“Great moments are born from great opportunity,” coach Herb Brooks of Miracle said.
The formula for a great sports movie calls for perseverance, adversity, and teamwork.
Sports reflect life like nothing else and let’s be serious here, everybody loves a good sports movie, ranging from the comedies to the serious and inspirational ones. Whether you’re crying, laughing, or both, sports movies are always fun to watch! Here at The Viking we constructed a list of the top 10 sports movies of all time, including a list of honorable mentions. So make yourself some popcorn, pick one of these great titles, and enjoy the show.

1. Remember the Titans (2000) Directed by Boaz Yakin

Remember the Titans tugs at your heart and reminding us that, color of one’s skin does not matter. In the midst of extreme controversy due to the new integration policy, the T.C. Williams football program is faced with a plethora of race related challenges. Despite hatred, the team is able to come together and as a family.

2. Hoosiers (1986) Directed by David Anspaugh

Hoosiers shows the impact that one can have on a large group of people. Inspired by a true story set in a small Indiana town, this movie focuses a boys’ basketball team’s pursuit at success with a new coach. The coach, Norman Dale, is faced with difficulty in keeping his job and persuading the town’s best player to play for him.

3. Miracle (2004) Directed by Gavin O’Connor

Miracle chronicles the journey of the American 1980 Olympic men’s ice hockey team during the Cold War. Due to political tension with the Soviet Union, the team wins a battle for the United States and in turn becomes an iconic. Miracle portrays how a team of young college students and took down the powerhouse Soviets in the Olympics.

4. Friday Night Lights (2004) Directed by Peter Berg

Friday Night Lights demonstrates how a team can stay positive despite losing. This movie follows the Permian High School football team. In this stereotypical Texas town, football rules all and friday nights are sacred. The players must overcome high expectations, but come together to make it to the playoffs.

5. Invictus (2009) Directed by Clint Eastwood

Invictus is an inspiring testament to those dedicated to over coming it. Post apartheid South Africa was still racially divided, and President Mendela wanted to unite the country behind a single cause. Rugby turned out to be something that could hold his country together, and in it united a once divided nation.

6. The Blind Side (2009) Directed by John Lee Hancock

The Blind Side shows the impact compassion can have on another person’s life. Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy take in a homeless teenager named Michael “Big Mike” Oher. Leigh Anne provides Michael with support to stabilize his shaky background. After showing an interest in football, Michael excells both in the sport and in life.

7. The Sandlot (1993) Directed by David M. Evans

The Sandlot portrays a boy finding his own identity and overcoming his fears. Scotty Smalls’s wild summer consists of learning how to play baseball from the kids in his new neighborhood. When he loses his step dad’s signed Babe Ruth baseball in the yard of “The Beast” (a ball-eating dog), the friends must work together to retrieve it.

8. We Are Marshall (2006) Directed by Joseph McGinty Nichol

Based on a true story, We Are Marshall demonstrates a community coming together and rebuilding after a tragedy. A a terrible plane crash leaves Marshall University without a football team or coaches. The player who missed the flight convinces the university to start the rebuilding process. The new coach, Jack Lengyel, composes a team of non-football players. He must motivate the team to play their hardest for the sake of the town.

9. Million Dollar Baby (2004) Directed by Clint Eastwood

Even though boxing is a male-dominant sport, Million Dollar Baby shows that with hard work and motivation women can achieve respect. Boxing coach Frankie Dunn has one rule: always protect yourself. When Maggie Fitzgerald walks into boxing, he sees her potential as a boxer. She convinces Dunn to manage and coach her as they make they’re way to the top together.

10. Rocky (1976) Directed by John D. Avildsen

Rocky proves that hard work and perseverance can bring even an underdog to greatness. Balboa is a debt collector who wants to make boxing his career. When heavyweight champion Apollo Creed visits Philadelphia, his managers want to set up a match between Creed and a struggling boxer. It turns out to be the change of a lifetime for Rocky. Rocky surprises everyone with his determination, even though he loses the match in the end.

Honorable Mentions:

The Longest Yard (2005)
Bad News Bears (1976)
Field of Dreams (1989)
Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
Moneyball (2011)
Glory Road (2006)
Cool Runnings (1993)
Rudy (1993)
Coach Carter (2005)
The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005)
Hoop Dreams (1994)
A League of Their Own (1992)
More Than a Game (2008)
Bull Durham (1988)
Space Jam (1996)