The 20 Best Sports Movie Moves/Plays
In no order...
Jimmy Dolan Shake 'N Bake (The Air Up There):
"Pay attention, hippo breath." No offense to my hippo readers. Basically just watch any old Allen Iverson videos. When Sale breaks the great crossover out, it's unbeatable.
Triple Deke (Mighty Ducks):
Gordon Bombay and the profound lighting of the arena during his infamous triple deke paved the road for Charlie Conway's eventual penalty shot from the gods.
Happy Drive (Happy Gilmore):
I wish they tested Happy Gilmore for steroids. Either way, his drives were insane. Once he got that putting game down, he should have been better than Tiger. Unfocused phony.
Flying V (Mighty Ducks):
Possibly the most recognizable play in sports history. Without a doubt it changed the face of movie hockey forever. That is, until the Iceland National Team decked every last one of those Ducks. Not to mention the racially questionable "Oreo Line." If you can't figure out why it was called the Oreo Line, you need to think a little harder.
Knucklepuck (Mighty Ducks 2):
"It's knucklepuck time!!!!" I wonder, though, if it were so easy why wouldn't hockey's elite of today use it? Must be some illegal trick that only a magician such as Tyler could accomplish. I guarantee every kid with a hockey puck and a hockey stick tried to do it themselves. They probably broke a window or two in the process of trying to do it right. I know I did.
Oop Dee Oop (Varsity Blues):
"Is that the play where I go down the field and act like I'm lost?" Thanks for the memories Billy Bob. Just keep shooting bottles with that shotgun. The barrel points AWAY from your face.
Annexation of Puerto Rico (Little Giants):
How does it work? Pretty simple, actually. The center holds the ball at the snap while the rest of the team pretends to be running an actual play. Meanwhile, the oversized, yet seemingly easy to miss center tramples downfield unnoticed for a touchdown. Illogical and stupid, yet awesome in it's own way.
7-Iron (Tin Cup):
After Romeo and McAvoy had a pissing contest breaking all the clubs in his bag during the U.S. Open qualifier, McAvoy made a bet that I think about every time I pull out my 7. He uses only the seven iron from hole 10 on and still qualifies. "I never miss with the 7."
Crane Kick (The Karate Kid):
Danny Caruso would have just been another wimp with a cause if it weren't for the crane kick. Not only did it define his career but it won him a trophy he'll throw away in 5 years, a hot girl that only brings trouble, and the right to not be bullied in his new school. Yay for the wonders of adolescent traumas. Seriously though, who didn't want to stand up and cheer for Daniel-san as he drop kicked the crap out of Johnny Lawrence.
The Heater (Bull Durham):
"I want to announce my presence with authority!" Just a mere mid-90s fastball, but nobody's four-seamer resonated more than Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh. Hell, it got him the most unrealistic jump in sports history (rookie-A ball to the majors).
Iron Lotus (Blades of Glory):
"The Iron Lotus was so controversial it was only performed in North Korea. Kim Jong-Il had the pair attempt it in front of a large army and audience only to see the pair fail. The partner cut off the thrown partner's head with his skate when he performed his spin. He then picked the head up and wept." UrbanDictionary.com describes it as "A controversial, very difficult figure skating move performed by pairs. One partner holds the other's legs around his/her neck and swings them around like a giant swing. The thrower lets go and allows the partner to do a huge flip in mid-air which turns them upside down. The thrower must then do a 360 body spin like a buzzsaw and avoid cutting the partner's head off. The only successful attempt in professional pairs figure skating was by Chazz Michael Michaels and Jimmy MacElroy."
The Pamchenko (The Cutting Edge):
The inspiration for the Iron Lotus. Well, the whole Blades of Glory movie is a spoof on this underrated "sports" flick from 1992. For more information, go rent the movie. I'm not giving away free info here. Skip to 4 minutes in the video to see the move.
Captain Insano (The Waterboy):
"Courtethee of captain inthano!" The eye poke. Enough said.
Eliminator, Terminator, Masturbator (Major League 2):
Jack Parkman- What do you call that garbage?
Rick Vaughn- It's my eliminator. I've got another pitch. You get a piece of it, I'll let you name it.
Jack Parkman- I'd call it the masturbator.
or how about...
Harry Doyle- Rick Vaughn gets the starting call today. We're told he matured a lot over the winter. Apparently he's bathing now. Congratulations, Rick. As you know, Monte, Vaughn's been working on a couple of new pitches, the Eliminator and the Humiliator, to complement his fastball, the Terminator.
(I know the attached video is not the actual pitch, but you'll know why it fits.)
Slingshot (Talladega Nights):
"Slingshot, engage." I didn't want to use any real-life plays or moves in this list, but since it's called drafting in real life, the slingshot gets a nod. Much deserved too.
Chicken Little Flea Flicker (Little Giants):
"Pitch to Johnny!? You can't pitch to Johnny. I'm Johnny!" But then he saw his dad who's never around and ran a 4.14 40 past every single 10-times-more-athletic Cowboy to his pops. Greatest touchdown celebration ever? The subtle ball-drop-into-leaping-hug-as-dad-drops-his-briefcase-in-a-fit-of-joy ranks up there with Chad Johnson's Riverdance.
Shotgun Slap Shot (Mighty Ducks):
Jeez, Mighty Ducks. They really capitalized on unique and unprecedented plays. In reality, the Flying V is an illegal formation and the knucklepuck is a physical impossibility I believe. The Shotgun Slap Shot from Fulton Reed has seen the back of trash cans, the back of a hockey net, and even the back of a limo. It's so deadly that even fully padded goalies represented whole nations would dive out of the way. That's respect you just can't buy, kid!
Floater (Rookie of the Year):
"I haven't seen the floater since Scuffy McGee!" And Scuffy McGee was badass my friends. The floater was to pitching what the underhand free throw is to today's game of basketball. A pointless and feeble attempt to confuse somebody for one play. But used in the proper setting, such as if your stud pitcher who normally throws 100+ mph trips on a baseball and rebreaks his arm and is facing a power hitter with a long swing, well it just might work. And it did!!! And Chet Stedman couldn't be more proud of his surrogate son who he will be paying child support for in about 10 years.
The Bunt (Major League):
His time had to come, right? I love the play call. Suicide bunt with two outs in the most important game of these guys' careers with the slowest player on the team at bat. No, I agree. Let's risk the entire season on the hope that a major league baseball team would be too slow to field even the most well-placed (which it is was not) bunt in time to get a 74-year-old catcher with bum knees out at first. But you know what? It worked and it is one of my all-time favorite moments in a sports movie. Maybe it's the piano work in the background or maybe it's just the fact that everybody likes an underdog. Either way, Rene Russo is hideous.
The Bream Dream (Pastime):
One of the best sports movies nobody's seen. I highly recommend you watch this film that I proudly dub the best minor league baseball film of all time. Bull Durham is funny, but this movie captures the minor league life a bit better. At the same time it tackles racism in a light that not many movies have gone for. Anyway, the Bream Dream is basically a screwball that goes fastball speed. It's legit. If only I could learn it I wouldn't have been looking for a new team to play with only a year and a half into my career. As its inventor puts it, "It makes suckers out of the best of 'em. I come in when we need that one out, ya know? Just that onnnne out. I'm fresh. I'm sharp. I smoke 'em with a couple of BBs and then I hand 'em the dream. Inning's over."
Honorable Mention: The trick play from Little Big League
Jimmy Dolan Shake 'N Bake (The Air Up There):
"Pay attention, hippo breath." No offense to my hippo readers. Basically just watch any old Allen Iverson videos. When Sale breaks the great crossover out, it's unbeatable.
Triple Deke (Mighty Ducks):
Gordon Bombay and the profound lighting of the arena during his infamous triple deke paved the road for Charlie Conway's eventual penalty shot from the gods.
Happy Drive (Happy Gilmore):
I wish they tested Happy Gilmore for steroids. Either way, his drives were insane. Once he got that putting game down, he should have been better than Tiger. Unfocused phony.
Flying V (Mighty Ducks):
Possibly the most recognizable play in sports history. Without a doubt it changed the face of movie hockey forever. That is, until the Iceland National Team decked every last one of those Ducks. Not to mention the racially questionable "Oreo Line." If you can't figure out why it was called the Oreo Line, you need to think a little harder.
Knucklepuck (Mighty Ducks 2):
"It's knucklepuck time!!!!" I wonder, though, if it were so easy why wouldn't hockey's elite of today use it? Must be some illegal trick that only a magician such as Tyler could accomplish. I guarantee every kid with a hockey puck and a hockey stick tried to do it themselves. They probably broke a window or two in the process of trying to do it right. I know I did.
Oop Dee Oop (Varsity Blues):
"Is that the play where I go down the field and act like I'm lost?" Thanks for the memories Billy Bob. Just keep shooting bottles with that shotgun. The barrel points AWAY from your face.
Annexation of Puerto Rico (Little Giants):
How does it work? Pretty simple, actually. The center holds the ball at the snap while the rest of the team pretends to be running an actual play. Meanwhile, the oversized, yet seemingly easy to miss center tramples downfield unnoticed for a touchdown. Illogical and stupid, yet awesome in it's own way.
7-Iron (Tin Cup):
After Romeo and McAvoy had a pissing contest breaking all the clubs in his bag during the U.S. Open qualifier, McAvoy made a bet that I think about every time I pull out my 7. He uses only the seven iron from hole 10 on and still qualifies. "I never miss with the 7."
Crane Kick (The Karate Kid):
Danny Caruso would have just been another wimp with a cause if it weren't for the crane kick. Not only did it define his career but it won him a trophy he'll throw away in 5 years, a hot girl that only brings trouble, and the right to not be bullied in his new school. Yay for the wonders of adolescent traumas. Seriously though, who didn't want to stand up and cheer for Daniel-san as he drop kicked the crap out of Johnny Lawrence.
The Heater (Bull Durham):
"I want to announce my presence with authority!" Just a mere mid-90s fastball, but nobody's four-seamer resonated more than Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh. Hell, it got him the most unrealistic jump in sports history (rookie-A ball to the majors).
Iron Lotus (Blades of Glory):
"The Iron Lotus was so controversial it was only performed in North Korea. Kim Jong-Il had the pair attempt it in front of a large army and audience only to see the pair fail. The partner cut off the thrown partner's head with his skate when he performed his spin. He then picked the head up and wept." UrbanDictionary.com describes it as "A controversial, very difficult figure skating move performed by pairs. One partner holds the other's legs around his/her neck and swings them around like a giant swing. The thrower lets go and allows the partner to do a huge flip in mid-air which turns them upside down. The thrower must then do a 360 body spin like a buzzsaw and avoid cutting the partner's head off. The only successful attempt in professional pairs figure skating was by Chazz Michael Michaels and Jimmy MacElroy."
The Pamchenko (The Cutting Edge):
The inspiration for the Iron Lotus. Well, the whole Blades of Glory movie is a spoof on this underrated "sports" flick from 1992. For more information, go rent the movie. I'm not giving away free info here. Skip to 4 minutes in the video to see the move.
Captain Insano (The Waterboy):
"Courtethee of captain inthano!" The eye poke. Enough said.
Eliminator, Terminator, Masturbator (Major League 2):
Jack Parkman- What do you call that garbage?
Rick Vaughn- It's my eliminator. I've got another pitch. You get a piece of it, I'll let you name it.
Jack Parkman- I'd call it the masturbator.
or how about...
Harry Doyle- Rick Vaughn gets the starting call today. We're told he matured a lot over the winter. Apparently he's bathing now. Congratulations, Rick. As you know, Monte, Vaughn's been working on a couple of new pitches, the Eliminator and the Humiliator, to complement his fastball, the Terminator.
(I know the attached video is not the actual pitch, but you'll know why it fits.)
Slingshot (Talladega Nights):
"Slingshot, engage." I didn't want to use any real-life plays or moves in this list, but since it's called drafting in real life, the slingshot gets a nod. Much deserved too.
Chicken Little Flea Flicker (Little Giants):
"Pitch to Johnny!? You can't pitch to Johnny. I'm Johnny!" But then he saw his dad who's never around and ran a 4.14 40 past every single 10-times-more-athletic Cowboy to his pops. Greatest touchdown celebration ever? The subtle ball-drop-into-leaping-hug-as-dad-drops-his-briefcase-in-a-fit-of-joy ranks up there with Chad Johnson's Riverdance.
Shotgun Slap Shot (Mighty Ducks):
Jeez, Mighty Ducks. They really capitalized on unique and unprecedented plays. In reality, the Flying V is an illegal formation and the knucklepuck is a physical impossibility I believe. The Shotgun Slap Shot from Fulton Reed has seen the back of trash cans, the back of a hockey net, and even the back of a limo. It's so deadly that even fully padded goalies represented whole nations would dive out of the way. That's respect you just can't buy, kid!
Floater (Rookie of the Year):
"I haven't seen the floater since Scuffy McGee!" And Scuffy McGee was badass my friends. The floater was to pitching what the underhand free throw is to today's game of basketball. A pointless and feeble attempt to confuse somebody for one play. But used in the proper setting, such as if your stud pitcher who normally throws 100+ mph trips on a baseball and rebreaks his arm and is facing a power hitter with a long swing, well it just might work. And it did!!! And Chet Stedman couldn't be more proud of his surrogate son who he will be paying child support for in about 10 years.
The Bunt (Major League):
His time had to come, right? I love the play call. Suicide bunt with two outs in the most important game of these guys' careers with the slowest player on the team at bat. No, I agree. Let's risk the entire season on the hope that a major league baseball team would be too slow to field even the most well-placed (which it is was not) bunt in time to get a 74-year-old catcher with bum knees out at first. But you know what? It worked and it is one of my all-time favorite moments in a sports movie. Maybe it's the piano work in the background or maybe it's just the fact that everybody likes an underdog. Either way, Rene Russo is hideous.
The Bream Dream (Pastime):
One of the best sports movies nobody's seen. I highly recommend you watch this film that I proudly dub the best minor league baseball film of all time. Bull Durham is funny, but this movie captures the minor league life a bit better. At the same time it tackles racism in a light that not many movies have gone for. Anyway, the Bream Dream is basically a screwball that goes fastball speed. It's legit. If only I could learn it I wouldn't have been looking for a new team to play with only a year and a half into my career. As its inventor puts it, "It makes suckers out of the best of 'em. I come in when we need that one out, ya know? Just that onnnne out. I'm fresh. I'm sharp. I smoke 'em with a couple of BBs and then I hand 'em the dream. Inning's over."
Honorable Mention: The trick play from Little Big League
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