Over the years, countless sports movies have been made, some better than others. With the coronavirus keeping us all in our houses, a great way to pass the time is to watch movies. And some of the best movies ever made happen to be about sports. So we will be ranking the top ten greatest sports movies of all time. 

In order to level the playing field, there will be criteria for what kind of movies will be in consideration for this list. First, there will only be movies. So that means no documentaries or TV shows. Then, there is the criteria for what constitutes a sports movie. The main plot must revolve around sports for it to be counted as a sports movie. Also, there must be multiple scenes that shows a game of the sport that it is about. 

Now that that’s out of the way, I should tell you what I am looking for in a great sports movie that could help it get onto my list. And I don’t care what sport it is. I considered horse racing movies, poker movies, and cross-country movies for this list. It has to have the right actors. If The Blind Side starred Kevin Hart as Michael Oher or if Rocky was played by Jim Carrey, they wouldn’t be in contention for this list. I am also looking for characters that I can identify with. I can’t identify or have a strong connection with Bugs Bunny, so Space Jam will not be on this list. Lastly, I like movies that are quotable. Being able to use lines from the movie in real life makes the movie a little bit better. 

Before we get into the list, I have a couple of disclaimers. This list will be baseball heavy. This is simply because out of the top-tier sports movies, baseball movies seem to be much more abundant than others. And if you want to argue with me about my rankings, please make sure you have seen the movies that you wanted me to put your favorite movie in front of. Now let’s get into it. 

1. Bull Durham (1988) – Kevin Costner and Tim Robbins star as minor league ballplayers “Crash” Davis and “Nuke” Laloosh. Davis is a veteran catcher who helps teach and mature the young and wild Laloosh. In my opinion, Bull Durham is not only the best sports movie of all time. It is the best movie of all time. ‘I want to bring the heater! Announce my presence with authority!’
2. Miracle (2004) – Kurt Russell delivers an inspiring performance as the 1980 U.S. Hockey team’s head coach, Herb Brooks. ‘This cannot be a team of common men because common men go nowhere. You have to be uncommon.’
3. Moneyball (2011) – Moneyball details the birth of in-depth analytics and sabermetrics into baseball, while also providing a gripping story and a great cast. ‘When your enemy’s making mistakes, don’t interrupt them.’
4. 42 (2013) – ‘Dollars aren’t black or white. They’re green.’
5. Ford v. Ferrari (2019) – ‘He thought you was just finer than frog fur.’
6. Eight Men Out (1988) – ‘I may be dumb, fellas, but I ain’t stupid.’
7. The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000) – ‘What I’m talkin’ about is a game. A game that can’t be won, only played.’
8. Remember the Titans (2000) – ‘Attitude reflects leadership, captain.’
9. Hoosiers (1986) – ‘Let’s win this one for all the small schools that never had a chance to get here.’
10. Draft Day (2014) – ‘Every year someone comes out of this looking like a donkey.’

Honorable Mentions

• The Blind Side

• Rocky I

• Seabiscuit

• The Bad News Bears 

• A League of Their Own

• Jerry Maguire