With the world going through a COVID-19 related sports withdrawal, it’s time to escape to the world of film to get our fix in! And since there aren’t any sports to compete in, it’s time to find out what the best sports movie of all time is! We’ve broken all movies into 4 different themed divisions of 8 teams each: Hockey, Baseball, Football and Fighting and The Rest. It’s time for the semi finals!
Check out all of the matchups so far:
Best Sports Movie Bracket – Division Finals
Best Sports Movie Bracket – Division Semi Finals #2
Best Sports Movie Bracket – Division Semi Finals #1
Best Sports Movie Bracket – Rd. 1 – #4 vs #5
Best Sports Movie Bracket – Rd. 1 – #2 vs #7
Best Sports Movie Bracket – Rd. 1 – #1 vs #8
Best Sports Movie Bracket – Rd. 1 – #3 vs #6
Semi Final #1: #2 Slapshot vs #3 The Sandlot
By Joe Martini
Slapshot
For a trip to the finals, the boys are puttin’ the foil on! One of hockey’s most iconic movies has been successful in the bracket thus far. The ironic part of Slapshot is that for how much it got right about hockey, it showed how much the game has had to change since the release. The movie has quality scenes and characters that are all-time legends. Still, it also has language that would have the department of player safety handing out suspensions like Halloween candy.
Sandlot
Hey, readers, do you want s’more? S’more sports? S’more comedy? S’more coming of age? Then you have come to the right place. While Sandlot has certain aspects that don’t hold up to today, this movie checks the box of classic American, coming of age story, and calling someone an L7 weenie? Yes, please.
In the semi-finals of our Best Sports movie bracket, we have Slapshot facing off against The Sandlot. @JoeMartini90 picked The Sandlot as his winner. Which do you pick?
— The 4th Line Hockey Podcast (@4thLinePodcast) April 16, 2020
Winner – The Sandlot. When looking at a movie, there has to be watchability with everyone, and Sandlot brings that. While Slapshot has done wonders for hockey and introduced people who have never watched a game to be the Hansons for Halloween, Sandlot can be enjoyed by all with minimal cringeworthy moments thanks to some of those squints!
Semi Final #2: #7 Rocky vs #4 Happy Gilmore
By Brodie Cotnam
Rocky
“All I wanna do is go the distance…” With every step Rocky gets closer to being, understandably, hailed as one of the all-time great sports movies. It’s a cultural phenomenon like few others, and has now served as an inspiration to generations. The simple premise of a down on his luck fighter getting the opportunity of a lifetime draws us in, and then we see him rise to the occasion, realizing the potential he’d always had thanks to the help of his irrepressible trainer Mickey. The classic scenes, montages and lines culminate in a story that wins us over, not because he goes out on top, simply because he had the guts to follow his dream, and see it through. He goes the distance with the champ when nobody believed it could be done. They cheer him on as a working class sort of hero. What matters to him most in these final moments isn’t the fame he’ll garner, but Adrian, his lady love. He’s the sort of underdog we can’t help but root for, often imitated but never duplicated.
Happy Gilmore
Io this day I still take the odd Happy Gilmore run up on the golf course. It’s not likely to hurt my score any further…One of the funniest, most memorable sports comedies of all time, Happy Gilmore gave us so many great, irreverent moments those of us who grew up in the 90’s likely still quote it ad-nauseam…just ask Bob Barker…It has a simple but effective premise, and thought it certainly stretches the ease with which this could conceivably happen, the story makes for a likeable, if oft quick tempered, protagonist. Throw in a terrific foil in Shooter McGavin, the (literally) large presence of Mr. Larsson and the one and only Carl Weathers as Happy’s mentor Chubbs, and you get a great cast of characters to frame the narrative around. The hockey references only add to its overall sports appeal. When he goes out on top we can’t help but feel won over by this everyman and of course seeing the arrogant antagonist put in his place.
In the semi-finals of our Best Sports movie bracket, we have "Rocky" facing off against "Happy Gilmore". @BRC14 picked The Sandlot as his winner. Which do you pick?
— The 4th Line Hockey Podcast (@4thLinePodcast) April 16, 2020
Winner – Rocky. This isn’t best comedy, or which film those of us grew up watching as millennials. It’s best movie, and there’s no question that as a film, Rocky is the better work. Both are quotable, have a likeable underdog with a good heart to root for, and Carl Weathers (much to the delight I’m sure of our intrepid editor!) but the cultural impact of Rocky and the character development throughout, it’s enduring legacy, and inspirational message resonates much stronger. Happy Gilmore is a fun, very entertaining movie, one I’ve certainly seen more growing up in the 90’s, but Rocky is one of the few that transcends the sports movie label and is worth of its iconic status.
We’ve had our say, now it’s your turn! Vote in the Twitter polls and decide who moves onto the next round. See you next time, when we have reached the finals!