Last week, Star sports staffers answered burning sports questions.
Star readers chimed in too, emailing their answers to sports@tucson.com. Here are excerpts of their responses. (Some have been edited for brevity, clarity and to match Star style).
Today’s question: What is your favorite sports movie and why?
Without doubt, the 1988 movie hit “Bull Durham” should be on everyone’s top baseball film list. In addition to an up-close look at the minor leagues the movie is filled with comedy and a just-right amount of romance. For those not familiar: Kevin Costner is a veteran minor league catcher Crash Davis, assigned to educate raw rookie pitcher Nuke LaLoosh, played by Tim Robbins. In Davis’ words, Nuke has a million-dollar arm but a five-cent head. To this mix add the beautiful Susan Sarandon, who in her role is a baseball groupie and part-time English teacher.
Though “Bull Durham” is loaded with humorous scenes, my favorite is Crash telling Nuke how to talk to the media when he moves up to the major leagues. Just remember, Nuke learns, to tell the TV folks that he will pitch each game as one game at a time.
As a rainbird from visiting from Portland, Oregon, sadly a city without the majors, I am able to watch the Hillsboro Hops nearby. The Hops (named for the main ingredient in beer) are a short-season Class A farm club.
Joe Schula
“Heaven Can Wait.” Unique plot.
Jim Arbrust
“Field of Dreams.” I used to play catch with my dad since I could walk. Seeing Kevin Costner’s character “have a catch” with his dad at the end really hit home for me.
Tim White
“Miracle on Ice.” I still get goose bumps whenever I watch it. A young USA hockey team takes on the Red Army and wins!
Aaron Thomas
“Major League.”
Bill Leith
“Field of Dreams” and “Bull Durham” are two I particularly like.
I recently watched a film most of the (Star) staffers are probably too young to have seen, since it was made in 1942. It’s called “Pride of the Yankees,” and stars Gary Cooper as Lou Gehrig. Since most people today associate Lou Gehrig only with a disease, and not with being a baseball star, that’s an easy film to overlook.
June Harris
“The Heart of the Game.” I don’t typically like documentaries. But this is a riveting documentary following the girls basketball team from a Seattle high school. The team is historically very bad. They get a new, inexperienced coach who was a professor of accounting at the U of W. And he turns the team into state champions. It’s like an amazing drama. I hope you recommend it.
Tim Harrington
“I’ll Be Bound.” A BBC documentary of the 1992 World Rugby Sevens held in Hong Kong. Produced by Denis Kelly, the movie takes its title from an excited remark made by commentator Ian Robertson in the final match, won by Fiji, played under monsoon conditions.
Jack Sheerin
“Draft Day” … “The Blindside” … “The Rookie” … “Trouble with the Curve” … “The Replacements” And of course: “A League of Their Own.”
In each case the powers that be said “They couldn’t. They shouldn’t, They wouldn’t.” And yet they did.
F.M. Westra
