It's the worst time of year to be a football fan. The bowl season is over as is national signing day. Spring practice doesn't start for another month and the spring game is 2 months down the road. If you happen to follow the NFL (I don't particularly) then you're also waiting 2 months just for the draft. I'm not much of a basketball fan although I am very happy that the Missouri team has a quality guy like Mike Anderson leading them. To an extent I follow baseball, mostly from a Kansas City Royals perspective, but the pennant race generally ends around mid May for us. I can't even get outside enough to do some of the things I personally enjoy such as riding my bike or doing some lawnwork.
So at this miserable, cold, dead time of year one has to find his entertainment where he can get it.
Something I enjoy is sitting back on the couch, sipping on a cold beverage and re-watching some of my old, favorite movies. I've probably seen "Silverado" 25 or 30 times but still enjoy every line and absurdity from the movie. Same thing with any of the first trilogy of the "Star Wars" series. Carrie Fischer never looked better than when she was being held hostage on Jabba the Hutt's cruiser. So since I enjoy sports, why not talk about my favorite sports movies? I didn't take any polls about this and have no idea how much money any of these made. This is just one guys opinion on what he can watch for the 300th time and still smile at the characters. So here is my top 5 in no particular order:
The Sandlot:
The movie came out in 1993 and has always brought back great memories for me from when I was growing up. It follows a young boy that had just moved to a Los Angeles suburb in the early 1960's. The main character was an un-athletic outsider named Scott Smalls that was not only getting used to a new stepfather, but a new neighborhood where he knew absolutely no other kids. It was a tough time for him until, by sheer accident he met up with the hero of the movie, Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez. Benny was by far the best player on a pick up team of kids who for some reason took a liking to Smalls and invited him to join their team despite objections from the rest of the kids. During that first summer together, he made close friends with all of them however, and managed to become an acceptable addition to the team. He also learned something about friends taking care of friends as the group attempted to help him retrieve his stepfathers prized possession, a baseball signed by Babe Ruth. The movie starred a collection of unknown kids but did feature some known actors including Dennis Leary and Karen Allen as Scott Smalls parents and James Earl Jones as Mr. Mertle who lived next door to the sandlot.
Caddyshack:
Caddyshack came out in 1980 and featured more funny men that the original cast of Saturday Night Live. Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Murray and Ted Knight were all well known from the 70's and they managed to turn a series of skits into something that passed for a workable script. I've watched the movie dozens of times and still manage to catch a new exchange that I didn't remember or simply didn't hear. As for what the movie was about, it's sort of hard to say with the loosely connected subplots such as Knight attempting to keep Dangerfield out of his precious country club, caddy Danny Noonan's attempt to suck up to Knight in an attempt to earn the clubs scholarship so he could attend college and Murray's portrayal of assistant greenskeeper Carl Spackler and his battles with a gopher that threatened the pristine golf course.
Major League:
This gem came out in 1989 and had just a fabulous cast including (Mizzou graduate) Tom Berenger, Wesley Snipes, Charlie Sheen and the drop deal gorgeous Margaret Whitton as Rachel Phelps, the owner of the hapless to champions Cleveland Indians. Phelps inherited the team from her deceased husband and was determined to move the team to Miami where she'd be able to live a more opulent lifestyle. Her plan was to fill the team with washed up rejects and youngsters that would never have been considered for another major league roster. This would hopefully cause attendance to drop below a mark that would enable her to move the team when and wherever she wanted. However the plan began to go awry when they began to win. She subsequently began taking away such things as the hot water for the whirlpools and forcing the team to travel by bus. At this point her scheme came to the players attention and they are determined to win the division despite her. If you watched for no other reason, Bob Uecker playing radio commentator Harry Doyle is worth the time. One of his finer examples was when an opposing player came to bat. "Heywood leads the league in most offensive catagories, including nose hair. When the guy sneezes he looks like a party favor."
A League of their Own:
This 1992 comedy-drama was directed by Penny Marshall and told the story of the failed attempt by major league baseball to form a women's league during World War II when the men's league
was in danger of being shut down due to insufficient young men with athletic ability being available due to the war. Tom Hanks was fabulous as former major league great Jimmy Dugan as the manager attempting to resurrect the career he'd pretty much finished due to his heavy drinking. The players include Geena Davis as Dottie and Lori Petty as her jealous younger sister Kit. Other players include Madonna and Rosie O'Donnell as 2 tough talking easterners and Megan Cavanaugh as the unforgettable Marla Hooch. The story centers on Hanks and Davis as their characters began to become friends despite their initial disgust for each other. Dottie's husband was fighting overseas and is shot near the end of the movie and sent home. She willingly walks away from the game and their appearance in the womens world series to be with her husband. A bit of a tear jerker at times but a quality film non the less.
Varsity Blues:
This came out in 1999 and is probably a more realistic than you'd like portrayal of Texas high school football. Jon Voight was excellent, as usual as head coach and legendary general prick Bud Kilmer, whose teams had won multiple district championships, which is important when you live in a shithole like West Canaan, Texas. James Van Der Beek plays back up quarterback until the teams star player played by Paul Walker goes down with a knee injury. Despite the fact that football had only been of passing interest to him he begins to enjoy his new found popularity. Ron Lester is hilarious as Billy Bob, the oversized offensive lineman that takes the team to school in his pickup along with his pet pig Bacon.
What we were to take from this film was coaches, townspeople and parents willingness to win at all costs, even their sons health if need be, high school kids love to drink and have sex, and anyone in their right mind wants to get out of the town they grew up in. And, if you've followed any of what I've written the past few months have learned anything about me, it's that I'll always take any opportunity to get a photo of Ali Larter in her whipped cream bikini back on the web. I don't if it's art or not, but I like it.
No idea what I'll talk about next time. If you have any suggestions, I'll be glad to hear them. Since my kansas fans quit leaving comments I've not had much feedback. Take care and have a good week.
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