Greatest Sports Movies Of All Time

For some reason I still get a little teary-eyed when Ray Concetta (Kevin Costner) asks his Dad if he wants to have a catch? I know you have too, if you have seen Field Of Dreams. Or does the hair on your arms stand up when the members of the board are deciding if they should suspend the football program at a small university and the whole town is shouting, "WE ARE...MARSHALL." How much do you laugh when your hear that lovely Puerto Rican accent of Rosie Perez yelling at Billy Hoyle (Woody Harelson), "Billy, you lost all the F*%$#ing money!" Movies are great, but sports movies are the combination of two of our greatest passions, sports and entertainment.

There are three movies though that have really affected me and will never forget and can watch them over and over again.

1. The Natural -

This movie gets me on so many levels. A young man with so much talent, Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford), falls for the wrong woman and the perils of greatness. He loses all and never gives up. He faces a crooked owner, the Judge (Robert Prosky), a temptress, Memo Paris (Kim Basinger), the cranky never won anything manager, Pop Fisher (Wilford Brimley) and the loss of his bat (Boy Wonder) to give us one of the greatest moments on film. When Redford hits that ball into the lights and is rounding the bases with the sparks flying down, I can't help to think that it every boys dream. If you have never seen this movie before, go out now. I'm sure there is a redbox near your house that has it.

2. Rudy -

"You're five foot nothing, one hundred and nothing, and you barely have a spec of athletic ability. And you hung in there with the best college football players in the land for two years." This is one of the greatest pep talks that was ever given in a sports movie. It was given by Fortune (Charles S. Dutton) to Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger (Sean Astin) when he was thinking about giving up because he wasn't going to be able to get on the field in a Notre Damn game. Rudy shows the courage that all of us need, not only on the football field but in the game of life.

3. Hoosiers -

"If you put your effort and concentration into playing to your potential, to be the best that you can be, I don't care what the scoreboard says at the end of the game, in my book we're going to be winners." What an inspirational pep talk given by coach Norman Dale (Gene Hackman) to his players to get the best out of them. It's true, if we all follow Hackman's words in this movie, we are all winners. Plus, it's still pretty sweet to watch Jimmy Chitwood (Maris Valainis) sink jumpers all day long on South Bend Central High School.

Well, there you have it. I know I have left some of your favorites out, but that is why there is a comment section. Let me know what is your favorite sports movie and why.