Everyone Loves an Underdog: Top 8 Sports Movies (Double-Overtime Edition)

It probably seems odd, considering how unathletic I am, but I love sports. I spent a lot of time at basketball, T-ball, soccer, volleyball, and football games in my youth--Dad coached most of those at one time or another, but I attended even when I didn't have to. I even shocked a lot of jocks with my sports knowledge (and got more extra credit than them in the sports section of our Current Events quizes), which never ceases to amuse me.

My responsibilities have multiplied and my free time has diminished, so my sports viewing has been whittled down to football these days--but I still have a soft spot for a comeback, for an underdog, for the thrill of the game. I'm a sucker for that miraculous last-minute goal, for the injured runner who summons up the courage to finish the race, for the scrawny kid who surprises everyone and wins the day. Which is why the people who make sports movies seem to have my number. Sure, they might be formulaic, but they get me every time. I'm hoping to spend part of my birthday weekend watching Invincible--and even if I wasn't dealing with all these pregnancy hormones, I'd know that I'd better bring some Kleenex. Of course, I'll probably be crying throughout Talledega Nights, too, but that'll be from laughing.

I had enough entries to fill three Top 8 lists, but I don't want to drag the topic out for 3 weeks, so I'll just include a couple of bonus lists.

First, my Top 8 Favorite Sports Movies:

1.) Field of Dreams

2.) Remember the Titans

3.) Miracle

4.) Seabiscuit

5.) Hoosiers

6.) Pride of the Yankees

7.) The Cutting Edge (for sentimental reasons)

8.) Knute Rockne All American (if only he'd played for a decent team)

Overtime: Top 8 Sports Movies that Would Probably Make it to my Favorites List if I'd Seen 'Em:

1.) Friday Night Lights

2.) The Natural

3.) A League of Their Own

4.) Glory Road

5.) Rudy (if I can ignore the Notre Dame part--I can't stand ND)

6.) Fever Pitch (the 1997 version with Colin Firth as a rabid soccer fan)

7.) The Rookie

8.) Brian's Song

(No, I still haven't seen any of the Rocky movies...and I'm pretty sure they wouldn't end up on any of my lists.)

Double Overtime: Top 8 Sports-Related Comedies

1.) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

2.) Happy Gilmore

3.) The Waterboy

4.) Caddyshack

5.) Nacho Libre

6.) Cool Runnings

7.) Over the Top (comedy unintentional, but still hilarious)

8.) The Fish that Saved Pittsburgh

P.S. I'm sure Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby will bump a bunch of movies down on this list as soon as I get a chance to see it.