As we await the release of the rugby-themed Invictus, OFCS members considered the great sports movies of cinema history, and have chosen their five favorites.
By a wide margin, Raging Bull, Martin Scorsese’s 1980 biopic of boxer Jake LaMotta, came out on top.
Results were tabulated on a weighed-score basis: a vote for favorite received five points; a vote for second favorite received four points; third favorite, three points; fourth favorite, two points; and fifth favorite, one point. Raging Bull was ranked in one of the top five positions by 25 members, and received a cumulative score of 89 points.
The rest of the top five:
Bull Durham (48 points; ranked by 15 members)
Hoop Dreams (47 points; ranked by 13 members)
Rocky (46 points; ranked by 13 members)
Field of Dreams (46 points; ranked by 12 members)
Other films with significant rankings:
The Bad News Bears (1976) (26 points; ranked by 6 members)
The Hustler (26 points; ranked by 8 members)
Eight Men Out (18 points; ranked by 8 members)
Hoosiers (18 points; ranked by 6 members)
Jerry Maguire (15 points; ranked by 6 members)
Caddyshack (14 points; ranked by 5 members)
The Natural (13 points; ranked by 4 members)
Rudy (13 points; ranked by 4 members)
Slap Shot (13 points; ranked by 4 members)
Best in Show (12 points; ranked by 5 members)
Breaking Away (11 points; ranked by 7 members)
The Freshman (1925) (10 points; ranked by 3 members)
(Note: Invictus was not included in this poll.)
