November 2020 – What happens when colder weather combines with the continuation of a pandemic, and an ongoing drought of live sport events? It’s movie time!
There are so many good stories that can be told vis-à-vis a great sports movie – the underdog, the washed-up old-timer, the anticipation of the 3-2 count in the bottom of the ninth.
Sports movies can make us laugh, cry, cheer, and swear (sometimes all at the same time)!
I personally haven’t attended a live sport event in almost a year, so I recently reached out to my team asking them to share their all-time favourite sports movie in the hopes of finding one that will fill the gap until I can nestle my butt in a stadium seat with a cold beer and a greasy snack.
Here’s what we came up with:
Greg’s Pick – 42
‘Because our society has a lot to learn from
the heart and soul of the great late Jackie Robinson.’
Heather’s Pick – Remember the Titans
‘Because the music is amazing – but above all, this film
shows that before you reach for hate, you should always be kind.’
Riley’s Pick – Field of Dreams
‘Because it’s a movie about baseball (which I love), liberally seasoned with a dose of magic. It’s about fathers and their kids, features a great combination of sentimentality and humour, and makes me want to hit a fly ball into a cornfield. If you air it, I will watch.’
Dave’s Pick – Jerry McGuire
‘Because there is nothing better than
HELP ME HELP YOU!!’
Krista’s Pick – A League of Their Own
‘Because the sister dynamic in the movie reminds me of my childhood on the diamond. Plus, the iconic Tom Hank’s line ‘There is no crying in baseball’ epitomizes my personal life philosophy (both literally and figuratively).’
Barb’s Pick – 16 Days of Glory
‘Because this Bud Greenspan documentary told the story of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games – and began a series of movies he produced about the Summer and Winter Olympic Games until 2010. Before there was wall-to-wall television coverage, his documentaries would focus on the stories of the athletes, sometimes the stars, sometimes obscure participants, but all compelling. Little did I know when I first saw it –
that I would go on to work at 7 Olympic Games and counting!’
Sal’s Pick – Rudy
‘Because it appeals to the dreamer
inside of us unathletic types that love sports.’
Sydney’s Pick – The Blindside
‘Because it reminds me that you
can do anything if you put your mind (and heart) into it.’
As you can see, the team at iSPARK is mostly leaning into baseball & football when it comes to the good ole fashioned sports movie! We’re curious to know if any of our favs also top your list?
In the interest of diversifying our list, please share your favs!
In other (somewhat related news) …. Have you read our blog – Mascot Mania – yet?