Every sports fan likes a good underdog story, be it a real-life development or a fictional film.
Many of the all-time great sports films were based on a true story. But some fictional cinematic masterpieces have also gone a long way in providing the audiences with the values of inspiration and believing in one’s self.
Here is a look at three of the best and most inspirational sports movies to put on your must-watch list.
Jerry Maguire (1996)
Tom Cruise takes center stage in the star-studded 1996 Jerry Maguire blockbuster.
The NFL’s Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys are prominently featured in the film. Mobile/online sports betting launched in The Copper State last year, and Cardinals fans can place wagers through the many Arizona betting apps like FanDuel, BetMGM, DraftKings and Caesars.
The Cardinals’ slow start to the 2022 season has seen their Super Bowl 57 odds decrease at multiple sportsbooks. They opened at +2000 at BetMGM but are now down to +6600.
Cruise plays Jerry Maguire, a sports agent who starts his own firm after being fired by his previous employer. Maguire’s goal is to structure a better contract for Cardinals wide receiver Rod Tidwell (played by Cuba Gooding Jr.).
Cruise’s performance is what really beautifully ties in the element of inspiration in Jerry Maguire. He believes in himself and overcomes several difficult personal hardships to reach the top of the sports agent world.
American Underdog (2021)
The Erwin brothers’ American Underdog blockbuster follows the story of legendary NFL quarterback Kurt Warner.
The two-time NFL MVP is portrayed by Chuck star Zachary Levi. The cast also features Anna Paquin (Warner’s wife, Brenda), Dennis Quaid (Rams head coach Dick Vermeil), Adam Baldwin (Northern Iowa head coach) Terry Allen and Chance Kelly (Rams offensive coordinator Mike Martz).
The former Northern Iowa standout wrote one of the greatest underdog stories in the history of professional sports. Warner didn’t hear his name called at the 1994 Draft, though he received an invitation to try out for the Green Bay Packers.
Warner’s tryout was unsuccessful, and he wound up being released before ever playing a snap for Green Bay. He then went to work at a Hy-Vee grocery store.
With the NFL dream seemingly over, Warner decided to play in the Arena Football League. He flourished for the Iowa Barnstormers, so much so that the St. Louis Rams offered Warner a contract that he accepted.
After spending one season for the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe, Warner came back to the Rams in 1998. Vermeil had no choice but to roll with Warner as the starter in 1999 after future Kansas City Chiefs’ Pro Bowl QB Trent Green suffered an ACL tear in preseason play.
In his first full NFL season, Warner completed 65.1 percent of his pass attempts for 4,353 yards and 41 touchdowns against only 13 interceptions. He was named the 1999 NFL MVP and completed an underdog story for the ages by leading the Rams to a Super Bowl 34 victory over the Tennessee Titans.
From undrafted to the Arena Football League to a Super Bowl champion, Super Bowl MVP and Pro Football Hall of Famer, Warner pulled off one of the greatest feel-good and inspirational sports stories.
American Underdog is simply a must-see for any sports fan that loves an unlikely hero tale.
The Mighty Ducks (1992)
The first film of the iconic Walt Disney trilogy remains one of the most beloved and inspirational sports movies 30 years after its release.
Emilio Estevez plays the main character, Gordon Bombay, a Minnesota attorney who gets into legal trouble and must perform community service. Much to his chagrin, Bombay is required to coach a Pee-Wee hockey team.
Bombay’s first meeting with the Pee-Wee team is an unpleasant one. The players lack proper equipment and have little to no fundamental skills (skating, shooting, passing, stickhandling, etc.)
Bombay quickly grows frustrated with the players, and they come to resent him after the first game (a blowout loss to the rival Hawks — coached by the team Bombay played for as a kid.
But overtime, Bombay comes to embrace the coaching challenge while also rediscovering his love for hockey. A more motivated Bombay becomes more patient with the kids, recruits two new useful players (former Hawk Adam Banks and Fulton Reed) and teaches them the basic skills that they previously lacked.
The team gets new equipment, jerseys and even a team name, the “Mighty Ducks.” Bombay and the players learn the values of teamwork, dedication, leadership and determination.
The success of The Mighty Ducks led to two sequels in D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994) and D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996). 25 years after the third film hit theaters, Disney released the first season of the widely praised series, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers.