5 Best Football Movies

[Hostile]

"Lucas" with Charlie Sheen and Cory Haim just to mention another kinda funny movie.

I forgot about that one. Winona Ryder was just a tiny kid in that one.

 

[Murph80]

Rudy sucked!! He wouldn't touch the field at the U.

 

[scottsp]

Regarding "Friday Night Lights." I enjoyed the movie, but didn't include it on my list and it is kind of a strange prejudice as to why. I played against Odessa Permian when I lived in Ft. Stockton, TX for a year. They were already legendary way back then.

Now my prejudice isn't because they were a rival HS. I just think the movie missed a chance to show something about the tradition there that made an imapct on me, and for the life of me I can't figure out why it wasn't in the movie.

They pack that stadium and before kickoff those fans start stomping their feet and chanting "mojo, mojo, mojo" together. If you're a HS kid it is a psychological edge for them as a home team. I mean you've probably never played against any other team with that many fans and then to have them all chanting. It chills the blood. As an opponent that scares you every bit as much as the team does. You understand hostile territory in living color.

I told so many people about that before the movie came out. Then it wasn't in the movie and I was seriously disappointed.

Love the "inches" speech in "Any Given Sunday," but the rest of the movie doesn't do much for me.

"Semi Tough" was fun, especially the reporter asking about gay players.

I liked "Necessary Roughness." It made me laugh. So did "The Replacements."

Wasn't crazy about "The Program" or "Varsity Blues" beyond the whipped cream bikini.

Hos, went out to Ratliff in '88 to check my best friend play one of the early round playoff games. We had been eliminated and so I figured I would go check out Lamar (Arlington) play in Odessa.

That was the most incredible experience as a player or fan, for me. You had to wade through Panther fans to get from the fieldhouse to the field - for warmups. When the snappers and kickers (typically the first to go out) were called out of the lockerroom 90 minutes before gametime, the stadium was already in a frenzy.

I have been in some pretty rowdy places in high school and college, and seen NFL games not only in Dallas, but in KC, Philly, Chicago, and New York. My two Ratliff experiences were easily the most memorable because of their passion for Mojo. It is outright insanity if you ask me. The book got into that aspect somewhat, but the movie never touched it. And yeah, that's disappointing.

The game I spoke of occurred during that season depicted in the FNL. Permian actually lost to Carter in the state semis - a rather sloppy game played on a cold, rainy day at Memorial Stadium down in Austin. Not in the title game. But dramatic effect certainly must be accounted for.

The movie and the book did get Odessa's obsession with Mojo. Talk about a place absolutely shutting down for games. At kickoff, it has all the earmarks of a ghost town.

...

As for my favorite football movies, I'll roll with:

ND40
The Longest Yard

 

[Bullet22]

All those are good, don't forget Paper Lion..

 

[BlueWave]

Someday, when Hollywood is done remaking every television show from the 70's and 80's, someone will make a full length epic movie about the story of Roger Stabuach. What a great movie his life would make.

 

[JackMagist]

Rudy sucked!! He wouldn't touch the field at the U.

I dare say you are right which is why the U is the U and ND is ND. A tradition of win at all cost gang banging and thuggery vs. a tradition of honor, hard work and humanity.

 

[The30YardSlant]

1: Remember the Titans
2: Rudy
3: The Longest Yard
4: Friday Night Lights
5: Any Given Sunday

 

[JackMagist]

Regarding "Friday Night Lights." I enjoyed the movie, but didn't include it on my list and it is kind of a strange prejudice as to why. I played against Odessa Permian when I lived in Ft. Stockton, TX for a year. They were already legendary way back then.

Now my prejudice isn't because they were a rival HS. I just think the movie missed a chance to show something about the tradition there that made an imapct on me, and for the life of me I can't figure out why it wasn't in the movie.

They pack that stadium and before kickoff those fans start stomping their feet and chanting "mojo, mojo, mojo" together. If you're a HS kid it is a psychological edge for them as a home team. I mean you've probably never played against any other team with that many fans and then to have them all chanting. It chills the blood. As an opponent that scares you every bit as much as the team does. You understand hostile territory in living color.

I told so many people about that before the movie came out. Then it wasn't in the movie and I was seriously disappointed.

Love the "inches" speech in "Any Given Sunday," but the rest of the movie doesn't do much for me.

"Semi Tough" was fun, especially the reporter asking about gay players.

I liked "Necessary Roughness." It made me laugh. So did "The Replacements."

Wasn't crazy about "The Program" or "Varsity Blues" beyond the whipped cream bikini.

I lived out in Ft. Stockton also for 6 years back in the late '7-'s and early '80's and all the local TV and radio (worth listening to) was out of the Midland Odessa area. Permian won the state championship one year when I lived out there and it was nuts. These high school kids got a huge parade; they were making autograph signing appearances at the malls, doing radio and TV interviews. It was nuts; you would think they had won the Superbowl.

 

[jimmy40]

Rudy sucked!! He wouldn't touch the field at the U.

I take it they don't allow Hobbitts at the U?

 

[k19]

No "Any given sunday" or "little Giants" and we canthow can anyone forget .........

 

[jimmy40]

I lived out in Ft. Stockton also for 6 years back in the late '7-'s and early '80's and all the local TV and radio (worth listening to) was out of the Midland Odessa area. Permian won the state championship one year when I lived out there and it was nuts. These high school kids got a huge parade; they were making autograph signing appearances at the malls, doing radio and TV interviews. It was nuts; you would think they had won the Superbowl.

Let them come through an East Texas region and see how many titles they'd have.

 

[The30YardSlant]

Let them come through an East Texas region and see how many titles they'd have.

Bingo. West texas teams are all about speed and athleticism, but they wouldnt stand a chance against the size of Dallas/Fort Worth/East Texas schools.

 

[DallasEast]

I take it they don't allow Hobbitts at the U?

Rudy's got a little sumptin sumptin for the U.

 

[JackMagist]

Let them come through an East Texas region and see how many titles they'd have.

Ok...I'm not a Permian fan so I'm not going to get into any trash talk here. But I'm pretty sure to win State you have to beat winning teams from East Texas...or beat teams who have already beaten the winning teams from East Texas.

 

[WilmingtonHeel]

Great thread:

Any Given Sunday
Jerry McGuire
Remember the Titans
The Program
The Longest Yard (New one)
WaterBoy (Cause it made me laugh so much)

 

[yennor24]

Friday night Lights and Any given Sunday

I went to Dallas Carter and was at the game against O.P. we actually beat them in the semi finals and not the Finals, and it wasnt that close like the Movie. That was the Year Jessie Armstead was a H.S. beast.....

 

[peplaw06]

Let them come through an East Texas region and see how many titles they'd have.

It was a different Era. Sure recently East Texas schools dominate. But West Texas schools were dominant before the population boom in the East. I grew up in West Texas. Not too long ago one of the best 5A teams in recent times, Southlake Carroll, was in 3A and we seemed to meet them in the playoffs every year. The winner of that was going to win it all. Throw in Odessa Permian, Midland Lee (not to distant past with Cedric Benson), Stephenville, Brownwood... all great dynasty type teams in West Texas.

 

[Muhast]

Theres a movie coming out this october called "We Are Marshall" based off the true story of the 1970 marshall team plane crash. Its starring Matthew McCaughnahey, Matthew Fox, Anthony Mackie, Red Dawson(as himself) and a bunch of other actors)

the football scenes are really good, i was a player on the Marshall team.

 

[Seven]

Rudy sucked!! He wouldn't touch the field at the U.

All class there, Morph00. Judging from your intellect with this statement I'd bet the 6th grade was the best four years of your life. Ater all, that's when you'd be academically eligeable for "the u".

 

[Doomsday]

Remember the Titans
Rudy
Jerry McGuire
Brian's Song
Little Giants