It's me, it's me--it's that D-O-U-G.  While spending a few days in Georgetown this past weekend, my friend showed me a list of the top 250 movies of all time.  So as I skimmed the list approving, laughing, and disagreeing with some of the picks, I realized there weren¹t many sports movies popping up.  As a matter of fact, there were no sports movies.  So with the help of my fearless leader Rachel, and with an extensive movie library collection of mine, I decided what I think are the Top 20 Sports movies of all time.  

1.  "Rudy"- "Goonies" star Sean Astin has become an idol for all sports fans.  The Fresh loves this movie because it has everything you can ask for in not only a good sports movie, but a good movie in general. The character Rudy gives hope to all those who are short in height and talent (yours truly). You can still have a shot at your goal.  Just one touching story out of a rich tradition of the Notre Dame storybook. The movie is only eight years old, but is already a classic.

2. "Hooisers"- Gene Hackman is just brilliant.  By far the best basketball movie made, the plot contains the classic theme of an underdog team that goes all the way.  But you can actually believe that theme in this movie.

3. "Rocky"- It's a total Knockout. The first of five in the Rocky series is definitely the best.  Rocky has been another huge sports icon and will continue to be for years.

4. "Caddyshack"- Here's the "Animal House" of sports.  Translation: The funniest sports movie ever made, with an oh-so-wonderful cast.  How can you not love Bill Murray's Dali Lama speech?

5. "Hoop Dreams"- So what if it was three hours long? As close as you will get to "The Real World" of sports, cameras follow two real-life basketball players trying to make it to the next level. Over 250 hours of footage was filmed in a six-year taping of these two young athletes.  This is a very good movie.

6. "Bull Durham"- This is probably the best baseball movie of all time.  Costner and Robbins play a verteran catcher and a young pitcher, respectively.  To non-sports fans viewers this movie may just be a pitch and catch movie; to us sports fans though, this movie delivers a home run.

7. "Jerry Maguire"- Cameron Crowe has his biggest hit of the 90's with the boxoffice "showing him the money."  This is a great story with Tom Cruise leading the way as a sports agent and is a great sports movie for you politics lovers. And who can't forget the dance Cuba Goodin Jr. makes in the endzone?

8. "Field of Dreams"- Costner is the king of baseball movies.  I was debating on adding "For the Love of the Game" to this list, but two Costner movies will do.  This is a touching story of old time greats in baseball coming back to play in Costner's backyard.

9. "The Program"- I watched it every day before my Friday night high school football games to get pumped and ready to go.  This story is based on a touted football program that has been struggling years.  The Heisman race, freshmen looking for starting jobs, steroids issues, and so much are addressed in this movie, and are done so in a brilliant way.

10. "Major League"- This is the "Caddyshack" of baseball.  No-name talents are added to the Indians lineup so the owner can move the team to Florida. But instead, the players decide to make a name for themselves and run her out of office.  Hilarious movie.

11. "Remember the Titans"- I've been told the movie isn't as accurate as the true story, but nevertheless it¹s still a great movie.  It's a great mix of football, leadership, and racism.  I'm pretty sure everyone here at RU has at least some connection to one of the players or coaches on the team or opposing teams. (I mean, it is the most famous football story in the state of VA.)

12. "Brian's Song"- Wouldn't you think two guys competing for one job would be enemies, in addition to the fact that one is black and the other is white and it takes place in the 50's?  Not in this case, as this true story brings these two guys together to form a friendship not even Brian¹s death can stop. Have your box of tissues ready if you haven't seen it.

13. "*61"- This is a fitting movie for the recent years in baseball. It's a touching story of the Yankees' Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle in chasing the homerun record of NY legend Babe Ruth.  Damn those Yankees; they're always good. (Yes, "Damn Yankees" was a good movie too.)

14. "Bad News Bears"- It was either this or "Mighty Ducks," but I think BNB has fared better.  A group of non-talent, jokster kids form a pathetic baseball team which changes and soon becomes the team to beat. Another classic.

15. "Cool Runnings"- This is a good depiction of four Jamaicans who are discriminated in the '88 Winter Olympics until they win the hearts of everyone.  "Feel the rhythm, feel the rhyme, get on up, it¹s bobsled time...Cool Runnings."  It's what I recite to myself every time I attempt to snowboard.

16. "Blue Chips"- Shaq and Nick Nolte?  They work well together in this story of  a college hoops program starting to forget what the game of basketball is really about: the love of the game.  It's definitely a slam dunk.

17. "Hurricane"- I thought Bob Dylan's song "Hurricane" was the champ, but Denzel Washington's role is a step ahead.  Washington portrays Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, who had the chance to be a heavyweight champion until he is sent to jail because a suspect in a killing spree blames it on him.  Pretty much because the color of his skin, Carter is sent to jail for three life sentences.  If you haven't seen it, the quote Washington uses sums it up: "Hate got me into this place, love got me out."

18. "Days of Thunder"- From the producers of "Top Gun," Days of Thunder flies past any other racing movie.  I was not a racing fan until this movie.  No, I don't have any Nascar memorbilia or anything, but this movie did shock me into what the world of racing is like.

19. "White Men Can't Jump"- The name pretty much says it all until Woody Harrelson proves that we can...well, some of us. The director from Bull Durham scores big time on a story that describes what street hoops are all about.

20. "The 6th Man"- This is the only list you will see this movie on.  I loved it.  It's one of my favorites of all time.  It features college basketball, a love story, brotherhood, and will even make you laugh and cry.  If you haven't heard of it, here's the breakdown: Two brothers start for Washington U's b-ball team. Antoine is the next MJ; Kenny is his sidekick.  Antoine dies, and the Huskies die with him pretty much, until he comes back in ghost form.  With the help of Antoine, the Huskies go as far as he does, until...I¹ll let you rent it.  It¹s a great movie.

With lots of Sports love,
Doug "The Fresh Prince" McKinney