DDD's List of the Day: 5 Great Sports Movies you may not have seen....but should - cougarguard.com — unofficial BYU Cougars / LDS sports, football, basketball forum and message board

TripletDaddy · 11-14-2007, 05:31 PM

We all know The Natural, Pride of the Yankees, The Longest Yard, Slapshot, Chariots of Fire, Bull Durham, Caddyshack, The Champ, and many of the other sports classics.

Here is my list of 5 sports movies that you may not have seen yet, but should get around to seeing because, for one reason or another, they are entertaining movies. They are in no particular order. Some of these movies may actually be fairly popular, so I could be off a bit. Please feel free to add to the list.

1. Bang the Drum Slowly: movie based on the New York Mammoths (eerily similar uniforms to the New York Yankees). The original was a TV movie with Paul Newman. The remake was done with Robert DeNiro. Both are really well done and available on DVD. The movie is about the relationship between two battery-mates as one struggles with illness and the other struggles to help him keep it a secret. It is definitely a tear jerker. If you are looking for a baseball movie that ends with a home run to win the world series, as well as a montage showing the team winning lots of games and moving up in the standings, this one isnt for you.

2. Breaking Away: admittedly, CG has its share of cyclists and Euro poseurs, so perhaps this movie is already well-known here. However, for those that do not know this movie, it is a great story based around the actual "Little 500" that occurs at Indiana University. The story deals with a group of high schoolers that are recently graduated, need to find direction, and use cycling as a measure of personal redemption amidst the social tension between the university elite and local blue collar townsfolk. The culminating race scene is both touching and inspiring. You need not be a fan of cycling to appreciate this movie. Also, you will likely recognize many of the actors even though they are all young kids in this movie. It even features a young Jackie Earle Haley, who had obviously moved to Indiana from Southern California, where he was a member of the Bears Little League team, and flew to Japan for an exhibition game, and made out with a local asian teenager who smoked cigarettes.

3. Brian's Song: along the lines of Bang the Drum, Brian's Song is loosely based on the real life relationship between Chicago Bears teammates Gayle Sayers and Brian Piccolo. While this movie is quite popular and perhaps does NOT belong on this list, I am often surprised at how many people have not seen it, so I chose to include it. This is perhaps the ultimate tear-jerker movie, but is a great show for the family to watch.

2. The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh: my all-time favorite sports movie. A cult comedy classic. Ridiculous, over-the-top, focusing on a hapless basketball team that uses astrology to win games. By forming a team made of players of the same zodiacal sign, the Pisces are able to dominate on the court. What I enjoy most about this movie are the myriad references to 70s ABA culture (drugs, outlandish halftime and in-game entertainment), as well as appearances by loads of NBA and media stars. Also, look for Jonathan Winters playing a dual role of identical twins who own opposing teams....the Pisces and the Lakers. This one is tough to catch on TV and not sure if it is even out on DVD.

1. Victory: one of my all-time favorites....Sly Stallone, Pele, and Nazi concentration camps. The story of Nazi POWs who form a soccer team to compete against an elite German team in an propagandist exhibition game. The movie features lice, starvation, the deliberate breaking of a forearm, and and perhaps the greatest bicycle kick ever recorded on film. The requisite culminating good v evil soccer match is quite inspiring. The story is based loosely on a real team from Kiev that played Nazi teams in exhibitions during the german occupation of the Ukraine. In real life, the Kiev team beat the Nazi teams repeatedly. Instead of letting the losses get to them, the Nazi's rounded up the Ukrainians, shipped them off to concentration camps, and gassed them.

Surfah · 11-14-2007, 06:28 PM

Nice list. I have not seen the The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh. I have been meaning to watch Bang the Drum Slowly.

Brian's Song is a classic. Breaking Away is good too. Can't say that I liked Victory or would recommend it.

I submit to your list of classic obscure sports movies: Thrashin', Gleaming the Cube, Rad and North Shore. Okay those are all ridiculous movies but I love them.

One great not on your list is Vision Quest. I may be wrong but I don't think many have seen that.

TripletDaddy · 11-14-2007, 06:42 PM

Gleaming the Cube is a skate classic, for sure. Filmed almost entirely in OC, and largely here in Irvine. The high school is Woodbridge HS in Irvine. It has Tony Hawk's silver screen speaking debut: "Its too early, man."

North Shore is a total classic. I won tickets to see the premiere of that movie though KROQ and was able to meet Poorman. The only thing the movie doesnt talk about is how Da Hui was founded by some clown from Texas who now sells a Hui clothing line.

Visionquest is cool....if you are into underwear sniffing...

Surfah · 11-14-2007, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy

Gleaming the Cube is a skate classic, for sure. Filmed almost entirely in OC, and largely here in Irvine. The high school is Woodbridge HS in Irvine. It has Tony Hawk's silver screen speaking debut: "Its too early, man."

North Shore is a total classic. I won tickets to see the premiere of that movie though KROQ and was able to meet Poorman. The only thing the movie doesnt talk about is how Da Hui was founded by some clown from Texas who now sells a Hui clothing line.

Visionquest is cool....if you are into underwear sniffing...

Not into underwear sniffing. Never even wrestled except with my girlfriend in high school which netted me a trip to the Bishop's office. Hers and mine. But I digress.

Woodbridge HS, where Brother Burgess went. If my memory serves me correctly we would have played Woodbridge that year in basketball had we not lost to Compton in the first round featuring a team of thugs including future Washington State player turned college dropout: Jayceon Taylor, better known as The Game.

TripletDaddy · 11-14-2007, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by surfah33

Not into underwear sniffing. Never even wrestled except with my girlfriend in high school which netted me a trip to the Bishop's office. Hers and mine. But I digress.

Woodbridge HS, where Brother Burgess went. If my memory serves me correctly we would have played Woodbridge that year in basketball had we not lost to Compton in the first round featuring a team of thugs including future Washington State player turned college dropout: Jayceon Taylor, better known as The Game.

Yep, the Burgesses are local yokels.

Did you get sent to the Bishop's office for simply Gleaming the Cube....or were you actually Thrashin?

8ballrollin · 11-14-2007, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by surfah33

I submit to your list of classic obscure sports movies: Thrashin', Gleaming the Cube, Rad and North Shore. Okay those are all ridiculous movies but I love them.

Somewhat related...I know it's not a traditional movie per se, but for my birthday my brother got me the "Search for Animal Chin" Special Edition DVD. Talk about a classic.

SteelBlue · 11-14-2007, 07:11 PM

Good call on Breaking Away. Where the hell is Karate Kid? Karate is a sport and that movie influenced a generation.

TripletDaddy · 11-14-2007, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 8ballrollin

Somewhat related...I know it's not a traditional movie per se, but for my birthday my brother got me the "Search for Animal Chin" Special Edition DVD. Talk about a classic.

That is completely related.....the skate sequences in GTC are basically all the Bones Brigade. I had old Bones Brigade stuff on Beta, that's how old those memories are.

Interestingly, although not a skater for Powell-Peralta, there is a cool article on Christian Hosoi in this month's Los Angeles magazine. It talks about his life during and after prison, and how he still skates and what he has been doing lately. there are even some pics of those famous Air Christ moves he did in front of the Christ statue in Rio. Classic 80s skate stuff.

SteelBlue · 11-14-2007, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy

1. Victory: one of my all-time favorites....Sly Stallone, Pele, and Nazi concentration camps. The story of Nazi POWs who form a soccer team to compete against an elite German team in an propagandist exhibition game. The movie features lice, starvation, the deliberate breaking of a forearm, and and perhaps the greatest bicycle kick ever recorded on film. The requisite culminating good v evil soccer match is quite inspiring. The story is based loosely on a real team from Kiev that played Nazi teams in exhibitions during the german occupation of the Ukraine. In real life, the Kiev team beat the Nazi teams repeatedly. Instead of letting the losses get to them, the Nazi's rounded up the Ukrainians, shipped them off to concentration camps, and gassed them.

Here's an article you'll probably love:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2...9&sportCat=nfl

TripletDaddy · 11-14-2007, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteelBlue

Good call on Breaking Away. Where the hell is Karate Kid? Karate is a sport and that movie influenced a generation.

I love Karate Kid. In some ways, obsessed with it.

But the premise for this thread was to discuss 5 movies you probably have NOT seen, but should.

I dont even think it is possible to have not seen the Karate kid. Is it?

Also, nice article. thanks.

11-14-2007, 05:31 PM	#1
TripletDaddy Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 9,483	DDD's List of the Day: 5 Great Sports Movies you may not have seen....but should We all know The Natural, Pride of the Yankees, The Longest Yard, Slapshot, Chariots of Fire, Bull Durham, Caddyshack, The Champ, and many of the other sports classics. Here is my list of 5 sports movies that you may not have seen yet, but should get around to seeing because, for one reason or another, they are entertaining movies. They are in no particular order. Some of these movies may actually be fairly popular, so I could be off a bit. Please feel free to add to the list. 1. Bang the Drum Slowly: movie based on the New York Mammoths (eerily similar uniforms to the New York Yankees). The original was a TV movie with Paul Newman. The remake was done with Robert DeNiro. Both are really well done and available on DVD. The movie is about the relationship between two battery-mates as one struggles with illness and the other struggles to help him keep it a secret. It is definitely a tear jerker. If you are looking for a baseball movie that ends with a home run to win the world series, as well as a montage showing the team winning lots of games and moving up in the standings, this one isnt for you. 2. Breaking Away: admittedly, CG has its share of cyclists and Euro poseurs, so perhaps this movie is already well-known here. However, for those that do not know this movie, it is a great story based around the actual "Little 500" that occurs at Indiana University. The story deals with a group of high schoolers that are recently graduated, need to find direction, and use cycling as a measure of personal redemption amidst the social tension between the university elite and local blue collar townsfolk. The culminating race scene is both touching and inspiring. You need not be a fan of cycling to appreciate this movie. Also, you will likely recognize many of the actors even though they are all young kids in this movie. It even features a young Jackie Earle Haley, who had obviously moved to Indiana from Southern California, where he was a member of the Bears Little League team, and flew to Japan for an exhibition game, and made out with a local asian teenager who smoked cigarettes. 3. Brian's Song: along the lines of Bang the Drum, Brian's Song is loosely based on the real life relationship between Chicago Bears teammates Gayle Sayers and Brian Piccolo. While this movie is quite popular and perhaps does NOT belong on this list, I am often surprised at how many people have not seen it, so I chose to include it. This is perhaps the ultimate tear-jerker movie, but is a great show for the family to watch. 2. The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh: my all-time favorite sports movie. A cult comedy classic. Ridiculous, over-the-top, focusing on a hapless basketball team that uses astrology to win games. By forming a team made of players of the same zodiacal sign, the Pisces are able to dominate on the court. What I enjoy most about this movie are the myriad references to 70s ABA culture (drugs, outlandish halftime and in-game entertainment), as well as appearances by loads of NBA and media stars. Also, look for Jonathan Winters playing a dual role of identical twins who own opposing teams....the Pisces and the Lakers. This one is tough to catch on TV and not sure if it is even out on DVD. 1. Victory: one of my all-time favorites....Sly Stallone, Pele, and Nazi concentration camps. The story of Nazi POWs who form a soccer team to compete against an elite German team in an propagandist exhibition game. The movie features lice, starvation, the deliberate breaking of a forearm, and and perhaps the greatest bicycle kick ever recorded on film. The requisite culminating good v evil soccer match is quite inspiring. The story is based loosely on a real team from Kiev that played Nazi teams in exhibitions during the german occupation of the Ukraine. In real life, the Kiev team beat the Nazi teams repeatedly. Instead of letting the losses get to them, the Nazi's rounded up the Ukrainians, shipped them off to concentration camps, and gassed them. __________________ Fitter. Happier. More Productive. "Everyone is against me. Everyone is fawning for 3D's attention and defending him." -- SeattleUte

11-14-2007, 06:28 PM	#2
Surfah Master Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: F'burg, VA Posts: 3,211	Nice list. I have not seen the The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh. I have been meaning to watch Bang the Drum Slowly. Brian's Song is a classic. Breaking Away is good too. Can't say that I liked Victory or would recommend it. I submit to your list of classic obscure sports movies: Thrashin', Gleaming the Cube, Rad and North Shore. Okay those are all ridiculous movies but I love them. One great not on your list is Vision Quest. I may be wrong but I don't think many have seen that. __________________ Ernie Johnson: "Auburn is a pretty good school. To graduate from there I suppose you really need to work hard and put forth maximum effort." Charles Barkley: "20 pts and 10 rebounds will get you through also!"

11-14-2007, 06:42 PM	#3
TripletDaddy Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 9,483	Gleaming the Cube is a skate classic, for sure. Filmed almost entirely in OC, and largely here in Irvine. The high school is Woodbridge HS in Irvine. It has Tony Hawk's silver screen speaking debut: "Its too early, man." North Shore is a total classic. I won tickets to see the premiere of that movie though KROQ and was able to meet Poorman. The only thing the movie doesnt talk about is how Da Hui was founded by some clown from Texas who now sells a Hui clothing line. Visionquest is cool....if you are into underwear sniffing... __________________ Fitter. Happier. More Productive. "Everyone is against me. Everyone is fawning for 3D's attention and defending him." -- SeattleUte

11-14-2007, 07:11 PM	#7
SteelBlue Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Norcal Posts: 5,821	Good call on Breaking Away. Where the hell is Karate Kid? Karate is a sport and that movie influenced a generation.