Sports Illustrated’s 'Greatest Sports Movies'

In the spirit of the upcoming football season, I gave you on Monday the Sports Illustrated list of the Top 100 Sports Books of All Time, and tonight, I offer you a similar list – Sports Illustrated’s “Greatest Sports Movies.”

Originally published in the Aug. 4, 2003 edition of Sports Illustrated, this is a list of the top 50 sports movies of all time, as selected by the magazine’s editors. How did they pick the list? This into from the original article says it all:

“Our process was democratic and unscientific. We solicited nominations from our staff, then lateraled them back and forth in meetings, in e-mails and around the Goobers dispenser until reaching consensus -- which, naturally, provoked more debate.”

Without further ado, here’s the list. Where possible I’ve attempted to note the year in which the movie came out and the sport that it involves.

1. Bull Durham (1988, baseball)
2. Rocky (1976, boxing)
3. Raging Bull (1980, boxing)
4. Hoop Dreams (1994, basketball)
5. Slap Shot (1977, hockey)
6. Hoosiers (1986, basketball)
7. Olympia (1936, Olympics)
8. Breaking Away (1979, cycling)
9. Chariots of Fire (1981, Olympics)
10. When We Were Kings (1996, boxing)

11. Bang the Drum Slowly (1973, baseball)
12. Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001, skating, skateboarding)
13. A League of Their Own (1992, baseball)
14. The Freshman (1925, football)
15. The Endless Summer (1966, surfing)
16. North Dallas Forty (1979, football)
17. Brian’s Song (1971, football)
18. Caddyshack (1980, golf)
19. Downhill Racer (1969, skiing)
20. Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962, boxing)

21. Pumping Iron (1977, bodybuilding)
22. The Set Up (1949, boxing)
23. The Hustler (1961, pool)
24. Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993, chess)
25. Horse Feathers (1932, football)
26. The Bad News Bears (1976, baseball)
27. National Velvet (1944, horse racing)
28. Eight Men Out (1988, baseball)
29. Rollerball (1975, fictional sport)
30. The Rookie (2002, baseball)

31. Baseball – A Film by Ken Burns (1994, baseball)
32. Vision Quest (1985, wrestling)
33. Fat City (1972, boxing)
34. Everybody’s All-American (1988, football)
35. Million Dollar Legs (1932, Olympics)
36. Jerry Maguire (1996, mostly football)
37. The Goalie’s Anxiety at the Penalty Kick (1972, soccer)
38. Field of Dreams (1989, baseball)
39. The Harder They Fall (1956, boxing)
40. The Longest Yard (1974, football)

41. Remember the Titans (2000, football)
42. The Pride of the Yankees (1942, baseball)
43. Fists of Fury (1972, martial arts)
44. The Deadliest Season (1977, hockey)
45. Grand Prix (1966, racing)
46. Any Given Sunday (1999, football)
47. It Happens Every Spring (1949, baseball)
48. The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings (1976, baseball)
49. Phar Lap (1983, horse racing)
50. Best in Show (2000, dog shows)

In the end, how many of these movies have you seen? What did you think about them? Which would you recommend? Let us know in the comments section below.