Play Ball With RT's Top Sports Movies Countdown!
It's spring again, and we all know what that means: The NBA and NHL are getting down to the wire, P.A. announcers across the land have dusted off their copies of John Fogerty's "Centerfield," and the Nationals have already been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. In honor of this pivotal time of year, we at Rotten Tomatoes are proud to present our Top Sports Movie Countdown!
We've got a veritable plethora of scrappy underdogs, from Jamaican bobsledders ("Cool Runnings") to foul-mouthed little leaguers ("The Bad News Bears"). We've got inspiration galore, from rags-to-riches prizefighters ("Rocky," "Cinderella Man") to rough-and-tumble paraplegics ("Murderball"). And we've got films that remind us sports are more than a game ("Hoop Dreams," "Remember the Titans," "Offside").

"Cinderella Man" only 42 on the list? Angry Giamatti demands recount!
Before getting up in arms about some of your favorites being omitted from the list ("Brian's Song," "The Endless Summer," etc.), allow us a word of explanation. Each film on our list has at least 20 reviews, a number we felt would allow some older movies to make the cut, but maintain a measure of critical weight. And we left certain movies off the list for not being "sporty" enough ("The Big Lebowski," "Match Point," "On the Waterfront").

"Murderball" kills the competition with a surprising #2 placing.
From dramas to comedies to fiction to documentaries, from hoops to baseball to golf to bowling, our countdown has a little something for every sports fan -- and for those who couldn't tell Albert Pujols from Albert Einstein. Ready? Get set! Go here for our complete list!
We've got a veritable plethora of scrappy underdogs, from Jamaican bobsledders ("Cool Runnings") to foul-mouthed little leaguers ("The Bad News Bears"). We've got inspiration galore, from rags-to-riches prizefighters ("Rocky," "Cinderella Man") to rough-and-tumble paraplegics ("Murderball"). And we've got films that remind us sports are more than a game ("Hoop Dreams," "Remember the Titans," "Offside").

"Cinderella Man" only 42 on the list? Angry Giamatti demands recount!
Before getting up in arms about some of your favorites being omitted from the list ("Brian's Song," "The Endless Summer," etc.), allow us a word of explanation. Each film on our list has at least 20 reviews, a number we felt would allow some older movies to make the cut, but maintain a measure of critical weight. And we left certain movies off the list for not being "sporty" enough ("The Big Lebowski," "Match Point," "On the Waterfront").

"Murderball" kills the competition with a surprising #2 placing.
From dramas to comedies to fiction to documentaries, from hoops to baseball to golf to bowling, our countdown has a little something for every sports fan -- and for those who couldn't tell Albert Pujols from Albert Einstein. Ready? Get set! Go here for our complete list!
Related Items
| Movie: | The Bad News Bears |
| Rocky | |
| Hoop Dreams | |
| Remember the Titans | |
| Cinderella Man | |
| Murderball | |
| Offside |
![]() on Apr 10 2007 03:07 PM How can Caddyshack and Rudy not be in the top 5 let alone the top ten, i call bullshit. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 10 2007 04:04 PM Probably the worst list I have ever seen. Where's my Sandlot. No one ever has love for The Sandlot. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 10 2007 05:51 PM It's by the tomatometer rating that's why... which goes to prove my point about most critics (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 10 2007 06:08 PM [b]I Got love For Sandlot!![/b] I grew up on that cheese-fest. Sure it was sentimental dribble, but it got me obsessed with baseball at a time when I was the only kid in family who would rather read and watch movies than play sports. On that note, there is something funny about a top-sports movie countdown on a site devoted to films-geeks. But I guess even if your not the biggest sports fan, you can still apreciate a good film. (Reply to this) |
![]() on Apr 11 2007 12:46 AM Cinderella Man should be #1! Not only best sports film but best movie ever! Of course RT always screws up on these list so no surprise! Murderball #2!?! Come on! Might as well make Benchwarmers #1! (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 11 2007 12:46 AM Making a list strictly based on tomatometer wouldn't work. They should also take the rating into consideration. Like Raging Bull #3 has a rating of 8.9 and Bull Durham #1 has only 7.7. So though many critics may like a movie, they may not necessarily rate it very highly. According to me, Million Dollar Baby should definitely be top 3 or top 5, if they also took the rating into consideration, it would be. Bull Durham, though nice, is a ridiculous choice for the best reviewed sports movie of all time. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 11 2007 06:03 AM [b]You're Killin' me, Smalls![/b] I agree. Not having The Sandlot is like putting Caddyshack in the 50s. An abomination not subject to the rules of reality and logic. (Reply to this) |
![]() on Apr 11 2007 07:27 PM In reply to this comment (#860965) Are you joking? If they would of made this list valid then Number 1 would be Caddyshack, Number 2 would be Rudy, Number 3 would be Major League, Number 4 would be The Sandlot, and Number 5 would be the Natural. (Reply to this) |
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