The Best Sports Movie Characters Of All Time
Fantasy geeks everywhere love a good sports movie. Hell, they love a bad sports movie. Flicks based on our favorite sports are those we can’t wait to see in the theatre. One great thing about sports movies is they can come from various genres. There are sports comedies such as Major League, Slap Shot or Caddy Shack. Others can be love stories like Bull Durham or Jerry McGuire. And don’t forget about drama titles such as Hoosiers, Rocky, Field of Dreams and The Natural. Just to name a few.
My favorite aspect regarding sports movies are the characters created. Who doesn’t love a great sports movie character? I’ve compiled a list of my favorite fictional sports movie characters of all time. Here they are:
10. Apollo Creed (Rocky)- Some call Creed a poor man’s Muhammad Ali. Obviously this character was based on “The Greatest of All Time” and definitely lived up to that billing. Creed was a smooth talking, fast jabbing artist of the sweet science. He punished Rocky Balboa for two fights but lacked the power and heart to knock the underdog out. Creed was great to watch and helped make Rockey into an Oscar winner. He set the stage for the cocky, loud mouth sports characters to follow (keep reading).
9. Shooter McGavin (Happy Gilmore)- Everybody loves Shooter McGavin. He made that movie. He epitomized the arrogant, country club golfer proto-type and lived up to everything. His antics and hilarious tag-lines against Happy Gilmore were legendary. The sport of golf needs a real life McGavin clone. It would spice up a boring sport. McGavin’s character was a joy to watch.
8. Ebby Calvin “Nuke” LaLoosh (Bull Durham)- This bonus baby pitcher with a million dollar arm and a five cent head is a main reason why I feel Bull Durham is the best sports movie of all time. His nickname, ‘Nuke’, is also the greatest ever for a sports movie characters. He was a lovable moron who wore Motley Crue t-shirts underneath his sports blazers- something only guys like him can pull off. I thought Tim Robbins did a nice job with the pitching aspect of this movie. His throwing motion seemed somewhat real. Better than most actors.
7. Willie Mays Hays (Major League)- This movie has many deserving characters who could qualify on this list. Guys like Jake Taylor, Pedro Cerano and “Wild Thing” Ricky Vaughn are all deserving. However I feel Willie Mays Hays stole the show, no pun intended. He drove a Volkswagen bug which looked like a Rolls Royce and had the speed of a Ricky Henderson. He was arrogant and overconfident even though he shouldn’t have been. He led the way for the Cleveland Indians to win the pennant and defeat the Yankees in a one game playoff. He also had some memorable quotes such as “the American Express card, don’t steal home without it”.
6. Roy Hobbs (The Natural)- First off, only Robert Redford could have pulled this one off. Redford’s portrayal of a once legendary baseball prospect turned 30-year old rookie was absolutely amazing. He was the humblest of baseball heroes, a quiet slugger that only wanted to play ball. He had one major flaw, the same flaw many guys have- women. Hobbs had a soft spot for the pretty ladies and his country background didn’t equip him for the fast women of the city life, and Kim Basinger was just down-right sexy in this movie. Gotta’ love the name, too. Roy Hobbs. It’s just classic. Also, Wilford Brimley’s role as Pop Fisher drew strong consideration for this list. “I should have been a farmer”.
5. Reggie Dunlop (Slap Shot)- If you’ve never seen this movie, please put in on your list of future rentals. Slap Shot is one of the best sports movies of all time. It’s based on a minor league hockey team and Dunlop, played my silver screen legend Paul Newman, is the perfect leader. Dunlop is an aging minor league hockey player who serves as both player and coach. He’s creative, brash and locks it down with the women. It’s your typical Paul Newman role.
4. Billy Hoyle and Sidney Deane (White Men Can’t Jump)- Had to put these two together. Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes are the perfect duo in this classic hoops flick. Both can actually play ball and are athletic which helps the basketball scenes appear real. Any sports geek can pinpoint an actor who can’t play. Not the case in this flick. The dialogue between Hoyle and Deane is better than any other sports duo in movie history. I can watch this movie all the time. “Your mother’s an astronaut”.
3. Eddie Felson (the Hustler)- Ok, I like Paul Newman. This movie has him playing the role of “Fast” Eddie Felson, a pool hall hustler. This is an older flick, filmed in 1961 but stands the test of time. Like Wesley Snipes, Newman makes this list as two characters. The Hustler is one of the greatest sports flicks of all time mainly due to Newman and his ability to be loved by both men and women. If you’re a woman and have never seen a Paul Newman movie when he was in his prime, get your girls together and rent The Hustler. It’s a movie men and women can watch together and enjoy for different reasons.
2. Rod Tidwell (Jerry McGuire)- Tidwell could be at the top of this list as Cuba Gooding, Jr. delivered an Oscar winning performance as a loud mouth, prima Donna wide receiver that thought he deserved to be in the class of Jerry Rice, Cris Carter and Andre Reed. Tidwell’s portrayal of the flamboyant wide receiver such as a Terrell Owens or Michael Irvin proto-type was right on. Tidwell makes me crack up every time I watch this movie. Even the name -Rod Tidwell- it just sounds like a Wide Receiver. Real life pros like Chad (Johnson) Ochocinco learned how to carry themselves by watching Rod Tidwell.
1a. Rocky Balboa (Rocky Series)- Stallone created and acted as this character and did a brilliant job in both respects. He was the true underdog raised in the streets of Philadelphia. He wasn’t very skilled in the ring but proved he could defeat anyone with his amazing ability to take a punch, or at least not get knocked out. He wasn’t pretty or fast, but his heart outweighed everything. Rocky was the only sports movie to win an Oscar for best picture. In my opinion, the original Rocky is unmatched by any other movie in this series. Although I can watch most Rocky movies, the first will always be my favorite.
1. Crash Davis (Bull Durham)- How can you not love a 30-year old Minor Leaguer send down to “A” ball to develop a flame-throwing moron? The career minor leaguer lit up the silver screen in Bull Durham as both a baseball player and tireless romantic. Davis is a legend in movie history and his quick witted dialogue is something any guy would love to have in his arsenal. He was a man’s man who was both arrogant and humble. The way he handled Nuke LaLoosh and the conversations the two would have made Bull Durham a classic for any sports geek. I can recite this entire film. It’s writer Ron Shelton also wrote White Men Can’t Jump.
13 Responses to “The Best Sports Movie Characters Of All Time”
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Dude, what about Bobby Boucher Jr. in the Waterboy!! How could you leave that one out Johnny Boy? Not a bad list other than that.
Seriously Johnny, you pick Rocky as the best sports character of all time? Why, was Stephen Segal not available? I’m not going to argue with you on the first movie, but the rest are just unwatchable. Even Spaceballs makes fun of Rocky. I’d rather listen to the voiceover from “Field of Dreams” than sit in a room with Rocky 4. Totally on board with Willie Mays Hays, though.
oh, and what about the coach from the “Bad News Bears”? does that make the list?
Jessica, I understand your feelings on Stallone…”Was Segal not available”, haha! I’m standing by my article- Stallone killed it in Rocky (the original). Any way you slice it, the orginal Rocky is a classic and Sly’s performance is a big reason why. Ask any sports geek.
How is nobody from Caddyshack on here? Ty, Al, and Carl are all worthy of being on this list.
Also Denzel in Remember the Titans
I strongly considered Ty Webb from Caddyshack just wasn’t sure who he would replace.
Couldn’t put Denzel from Remember The Titans on here for two reasons-(1) the movie was based on a true story…my list is composed of ‘fictional characters’.(2) And he wouldn’t have made it anyway…that movie was too Disney for me
Buttermaker from Bad News Bears can’t be overlooked.
If you put ‘Buttermaker’ on, who would you take off?
Jimmie Dugan (Tom Hanks) in “A League of their Own.” The movie may not be that great, but his character is awesome. His “theres no Crying in Baseball” is classic. One of the best movie lines ever. Only one character from Bull Duraham should have made it. You pick.
Thanks for an idea, you sparked at thought from a angle I hadn’t given thoguht to yet. Now lets see if I can do something with it.
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