John Sheda

Here’s a little something to take your mind off the stress of the coming elections. The World Series is on; NBA basketball is starting, and football is in high gear, so this is the perfect time for the great “Shedoo” to share his top ten sports movies of all time. So, starting with number ten here goes …

10. The Trouble With The Curve. Pretty good “feel good” movie directed and starring Clint Eastwood. The good guy comes out on top.

9. Secretariat: What a movie! Secretariat was the 1973 Triple Crown winner of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, but the Belmont Stakes brought him glory. He finished this race 31 lengths in front of anyone else. An amazing movie.

8. Hoosiers. Always loved Gene Hackman but this “feel good” movie about David beating a goliath state basketball tournament in Indiana is one of the best basketball movies around.

7. Joe & Max. Beautiful movie about two boxing greats, American Joe Louis and German Max Schmeling fighting in the light of Nazi Germany. Joe and Max became best friends, and just a super movie.

6. Field of Dreams. “Is this heaven; No, it’s Iowa,” is the classic Iowa logo from the lips of Kevin Costner. The all-time great Iowa movie and baseball combined. Doesn’t get any better than this. Well, actually, it does with the next 5.

5. Remember the Titans. Denzel Washington stars in this true movie about combining black and white students together and making it all work out….in the end.

4. League of Their Own. “There’s No Crying in Baseball” is the iconic statement of Tom Hanks in this true movie about lady baseball players. A number of great stars, and the crying scene is one of the best ever.

3. Rudy. Man, I’m all over it every time this movie comes on. Rudy Ruettinger enrolls at Notre Dame in 1973 and tries to make the football team a “walk-on.” Almost gives up but then carries on and actually gets to play in the final two plays of his senior year. A truly inspirational movie for anyone who just will not give up or quit.

2. We Are Marshall. The tragic movie of the 1970 plane crash of the Marshall “Thundering Herd” killed 75 people total, including 37 players, 5 coaches, and others that absolutely stopped the university from ever starting up college football again. But they did, and this is another great inspirational movie about persevering despite tragedy and overwhelming odds.

And Sheda’s number one Sports Movie of all time is… EIGHT MEN OUT. Great movie about the 1919 Black Sox scandal in which 8 members of the Chicago White Sox were accused of “throwing” the World Series. They were reportedly the greatest team ever assembled but lost the series (nine games back then) to the Cincinnati Reds, 5 games to 3. The “fix” was in, and all eight were banished from baseball forever. The big question remains with two players, Buck Weaver, who proclaimed his innocence, and Shoeless Joe Jackson, who was illiterate and perhaps didn’t understand as he had a terrific World Series.

So there you have it. Agree or disagree?

Let me know at jsheda@indytel.com or call me at 319.327.4640.