan Allen has her own little game set up. The car action is spectacular with accidents and death being plentiful, after all it is Death Race.

5. Radio comes in at the number five spot. Cuba Gooding Jr. does an exceptional job of portraying a young man with a slowness that makes him the butt of severe judgment. Ed Harris plays the compassionate Coach Jones who takes Radio under his wing and suffers backlash from a community coming to grips with racial controversy. It is a tissue box movie.

4. Sliding in at forth is We Are Marshall. Matthew McConaughey and Matthew Fox give a great performance of the rebirth of the team after a firey plane crash takes the lives of most of their team. Be sure to have your tissues handy with this one.

3. I'll probably get a lot of backlash for the spot I am giving this movie, but while it makes it into the top five it just can't claim either of the top two spots for me. Jerry Maguire released in 1996 staring Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding Jr. is an exception movie about the behind the scenes dog eat dog world of the sports agent. It is a great feel good movie with Cruise coming to terms with what can happen when you hit rock bottom.

2. Cinderella Man released in 2005 and starring Russell Crowe as Jim Braddock rounds out my number two spot. The story of Jim Braddock during the times of the Great Depression is portrayed very well by Crowe. He finds himself up there in the high life one minute and down the next but never does he stop trying to make it for his family. This is the true American dream story.

1. And the top sports movie for me for all time is 8 Seconds. Luke Perry portrays Lane Frost in this true story of bullriding. It is a sad tale that resulted in many changes coming from his fatal injury to the bullriding circuit.

So, there you have it my top 10 best sports movies of all time, but wait I can't leave two out that make my list from time to time....Man of the House starring Tommy Lee Jones and Hildago starring Viggo Mortensen. Cheerleading and horseracing at their best in these two. Hopefully you will find a few to check out here that maybe you forgot about or haven't seen. If you have your own favorites, leave a comment and tell us what they are.