Rudy is a great movie and no one should dispute that it certainly belongs on any list of great sports movies, but He Got Game? Really? The plot about Tech U and Big State really got to you? Was it the porn stars that they used for college women? Ray Allen's acting? While all the other movies that are mentioned certainly are somewhere on my list, He Got Game just stood out at me as the one blimp among them. At least show me Blue Chips for Shaq's acting which rated about a 9.5 on the unintentional comedy scale.

In response to Mr. Neuman, I tried to come up with a top 10 list with a few rules: poker is not considered a sport (sorry Rounders) and documentaries are not allowed (sorry 1980 Hockey Olympics Documentary).

After much deliberation the list follows:

10. Hoosiers
9. Cinderella Man
8. Rudy
7. White Men Can't Jump
6. Friday Night Lights
5. Might Ducks
4. Raging Bull
3. Major League
2. Field of Dreams
1. Rocky

Honorable mentions: The Program, Without Limits, Happy Gilmore, 61*, The Natural, Rocky II, III and IV

Thoughts?

@Wright Stuff: I take it you're a Mets fan? What did you think of Rookie of the Year, where the down-and-out Chicago Cubs team must face the nefarious New York Mets for the title? I personally always saw the Mets more in the Cubs' shoes than the Yankees, who usually fill the role of the evil sports franchise in baseball movies.

Your list is well-concieved, though on general principle I would never put a movie starring Kevin Costner so close to Rocky, which along with Rocky IV deserves at least the top two slots.

I admit I've never seen Cinderella Man--frankly by the time it came out, I'd been a die-hard Rocky fan, I'd seen Million Dollar Baby and I was frankly not up to another rehash of the same story--granted this one is a true story, but you get my point.

Finally, if poker is not a sport, how come they show it on ESPN? Hmm?

Ah, Rookie of the Year...the classic story of a little kid breaking his arm only to have his arm heal in such a way that it allows him to throw a really fast fastball. With no other pitch in his reportoire, the kid is able to get scouted based on one throw and is immediately signed to pitch in the major leagues. Um...I'm not saying I need my sports movies necessarily locked into reality or anything but movies like this, Angels in the Outfield, Little Big Leagues and Space Jam just don't do it for me. If you want a good movie about kids playing baseball, I'd recommend the Sandlot. That right there is a movie you could argue belongs on my list. Admittedly I missed it; however, I don't know if it would crack the top ten. Probably honorable mention.

We could have a whole other debate on the best Rocky movie (idea for another blog series?) but the first one is the best legitimate movie in my mind (Rocky IV is just not quite as legit, besides, I liked Rocky III more) and I didn't want to fill my list with four Rocky's so after the first one the rest were discounted a bit.

As for Field of Dreams, remember, Kevin Costner was kind of a big deal back in the early 90's. Before Waterworld, he did JFK, Dances with Wolves, Untouchables, Wyatt Earp and Robin Hood - all legitimate movies. Most lists (SI and ESPN) include Bull Durham as one of the best, if not the best, sports movie of all time (I couldn't stand it - Susan Sarandon as the sexy reporter just didn't do it for me). Plus, are you going to tell me that James Earl Jones' "One constant in life" speech doesn't get you jazzed up for baseball every time you even think about it? Are you going to tell me that your knowledge of Iowa extends beyond big corn fields? Are you going to tell me that you ever turned your dad down for a game of catch after seeing this movie? If you answered yes to any of these questions, for shame Clayton, for shame.

I'm not denying Field of Dreams, James Earl Jones, or catches with dad. I just dislike Kevin Costner. His accent was RIDICULOUS in Robin Hood, and No Way Out? How does he keep getting roles??

Your Rocky challenge is accepted:

Now first off, when we're talking about what our "favorite" Rocky movie is, I think it's a given that the first movie is hands-down the "best" Rocky. There's no denying it deserves its Best Picture Oscar and as far as sports movies go, it also deserves its place at the top of the hierarchy. For the purposes of this discussion, I'm going to define "favorite" as most-watchable, meaning that no matter what time of day, if it's on and I pick it up at any point in the film, I am not only compelled, but excited to watch the rest of the movie through to the end.

Given those standards, I rank the Rocky films as follows:

1. Rocky IV
2. Rocky
3. Rocky III
4. Rocky II
5. Rocky Balboa
6. There is no sixth category. There is no Rocky V. Rocky V never happened.

First off, I'd like to say that if I were to turn on Rocky II at any time near when Adrian (the ultimate sports movie suckbag) wakes from her coma and tells Rocky to win, then Mickey says, "Well what're we waitin' for!" this movie is just as watchable as Rocky or Rocky IV. It's the first half that you really have to sweat through, which I'm not always in the mood for.

Similarly with Rocky (the first), the story is great but it's not something you can watch casually--you have to be willing to invest time in Rocky as a character to appreciate the first film. Nevertheless those iconic moments will always hold a special place in my heart. And like I said earlier, from an objective standpoint Rocky is hands-down the best.

Rocky III has its moments as well--Mr. T exclaiming before the fight, "Prediction? Paiiinnnnnn."--but it also has some pretty uninteresting scenes, like, say, a frolic in the surf. Also, it always sucks to watch Mickey die, so I have to put that lower on the list.

Rocky Balboa, I have to say, was a solid reimagining of the first film. It follows the same basic storyline as Rocky and manages not to make Sylvester Stallone look ridiculous. It also has fun with itself, like when Rocky says to Dixon, "There ain't nothin' over till it's over." Dixon asks, "Where's that from, the '80s?" Rocky responds, "That's probably the '70s." I appreciate it when a film can recognize it's inherent flaws and I'm not ashamed to say I was cheering in the theater by the end (this could also be because Balboa was the only Rocky film I was able to see in the theater).

Which brings us to the most imminently watchable Rocky iteration: Rocky IV. There's so much to love about this film. Let's start with the robot in the opening scene at Paulie's birthday party. Where did that robot come from? I'll tell you where: the 1980s. This movie revels in its time period, which is essentially the birth of the modern technological era, and basks in our inherent fear of it. You've got the enemy, Ivan Drago, the COMMUNIST who trains on MACHINES that monitor every facet of his anatomy! Then you've got Rocky out in the alpine, communing with nature as he chops wood and lifts rocks. The juxtaposition is so ridiculous it absolutely works. Combine that with Drago's killer one-liners, "I must break you," and "If he dies, he dies," and Rocky screaming "Draaaaagoooo!" at the peak of a mountain, then giving the speech that tears down the Berlin wall, and you've got one movie that I can't ever seem to turn off. Benjamin Braddock may have defeated the depression, but c'mon man, Rocky defeated Communism!

There is no Rocky V. Rocky V never happened. How many times do I have to tell you this?

I like Radio and Remember the Titans. Both feel good movies.

Hoosiers

Caddyshack (hope that counts)

When We Were Kings (Me n Dads favorite)

Bad News Bears (original)

All the Right Moves (cheesy - but a replica of my home town coming up)

The Natural, Field of Dreams, There was a John Wayne movie where he was a coach at a Private School. I love the old sport movies.
Rudy, ehhh, believe it or not there are a thousand Rudy's, not at Notre Dame, but where ever there are walk-ons. Lets give them credit for keeping up the grades, practicing and wondering if you get to dress out. There was a guy on our team that all the seniors one at a time gave up their pregame meal so he could join the team and eat.

1.Invincible
2.Radio

Invincible is a great movie because its about the greatest Football team of all time.
Radio has a very good storyline.
I would say Rocky, but I've never really watched Them.