Recorded on Superbowl Sunday 2022, this episode delves into the pure joy that can come from watching a sports movie… even when you don’t care about sports in real life. Who doesn’t want to cheer for the underdog against a goliath opponent? Have whatever character actor is playing the coach delivers a rousing speech that inspires the team to score the winning goal? Admire whatever charming, physically fit actor has been hired to play the lead. Sports movies really do have it all.
The first sporting event ever filmed was a boxing match in Carson City “Corbett v Fitzsimmons” in 1897. The first ever real sports movie one could argue was the 1915 Charlie Chaplin film The Champion. With Slapshot, Whip It, Rollerball, Blindside, and so many other sports films continue to tug at our heartstrings, perhaps giving us hope that we too can overcome our obstacles.
For those interested in learning more about sports movies:
- Didinger, Ray (2009) The Ultimate Book of Sports Movies: Featuring the 100 Greatest Sports Movies of all Time, Running Press
https://www.amazon.ca/Ultimate-Book-Sports-Movies-Featuring/dp/0762435488
2. Babington, Bruce (2014) The Sports Film: Games People Play, Wallflower Press
https://www.amazon.ca/Sports-Film-Games-People-Play/dp/0231169655
3. Field of Screens, a sports movie podcast hosted by David Kifford and James Rowling: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/field-of-screens-the-sports-movie-podcast/id1543794419
4. Grierson, Tim, Leitch, Will, (2020, March 16th) The 50 Greatest Sports Movies of all Time, Vulture.com
https://www.vulture.com/article/best-sports-movies-ranked.html
5. Crouch, Ian,(2016, April 30th) The Towering Narcissim of Jerry Maguire, The New Yorker Magazine
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-towering-narcissism-of-jerry-maguire
This episode was hosted by Jerry Gabriel and Stephanie Laughlin
The guest was Joseph McLean
The episode was edited by Jerry Gabriel
Blog posts and research done by Stephanie Laughlin