If you’re not watching the Big 3 on Fox and you’re a basketball fan.  You’re missing out in a big way.

 

This is like the NBA stars you always knew didn’t spend their money right, meets the guys you remember being really good in college but maybe not the pros, mixed with really old NBA guys who are still in shape, mixed with the NFL schedule, mixed with WWE, mixed with old guy injuries, mixed with embarrassing mic-ed up coaches, mixed with Metta World Peace.  Its gold.

 

I usually don’t get to sit down and watch the whole three hour show, but any of it is great.  There are 8 teams, they travel from city to city and play a half court game of three on three against each other.    There are some huge names like Amare Stoudemire, Kenyon Martin, Baron Davis, Chauncey Billups, Brian Scalabrine, Mike Bibby, and more.  Its pretty fun to see those guys play.  Last year they had Allan Iverson and Jason Williams which was awesome too.  Those guys are great, but I really love the next level guys.

 

Like:

This stuff is gold!   Metta, Metta, Metta, when Charles Oakley is the voice of reason and calmness, it might be time to get help. 
He’s not the only one though.  Nate Robinson, coming off a stellar run in the new flag football league, got kicked out of his second game for technicals. 

 

Some of it is actually good basketball, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf is probably one of the most underrated point guards in NBA history.  He’s also underrated for not being properly credited with being Colin Kaepernick before Colin Kaepernick.  He and his 3 Headed Monsters (the team names are dope too) are undefeated after he ran the pick and roll to absolute perfection.

There are a ton of former Cincinnati Bearcats, which proves to all the old Cincy haters that these guys can get jobs after the NBA!  They have Martin, Jason Maxiell, DerMarr Johnson, and James White, all stars for the Bearcats.  I wish they’d sign my boy Nick Van Exel but…

he may have gotten a bit puffy since his playing days.

 

Bottom line… watch the Big 3.  Its a blast.

There likely isn’t a sports blog that hasn’t talked about sports movies.  So I have decided being different is for nerds and losers.  I’m gonna do the same thing.

 

Today I’m going to list my TOP 10 sports movies.

 

Here’s the deal though.  I am not basing them on anything other than the simple joy they gave me.  I don’t care about cinematography or oscar-worthy performances, I just want to share what entertained my as a guy on a couch watching a movie.

‘

So, with that…

From the home office in Sugarbeet Falls, MT…

My Top 10 Sports Movies

Number 10:

ANY GIVEN SUNDAY

There is a definite cheese factor to most sports movies, and in trying to cut out the cheese, Any Given Sunday may have caused even more.  I still love it though.  When Cap Quaid goes down with an injury and Willie Beamon needs to get in and take the team to the promised land, it gets your blood pumping.  Plus Al Pacino gives an amazing coach speech and Cameron Diaz may be at her all-time hottest.  And LL Cool J.  And in this clip I think they recycled the uniforms from the Keanu movie “The Replacements” (not on my top ten list).

 

Number 9:

THE BAD NEWS BEARS (76)

All I can remember about the first time I watched this movie is that I was legitimately sad for how much they made fun of Lupus.  I watched it again as an adult however, and realized its a phenomenal movie.  Walter Matthau’s expressions and overall pain is amazing, and the kids are perfect.   And then Billy Bob Thorton tried it (not on my top ten list).

 

Number 8:

JERRY MAGUIRE

This is a great movie, but I can’t stand Renee Zelweger.  I’m not above a good love story, but if they would have cut her out, this might be a top three for me.  She’s so annoying.

Still top ten though.  Cuba Gooding Jr. is amazing obviously.  Even terrible sports radio host Jay Mohr is great (his book about Saturday Night Live makes him unlikable though).

Its always worth a stop when on TV.

 

Number 7:

BULL DURHAM

Its so hard to rank these movies.  Bull Durham is almost a perfect movie.  It sports.  Its funny.  A girl might actually watch and enjoy it.  Susan Sarandon is one of the most sneaky hot actresses of all time.  Lieutenant Dunbar and Andy Dufresne are entertaining from beginning to end.  If you haven’t seen it, watch it immediately.

 

Number 6:

ROCKY

I’m pretty sure I watched the Rocky movies in this order; Rocky IV, Rocky II, Rocky III, and finally Rocky.  I watched the one where he fights Tommy Morrison outside too but I don’t count it.  I also did’t watch the last one I don’t think.

When I finally did get around to watching the original, after thoroughly enjoying the other three, I was blown away.  Its a great sports movie.

 

Number 5:

THE SANDLOT

This is where I probably lose some credibility, but like I disclaimed in the beginning.  I am ranking these movies on  how much I enjoyed them, and I freaking loved The Sandlot.  It makes me happy every time I watch it.  From Ham’s “You’re killing me Smalls” over s’mores, to Squints boss move with Wendy Pephercorn, to the newspaper writer from Field of Dreams saving the day.  Its just so so great.  And Denis Leary.

 

Number 4:

THE NATURAL

This movie might be the opposite of Any Given Sunday.  They allowed for all sorts of cheesiness, and pulled it off,  making me just feel happy.  They don’t care that Roy Hobbs looks 40 from the beginning to then end of the movie despite the decades of time passed.  They don’t care that the Quaker oats guy is the manager.  Its all just fantastic crazy baseball movie.  And the dad from A Christmas Story.

 

Number 3:

CADDYSHACK

Is this the most quoted movie ever?   Certainly on golf courses.  The hardest part of this post so far is picking just one Caddyshack clip.  If you haven’t seen this, don’t tell me, just watch it so we never have an unnecessarily awkward moment.  Although maybe I’m alone on this, the Caddyshack Rotten Tomatoes score is lower than Cool Runnings, Goon, and tons of other terrible sports movies.  And there’s a gopher puppet.

 

Number 2:

MAJOR LEAGUE

Again, this might cost credibility for true film connoisseurs, but this movie is so fun.  Every character is well cast, you care about all of them, even Roger Dorn.  I don’t know how they found Lou Brown but that might be the best cast in all of sport movies.  This clip wins because to this day, every time the team he’s rooting against hits a home run, he says “too high” and somehow its never found its way to annoying status.   And Bob Uecker.

 

Number 1:

HOOSIERS

Jimmy Chitwood ain’t no decoy!

 

 

There’s the list!!  Feel free to debate.
Here are a few honorable mentions (In no particular order):

Happy Gilmore

Dodgeball

Remember the Titans

Rudy

Slap Shot

Field of Dreams

Karate Kid

Shaolin Soccer (seriously)

Moneyball

I, Tonya

Waterboy

Mystery, Alaska

Ever have one of those nights when you want to watch something, but nothing really sounds good?
My son Zack and I were having that sort of an evening once a few years ago when we stumbled upon a documentary called “Gunnin for That Number One Spot.”

 

We enjoyed the movie thoroughly, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who suffers from a “what to watch” issue sometimes.   It’s about the top 24 high school basketball players in the country in like 2006 getting together to play a game.  It was made by MCA from the Beastie Boys (may he rest in peace).
Its been a while since I’ve seen it, but there are a few things that really stuck out to me.

• Kevin Love was way too cool for Kyle Singler
• None of the nicknames stuck
• Michael Beasley should be scoring 30 points per game in the NBA
• Its the only hoops doc where they chose to feature the exact right players

The biggest memory for me though was the youngest player to play, Lance Stephenson.  He was only a sophomore, but he was so quiet and unassuming that I was actually worried he would be to soft when he went to play for my Cincinnati Bearcats.  The movie got boring when he was featured because he really wouldn’t talk.

Now this:

 

And we all know the ear blowing and stuff…

 

And now he joins my Lakers.

 

I think I’m just gonna watch Gunnin For That Number One Spot and listen to the Beastie Boys all winter instead of hoops.