As much as we love football, there is one thing we might
love more—movies about football. How many times have you watched a game and
thought that if something happened it would make for the perfect ending to the
game. Well, that’s what we have Hollywood for folks.
The following are some of the greatest football movies ever
made. To make this list, the movies needed to be focused on football and not
something else, i.e. Rudy, The Blind Side, and Lucas were about the relationship
between the main characters; the game was secondary.
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, when it comes to movies about football
these flicks all rocked:
The Replacements (2000): Who doesn’t laugh there behind off
every time the sumo wrestler runs down the field with the ball or when Keanu
Reeves starts a fight in the bar? How many times do you want to bet someone
tried to start the electric slide in a holding cell after this movie came out? I’m
laughing now just thinking about them.
The Longest Yard (1974): If I were ever to go to prison and
play football I hope I meet a guy like Unger, get a chance to play the guards,
and have a cool name like Mean Machine. Adam Sandler tried to do the movie
justice, but fell short in the process. You can’t beat an original, especially
when it stars Burt Reynolds.
Any Given Sunday (1999): If the NFL had its way, I bet they
would have had this film killed off just like the ESPN series Playmakers. It
was gritty, violent, and painted a grim picture of the business side of the
game. Basically it gave fans a real depiction of the game, and it was still
good in spite of Oliver Stone.
The Program (1993): I know some folks didn’t like this movie
because it played into every stereotype that there is in college football.
Regardless, I don’t know anyone that has ever seen it that isn’t on the edge of
their seat when a pre-House Omar Epps makes his big run to give the team a
chance to win the game.
Jerry Maguire (1996): Show me the money! It doesn’t matter
what you think about Tom Cruise. It gave us Cuba Gooding Jr. at his best and
Rene Zellweger before she got scary thin. Every time I watch it I find myself
singing along to ‘Cush-lash’ and I still get emotional when Rod is on the
ground at the end of the game. You are my ambassador of Quan man!
Varsity Blues (1999): Friday Night Lights was based on a
book about a high school football program in small-town Texas. Having played
high-school football in small-town Texas I can honestly say that Varsity Blues
was more realistic. Excuse me while I go call some dinosaurs.
Necessary Roughness (1991): This movie was an underdog’s
dream. It takes every character that never makes it on the football team, puts
them on one squad, and allows hilarity to ensue. Oh- and it had a young, very
hot Kathy Ireland as the kicker.
Waterboy (1998): Is there any movie that has been quoted
more on a football field or just while people are watching a game? I think not.
Those who claim that there is a more quoted movie are the devil (Momma said
so).
Heaven Can Wait (1978): This was Warren Beatty at his best.
More people know the Chris Rock remake; if you like it this one will make you
cry.
The Best of Times (1986): Have you ever wished that there
was a different outcome to something? Have you ever tried to go back and do
something again to get that outcome? The effort that Robin Williams puts in to
trying to relive the old days and turn them into glory is cinematic genius that
everyone that ever messed up while playing a game of football can relate to.
North Dallas Forty (1979): What Any Given Sunday is to the
modern day professional football game, this story about a pro-football player
is to the earlier days of the game. This movie was actually a semi-fictional
account based off the book by Peter Gent, former Dallas Cowboy wide receiver
which gave it a sense of realism that you can relate to.
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