it’s not about winning it’s about how
you play the game
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top 10
sports movie cliches
for this list we’re taking a look at
tropes that keep popping up in sports
movies however as familiar as these
cliches may be we can’t help but cheer
every time we see them the heavyweight
champion of the world
also as some of these cliches reveal
climactic moments in movies a spoiler
alert might be in order number 10 the
cocky antagonists normos on their road
to glory every group of lovable misfits
needs to butt heads with an opposing
team of primarily unredeemable
antagonists because when I get finished
with you’re gonna be part now your mouth
and talk it out your butt these
archetypes are typically undefeated and
therefore feel the need to taunt the
less physically gifted you’re going to
tuck them in to seem into you like
nobody likes this when it’s time for the
final competition however our heroes
will show these jerks what it means to
be part of a team
whether the bullies are so conceited
that we love to hate them or so
over-the-top that we hate to love them
it’s always satisfying when they fumble
no ball
number nine the slow clap
even when a sports team doesn’t take
home the trophy a slow clap is the only
reward they really need the slow clap
always stems from one individual
typically somebody the protagonist has
been striving to impress
that single slow clap will infectiously
spread like wildfire until everybody in
the bleachers is applauding if the film
has done its job right a few people in
the theater just might be cheering to
win or lose this is the most triumphant
way imaginable to close out any sports
movie
number eight the training montage
so you’re on the most bumbling sports
team in the world
don’t worry that can be corrected in a
matter of minutes with a good
old-fashioned montage
cutting between various exercises will
see the protagonists instantly go from
Benchwarmers to all stars
while their transformation can be hard
to buy we’re always willing to go along
with the transition as long as there’s
an energizing training song it’s
impossible not to get pumped up whenever
you hear I of the tiger you’re the best
or the always popular gonna fly now
number seven the giving up scene
everybody else in this town turn on me
at the job over there right before the
most important game of the season you
can count on tragedy to strike is she
right Michael honey I need for you to
solicit Emmy she did lie to me
whether a key player dies or a shocking
truth is revealed something will prompt
the heart of the team to give up all
hope well here we kill one of these ways
guys keep it up this setback will rarely
last long though
as the troubled young man soon gains
words of encouragement from a parental
figure a wise janitor or Lance Armstrong
well I guess if a person never quit when
the going got tough they wouldn’t have
anything to regret for the rest of their
life after that it’s only a matter of
time until our hero sorts out his
priorities and returns to the playing
surface at the last second hey guys
sorry I’m late
ready to play your honor number six the
redemption quest and come back maybe
make your comeback right off there a
hero’s journey is always more engaging
when they have something to prove to
others and themselves what’s the movie
about my comeback right sometimes the
one trying to stage a comeback will be a
struggling athlete that once had the
potential to be a contender
other times the redemption quest will
focus on a coach that gets a second shot
at glory by instructing a ragtag team so
last time somebody gave you the chance
you deserve a chance there’s little
doubt that the main character will find
atonement by the film’s conclusion
although they might not reach that
destination in exactly the way they
expected hey Dad
we want to have a catch number five the
secret play if a team is going to make
it to the championship they’ll need a
couple of tricks up their sleeves
secret plays always throw the opponents
for a loop
additionally demonstrating a team’s
ability to think outside the box show
off individual skills and work together
as a unit I call it the annexation of
Puerto Rico not bad really I kind of
stole it from you
Raiders Vikings super go 11 hey you are
a genius these are especially popular in
the Mighty Ducks movies which introduced
a new generation to the Flying V and
Kenan Thompson’s trademark knucklepuck
he winds up oh and who can forget Daniel
performing the crane kick in the Karate
Kid
what was that you doing on those stumps
over there or crane technique it doesn’t
work you do right no conditions could
you teach me although isn’t that
technically an illegal move number four
the game ending injury you can never
rely on the star player to
single-handedly carry a team to victory
because there’s a strong possibility
they’re going to suffer a game-ending
injury at a crucial moment at least that
seems to be the case in almost all
sports movies that was about as
ferocious in about as I’ve seen all year
he’s in pain and the bad thing about if
he can’t come back in at play
sometimes this booboo can be fixed with
a healing technique most of the time
though the injury is a little more
permanent and the athlete will never
play the game they love again what are
you saying this kid it’s all about Harry
Scott’s mentally I don’t know
don’t worry champ what doesn’t kill you
only makes you stronger well except for
a million-dollar baby number three the
last play although it doesn’t take a
rocket scientist to figure out how every
sports movie will end the genres best
outings will keep you at the edge of
your seat down to the last play it’s the
final inning quarter or whole and
everything is all tied up the game’s
outcome all comes down to one home run
one field goal or one hole-in-one
with the people in the crowd all holding
their breath everything goes silent but
as the clock counts down to zero get
ready to cheer
number two the coach’s speech three
minutes till the biggest battle of our
professional lives all comes down to
today
it’s impossible to get through any
sports movie without hearing a rousing
speech or two and the majority of the
time that speech will come from the
mouth of the wise coach what’s real
simple you got two more quarters and
that’s it
whether giving the speech to a lone
player or rallying the entire team in
the locker room you can expect the coach
to essentially say the same inspiring
thing this is your time this is your
time it’s not about winning it’s not
about winning and he’ll as a team or die
as individuals we you as a team we’re
gonna crumble after that motivational
pep talk
any player will gladly follow the coach
onto the field their time is done it’s
over before we get to our top pick here
are some honorable mentions
I came to teach boys and you became men
for that I thank you
this mean I don’t get a baseball Natick
Susan Sontag is brilliant
number one the underdogs controversy
swirls around the six-point shark
underdogs nobody wants to see a sports
movie about players that start off
awesome and remain awesome until the big
game stand the fluorescent glow as true
dodgeball champ we want to see stories
about underdogs or sometimes a solitary
underdog rising above the odds after a
losing streak and going for the gold
and listen to the crowd at this underdog
con team is starting to win them off
everybody may tell the underdogs that
they’re too old too scrawny or too
feminine to play the game one underdog
living a cinderella story and he’s
captured people’s imaginations all over
the world even if they don’t ultimately
win though the underdogs will prove to
the naysayers that they’re mightier than
ever imagined empowering us all to take
on the impossible
you agree with our list I don’t know
what to say really what’s your favorite
sports movie cliche for more
entertaining top 10s published every day
be sure to subscribe to watchmojo.com
scroll this is your time now go out
there and take it
you
you play the game
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top 10
sports movie cliches
for this list we’re taking a look at
tropes that keep popping up in sports
movies however as familiar as these
cliches may be we can’t help but cheer
every time we see them the heavyweight
champion of the world
also as some of these cliches reveal
climactic moments in movies a spoiler
alert might be in order number 10 the
cocky antagonists normos on their road
to glory every group of lovable misfits
needs to butt heads with an opposing
team of primarily unredeemable
antagonists because when I get finished
with you’re gonna be part now your mouth
and talk it out your butt these
archetypes are typically undefeated and
therefore feel the need to taunt the
less physically gifted you’re going to
tuck them in to seem into you like
nobody likes this when it’s time for the
final competition however our heroes
will show these jerks what it means to
be part of a team
whether the bullies are so conceited
that we love to hate them or so
over-the-top that we hate to love them
it’s always satisfying when they fumble
no ball
number nine the slow clap
even when a sports team doesn’t take
home the trophy a slow clap is the only
reward they really need the slow clap
always stems from one individual
typically somebody the protagonist has
been striving to impress
that single slow clap will infectiously
spread like wildfire until everybody in
the bleachers is applauding if the film
has done its job right a few people in
the theater just might be cheering to
win or lose this is the most triumphant
way imaginable to close out any sports
movie
number eight the training montage
so you’re on the most bumbling sports
team in the world
don’t worry that can be corrected in a
matter of minutes with a good
old-fashioned montage
cutting between various exercises will
see the protagonists instantly go from
Benchwarmers to all stars
while their transformation can be hard
to buy we’re always willing to go along
with the transition as long as there’s
an energizing training song it’s
impossible not to get pumped up whenever
you hear I of the tiger you’re the best
or the always popular gonna fly now
number seven the giving up scene
everybody else in this town turn on me
at the job over there right before the
most important game of the season you
can count on tragedy to strike is she
right Michael honey I need for you to
solicit Emmy she did lie to me
whether a key player dies or a shocking
truth is revealed something will prompt
the heart of the team to give up all
hope well here we kill one of these ways
guys keep it up this setback will rarely
last long though
as the troubled young man soon gains
words of encouragement from a parental
figure a wise janitor or Lance Armstrong
well I guess if a person never quit when
the going got tough they wouldn’t have
anything to regret for the rest of their
life after that it’s only a matter of
time until our hero sorts out his
priorities and returns to the playing
surface at the last second hey guys
sorry I’m late
ready to play your honor number six the
redemption quest and come back maybe
make your comeback right off there a
hero’s journey is always more engaging
when they have something to prove to
others and themselves what’s the movie
about my comeback right sometimes the
one trying to stage a comeback will be a
struggling athlete that once had the
potential to be a contender
other times the redemption quest will
focus on a coach that gets a second shot
at glory by instructing a ragtag team so
last time somebody gave you the chance
you deserve a chance there’s little
doubt that the main character will find
atonement by the film’s conclusion
although they might not reach that
destination in exactly the way they
expected hey Dad
we want to have a catch number five the
secret play if a team is going to make
it to the championship they’ll need a
couple of tricks up their sleeves
secret plays always throw the opponents
for a loop
additionally demonstrating a team’s
ability to think outside the box show
off individual skills and work together
as a unit I call it the annexation of
Puerto Rico not bad really I kind of
stole it from you
Raiders Vikings super go 11 hey you are
a genius these are especially popular in
the Mighty Ducks movies which introduced
a new generation to the Flying V and
Kenan Thompson’s trademark knucklepuck
he winds up oh and who can forget Daniel
performing the crane kick in the Karate
Kid
what was that you doing on those stumps
over there or crane technique it doesn’t
work you do right no conditions could
you teach me although isn’t that
technically an illegal move number four
the game ending injury you can never
rely on the star player to
single-handedly carry a team to victory
because there’s a strong possibility
they’re going to suffer a game-ending
injury at a crucial moment at least that
seems to be the case in almost all
sports movies that was about as
ferocious in about as I’ve seen all year
he’s in pain and the bad thing about if
he can’t come back in at play
sometimes this booboo can be fixed with
a healing technique most of the time
though the injury is a little more
permanent and the athlete will never
play the game they love again what are
you saying this kid it’s all about Harry
Scott’s mentally I don’t know
don’t worry champ what doesn’t kill you
only makes you stronger well except for
a million-dollar baby number three the
last play although it doesn’t take a
rocket scientist to figure out how every
sports movie will end the genres best
outings will keep you at the edge of
your seat down to the last play it’s the
final inning quarter or whole and
everything is all tied up the game’s
outcome all comes down to one home run
one field goal or one hole-in-one
with the people in the crowd all holding
their breath everything goes silent but
as the clock counts down to zero get
ready to cheer
number two the coach’s speech three
minutes till the biggest battle of our
professional lives all comes down to
today
it’s impossible to get through any
sports movie without hearing a rousing
speech or two and the majority of the
time that speech will come from the
mouth of the wise coach what’s real
simple you got two more quarters and
that’s it
whether giving the speech to a lone
player or rallying the entire team in
the locker room you can expect the coach
to essentially say the same inspiring
thing this is your time this is your
time it’s not about winning it’s not
about winning and he’ll as a team or die
as individuals we you as a team we’re
gonna crumble after that motivational
pep talk
any player will gladly follow the coach
onto the field their time is done it’s
over before we get to our top pick here
are some honorable mentions
I came to teach boys and you became men
for that I thank you
this mean I don’t get a baseball Natick
Susan Sontag is brilliant
number one the underdogs controversy
swirls around the six-point shark
underdogs nobody wants to see a sports
movie about players that start off
awesome and remain awesome until the big
game stand the fluorescent glow as true
dodgeball champ we want to see stories
about underdogs or sometimes a solitary
underdog rising above the odds after a
losing streak and going for the gold
and listen to the crowd at this underdog
con team is starting to win them off
everybody may tell the underdogs that
they’re too old too scrawny or too
feminine to play the game one underdog
living a cinderella story and he’s
captured people’s imaginations all over
the world even if they don’t ultimately
win though the underdogs will prove to
the naysayers that they’re mightier than
ever imagined empowering us all to take
on the impossible
you agree with our list I don’t know
what to say really what’s your favorite
sports movie cliche for more
entertaining top 10s published every day
be sure to subscribe to watchmojo.com
scroll this is your time now go out
there and take it
you
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