It's not exactly a stretch to say that HNGN's sports staff...likes sports. But we also love movies. So why not get a little wild on this Friday and combine the two?
Each of us had a crack at arguing which sports movie is the best of all time. Fair warning: what we lack in sophisticated tastes, we make up for in humor.
Thomas Carannante: "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story"
Best sports movie ever? Oh, that would be "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story," starring Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller - two of the best actors of the 2000s (yes, whether you think so or not). The contemporary film was released in 2004, and was an instant comedic hit.
Peter La Fleur (Vince Vaughn) is the owner of Average Joe's Gym, which is going out of business due to the emergence of the nearby Globo Gym, owned by White Goodman (Ben Stiller). The only way to save Average Joe's is if La Fleur can put together a dodgeball team to compete for the $50,000 grand prize in the Las Vegas tournament. After La Fleur and his team of misfits and non-athletes qualify for the tournament (beating a team of girl scouts who were disqualified for cheating), they soon find out Goodman has assembled a dodgeball team of his own, consisting of meathead fitness freaks that clearly outmatch the nerds led by La Fleur and former dodgeball legend, Patches O'Houlihan (Rip Torn).
Throughout the tournament, we were grateful enough to have Pepper Brookes (Jason Bateman) and Cotton McKnight (Gary Cole) announcing each matchup. In the end, La Fleur and the Average Joe's team ultimately defeat Goodman and Globo Gym in the final match to save his gym and live on happily ever after. I just can't think of a better movie that relates to both middle-schoolers and adults, as well as math-letes and athletes. If only "ESPN 8: The Ocho" actually existed...
Cal Setar: "Goon"
Ever seen the movie "Goon" starring Sean William Scott? No? Well...go see it. Now. I'm pretty sure it's on Netflix.
"Goon" is the (mostly true) story of Doug Glatt - a bouncer turned amateur hockey player who makes a name for himself by beating the crap out of, well, everyone. Doug can't skate, and he sure can't puck handle or shoot, but boy golly can he knock the crap out of people.
Intense scenes of violence peppered around a cast that includes Liev Schreiber as the mentor/antagonist and Jay Baruchel as the insanely loud-mouthed best friend, make this movie just so, so entertaining to watch. No, it's not the best sports movie of all time, but who wants to keep writing about "Field of Dreams" and "The Natural?"
Give me Sean William Scott bleeding everywhere and Jay Baruchel cursing like a 12-year-old instead.
Jordan Webb: "Varsity Blues"
"I don't want your life."
This is the movie that redefined the sports genre. High school football in small-town Texas; star quarterback goes down, the backup quarterback steps up and turns into a hero. The character archetypes were fresh and original at the time. James Van Der Beek, an underrated actor, was at the peak of his fame, and Paul Walker was just coming into his own. Jon Voight was amazing as Coach Kilmer. The movie was fun.
I was a kid when it came out, but I still remember almost every line from the movie. Blame it on nostalgia.
Brandon Katz: "The Sandlot"
Greatest sports movie of all time? Probably not. But my favorite sports movie of all time? Definitely.
"The Sandlot" was mandatory viewing for anyone born in the 90's. If you're from that decade and haven't seen this movie, immediately start going to therapy to work out your missed childhood issues.
"The Sandlot" is a fun and sweet coming-of-age tale that focuses on friendship and growing up, while also functioning as an entertaining baseball movie. Baseball...entertaining? Who would have thought, right? But "The Sandlot" pulls on all the right heart strings while also being hilarious and relatable at times. Scotty Smalls is practically the main reason I got into sports journalism.
Complete with epic trash-talking ("You play ball like a girl!"), smooth wooing moves and cameos from Denis Leary and James Earl Jones, what's not to like about this movie? I'll answer that for you: absolutely nothing.
Agree with our selections? Think we're idiots? Let us know in the comments section!
