By Ed BoulatMaroon-News Staff

Being a new-school kind of guy, my favorite sports movie has to be Remember the Titans, starring Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Wood Harris and Ryan Hurst. As far as a good sports movie, it definitely has it all: a great main character in bad ass Coach Boone, grueling and actually realistic football scenes, funny characters and lines and some deep and serious themes that you do not find in your average sports movie. Remember the Titans gives viewers a glimpse into the newly integrated South, and how it affected not only black students and players, but entire schools and communities. It speaks not only to the bonds created between players on the field, but also to the power of sports in unifying people from different races and backgrounds. It also has one of the best lines in sports movie history, delivered by Denzel Washington.

“When I was fifteen years old I lost my mother and father in the same month Ronnie, same month. Eight brothers and sisters, I was the youngest one of them, now I wasn’t ready either, but they needed me. Your team needs you tonight. You’re the Colonel. You’re going to command your troops!”

Denzel is the man…

By Mike KetchamMaroon-News Staff

Picking a favorite sports movie is like trying to pick a favorite Sports Illustrated swimsuit model. When it comes down to the top ten or so, there is simply no entirely justifiable way to pick a winner. However, Caddyshack stands out above the rest because of its truly astonishing cast and its ageless humor. This hilarious movie takes place at Bushwood Country Club in Nebraska where an array of world class actors (Rodney Dangerfield, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Ted Knight) come together to create a performance that will undoubtedly still be quoted for generations. Caddyshack is not a typical sports movie. There are no defining pump-up speeches or incredible last second plays. Rather, Caddyshack explores the dynamics of the members of a stuck-up country club and the youths that caddy for them. The brilliance of the movie comes from the quirkiness of the characters and the ridiculousness of certain scenes (Baby Ruth bar in the pool, the preacher’s perfect round of golf). Caddyshack may not be the best movie to play before an important sports game, but when looking for an all-time classic, look no further.

By Paul KasabianMaroon-News Copy Editor

Let’s play a guessing game. Do you know what Roger Ebert, the most esteemed film critic of all time, said was the best movie of the 1990s? It wasn’t Pulp Fiction. It wasn’t Goodfellas. And it certainly wasn’t Titanic. No, the film in question is Hoop Dreams, a documentary about two kids from the Cabrini Green projects of Chicago that want to make the NBA more than anything in the world. The documentary still esonates today even though it was shot in the late 1980s and 1990s because it is about children trying to make their way out of terrible situations despite overwhelming odds. I can’t really describe everything that happens in a 171-minute documentary when I have a word count of 200, but let me explain my feelings about the movie this way. I have the attention span of a 2-year old, and every time I pop in that DVD, I am captivated by every moment that appears on that screen for all 171 minutes, and I never budge in my seat. Do yourself a big favor and rent Hoop Dreams during Thanksgiving or Christmas Break and find out why this film is one of the most socially relevant films of our generation.

By Mike McMasterMaroon-News Sports Editor

Space Jam. ‘Nuff said.

Harry RaymondMaroon-News Assistant Sports Editor

“Show me the money. Show me the money!” One of the most recognizable lines in movie history comes in the best sports movie of all-time, Jerry Maguire. Cuba Gooding Jr.’s performance as egomaniacal wide reciever Rod Tidwell is still his best performance to date (besides Love Boat of course). And seriously, has there ever been a better date movie? Jerry Maguire, “You had me at hello.”