Michael Corvin

I watched We Are Marshall the other night and it got me thinking that Hollywood is on a roll with football films with Friday Night Lights & Remember the Titans the past few years. Then again there have been some killer baseball flicks as well. Basketball? Eh, some good ones but they tend to be more hit or miss.

Off the top of my head I chose 13 for each:

Football
the greats:
We Are Marshall
Remember the Titans
Friday Night Lights
Any Given Sunday
Rudy
Brian's Song
All the Right Moves
Wildcats
The Longest Yard
the Program
Leatherheads

other notables:
Varsity Blues
Necessary Roughness
the Replacements
the Waterboy

Baseball
the greats:
the Natural
the Rookie
Field of Dreams
Eight Men Out
Fear Strikes Out
A league of their own
the Sandlot
Bull Durham
For the love of the Game
Pride of the Yankees
Major League
Rookie of the Year

other notables:
Angels in the Outfield
Bad News Bears
the Babe
Mr. Baseball

Basketball
doesn't seem to fare as well, but I'll list anyway
Hoosiers
White Men Can't Jump
Hoop Dreams
Glory Road
Love and Basketball
Above the Rim
Blue Chips
Air Bud
Like Mike
Space Jam
He Got Game
Eddie
Forget Paris (?)

So which of the big three sports comes out ahead, in your opinion?

wendersfan

Baseball, no doubt. It's a slower game, with more breaks in the action, and the competitors can allow their personalities to show more than in most other sports. Also, baseball is intrinsically linked with America's perception of itself, so the "baseball movie" as a genre, is as traditional, if not as old, as the western.

Oh, and you included Field of Dreams twice, and left out the wonderful Fear Strikes Out, starring Tony Perkins as Jimmy Piersall.

Michael Corvin

fixed.

I'm leaning towards baseball myself, but still can't decide.

Palaver

My gut reaction was football until I saw the list of films. I don't know what I was thinking. Baseball by far.

TomOpus

Baseball.

Oh, you could add "Major League" to your list

macnorton

I went with baseball...but football gets a pretty good treatment also.

One of my dreams is to make that great sports movie....a guy can dream right?

Bluelitespecial

I have favorite movies from all three sports, but I would have to go with Baseball, my favorite film would have to be Major League.

DeanoBKN

Your Baseball list needs far more Major League in it

oh, and Rookie Of The Year!

jiffy97

Baseball has gotten the best overall results.

One quibble though... I think "Hoosiers" should be the sole member in the great basketball films category.

Cardsfan111

I'd go with baseball for one of the reasons given above. Many folks hate the game because of it's slower pace, but that makes it perfect for a movie. I must say I do love some of the other sports movies (Hoosiers, Remember the Titans, We Are Marshall)

LorenzoL

I went with baseball too.

macnorton

Hoop Dreams is the best...but when it comes to an actual film, rather than a documentary, I full agree Hoosiers is the best.

Jacoby Ellsbury

Its silly that the greatest football movie of all time "the program" is not on the list.

clckworang

I'm almost right there with you. When I just saw the thread topic, my first thought was boxing. But then when I saw the options, I immediately thought football, then read the list of movies ...

I stand by the fact that I think boxing is the sport that has been best represented by Hollywood. But if I had to choose from these 3, it would have to be baseball.

Giles

baseball

although I'm waiting for a lacrosse movie

fumanstan

I voted football before I actually looked at the lists. Whoops. Recently Football has been far better though.

Michael Corvin

Added those that I forgot, the Program, Rookie of the Year, Major League & Leatherheads.

Another, d'oh! I was thinking of it when I typed the list but it somehow got omitted.

That was my thinking. Football as of late has been coming on strong while the baseball flicks have waned a bit.

Michael Corvin

I thought about doing a general 'other' option but it would have easily won out with stuff like Rocky, Raging Bull, Miracle, Seabiscuit, Tin Cup, Happy Gilmore, etc. Even soccer could have made it in with Bend it like Beckham.

I'm sure we're only a couple years removed from the Duke movie.

girlnextdoor

I voted before reading the 1st post.

I voted football thinking the question was asking which sport is more glamorized in most movies. I don't think any of the football movies I have watched tells the complete story of how hard football is.

islandclaws

Baseball, although I think the best made sports films have been about boxing.

Boba Fett

Baseball, considering Mr. Baseball is one of the finest films ever made.

naitram

Golf, though I don't really consider it a sport.

Actually, I'd go with boxing.

Rocky series
On the Waterfront
The Set-Up
The Harder They Fall
Raging Bull
Million Dollar Baby

Trevor

Yep.

And Bad News Bears belongs in the top 13 in baseball imo.

Groucho

Showtime used to have a curling movie in their rotation that was pretty good.

Brack

I went with Baseball, but Boxing has gotten the better treatment.

I mean, Teen Wolf Too anyone?