True Sports Fans Can Score At Least 25/35 On This Sports Movie Quiz

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The sports movie is a tried and true tradition in filmmaking. One day, the Hollywood suits were sitting around, scratching their heads, trying to think of the next best thing, and then they realized they could just use another area of entertainment with huge mass appeal – sports – and merge it with their own. Sports movies can fall into the realm of being cheesy or formulaic, as they tell the story of a plucky underdog who rises above everyone’s expectations and wins a big game, as well as going through some kind of internal personal transformation.

However, sports movies come in all shapes and sizes. They can be original stories or based on true stories. They can be about baseball, boxing, football, basketball – anything! Sometimes they’re not about the athletes at all, but rather their agent who has you at hello. One thing is for sure: they are always uplifting and inspirational. Sports movies lift you up and tell you to push yourself and be the best version of yourself you can. They can be taken as analogies of everyday life. If they’re about a hockey player preparing to play a big championship game, you can take all the motivational speeches and training montages as being your own preparation for that big job interview. They’re about more than just sports; they’re about life. So, how well do you know these sports movies?

Question 1

Which of these is NOT one of Rocky’s opponents?

His only rival being John Rambo for the title of Sylvester Stallone’s most iconic role, Rocky Balboa is the ultimate underdog. He’s always up for the challenge of facing an opponent who is much bigger, stronger, and more successful than him, and he always manages to prevail. In the first movie, he’s even being set up as a patsy, and he manages to win spiritually, if not in any real sense. There have been six Rocky movies (Creed notwithstanding), so that’s a lot of opponents he’s faced. Which of these is NOT one of them?

Question 2

Which game show host beats up Happy Gilmore?

While Tin Cup is a prime example of a golf comedy that gets the golf right but skimps on the comedy, Happy Gilmore is perfect example of the other end of the spectrum – a golf comedy that’s hilarious but has a severely inaccurate portrayal of golfing. It also stands as one of the few genuinely funny movies to star Adam Sandler in the history of film. But which game show host beat the snot out of him on the golf course?

Question 3

Which marginalized group’s baseball league is A League of Their Own about?

Set in the time of the Second World War and starring the great Tom Hanks, A League of Their Own follows one marginalized group of society’s own baseball league as they prove themselves in a world dominated by straight white males. As the war was threatening to put an end to Major League Baseball, the sport was opened up to allow this group to play. They proved themselves and then some, making sports history. But which group’s league is the movie about?

Question 4

Who starred in Million Dollar Baby?

When it was first released in theaters, Clint Eastwood’s boxing drama Million Dollar Baby was billed as “the female Rocky” in the way that Bridesmaids was “the female Hangover.” However, as was also the case with Bridesmaids, it was so much more than that. In the case of Million Dollar Baby, it was a solemn and contemplative study that doesn’t tug on the heartstrings in a schmaltzy, sports movie kind of way; it does it in a very real way. Its star was a wonderful up and coming actress who has since become a big star. Who was it?

Question 5

Complete the Jerry Maguire quote: “Show me the...” what?

Cameron Crowe’s comedy drama Jerry Maguire was a huge hit back in the 1990s. It stars Tom Cruise in the title role as a sports agent who falls in love with Renee Zellweger and represents a star athlete played by Cuba Gooding, Jr. Cuba Gooding, Jr. won an Oscar for his role in the movie, which grossed a whopping $273 million at the worldwide box office on its theatrical release. In the movie, he has an iconic line – finish it: “Show me the...” what?

Question 6

Who played Muhammad Ali in Ali?

While Michael Mann’s epic take on Muhammad Ali was a box office disappointment, it does successfully cover all of the controversies and struggles of Ali’s life, from his criticism of the war in Vietnam to his Muslim faith to his fight with Joe Frazier. One critic wrote of the movie when it was released, “Ali’s astonishing personality is skillfully evoked but, in the end, remains a mystery.” But which legendary A-list actor took on the role of Ali in the biopic?

Question 7

What basketball player does the star of Creed share his name with?

Okay, the star of Creed has an initial in the middle of his name, but he surely put that in his stage name to differentiate from the ground-breaking NBA star who shares his name. The actor began his career as Wallace on The Wire and was killed off tragically soon (within the first season of the HBO masterpiece, even). The actor was also in the Fantastic Four reboot and Ryan Coogler’s Black Lives Matter drama Fruitvale Station. Coogler and this actor continue to change opinions about race with their movies to this day. But which basketball legend does he share his name with?

Question 8

Complete this quote: “There’s no crying in” what?

A League of Their Own is a sports movie classic. It makes a good case for being the greatest sports movie of all time (although the grand jury has decided that nothing ever has and nothing ever will top Rocky). But this one quote from the movie, spoken by Tom Hanks’ character, has always stuck out. It’s always counted among the greatest movie quotes ever, both thanks to its simplistic and honest writing and Hanks’ all out and committed delivery of it. But what is it? Complete the quote: “There’s no crying in” what?

Question 9

Which boxer’s life is Raging Bull based on?

Legendary director Martin Scorsese, best known for his epic gangster flicks, had never intended to make a sports movie, since he hates sports. However, he made The Color of Money starring Paul Newman and Tom Cruise as a pair of pool hustlers, and he also made the classic boxing biopic Raging Bull. He was convinced to make Raging Bull, a black and white masterpiece starring Robert De Niro as a deeply flawed individual, by the strength of its subject’s tragic story. But which boxer is the movie based on?

Question 10

The cast of what cartoon stars in Space Jam with Michael Jordan?

Michael Jordan is quite possibly the greatest basketball player who has ever lived and will ever live. His name is synonymous with the game. However, his acting ability leaves a lot to be desired, as evidenced by Space Jam. Space Jam is a great movie and it’s hugely enjoyable, but that’s no thanks to Jordan’s dreadfully wooden acting. But he didn’t star in Space Jam alone. He shared the screen with the characters from a classic popular cartoon. Which one was it?

Question 11

What sport do The Mighty Ducks play?

Charlie Sheen’s brother Emilio Estevez once starred in a popular kiddie flick called The Mighty Ducks, in which he coaches a kids’ team to victory. They start off as the underdogs and fight their way to the top. This movie kicked off a whole trilogy. Fun fact: comedian Marc Maron had a small part in the sequel as an angry valet but he was cut out because he was “scaring the Ducks.” But which sport do the Ducks play in the movies?

Question 12

Which superhero star appeared in Seabiscuit?

Seabiscuit, the story of the sensational racing horse who won the nation’s hearts during the Great Depression, was very successful. It was nominated for a whole bunch of Academy Awards and it grossed over $100 million worldwide and its director went on to kickstart The Hunger Games movie franchise (but didn’t see it through to the bitter end). Part of the movie’s cast is the star of a big comic book movie franchise in which he played a famous superhero. Who is it?

Question 13

Where is Ricky Bobby’s rival from?

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is a staggering achievement. Adam McKay and Will Ferrell had a tall order to fulfil with the movie: top Anchorman. And yet, somehow, they managed to do it. If it’s not as tight or as quotable as Anchorman, it’s certainly as funny, original, and enjoyable. McKay sees Talladega Nights as a political movie, as Ricky Bobby’s greatest rival in NASCAR is not an American, but rather from another country. What country is it?

Question 14

What is Chris Rock’s nickname in The Longest Yard?

The Longest Yard is a football movie set in a prison, as a former NFL player is sent to prison and leads a team of prisoners to victory against the guards’ team. It stars many big stars. Are you ready? Here goes: Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Nelly, Terry Crews, Tracy Morgan, Cloris Leachman, Burt Reynolds, Steve Austin, William Fichtner, Rob Schneider (ugh), Chris Berman, Jim Rome, and Courteney Cox. What spurs on the players at the end of the movie is the tragic death of Chris Rock’s character. What is his name?

Question 15

Name the bad guy in Dodgeball

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story is a parody of sports movies, as a team of underdogs from a lowly little gym take on a big, fancy corporate gym chain in a game of dodgeball. But it’s much more than that. It’s a sweet and earnest story about real characters and their attempts to do the right thing. Of course, the movie’s shining star is Ben Stiller’s antagonist, the brash, loud-mouthed fitness guru and owner of Globo Gym. What’s the character’s name?

Question 16

What team does Mark Wahlberg play for in Invincible?

Invincible is a sports movie by Disney based on the incredible true story of Vince Papale, played by Mark Wahlberg, a real life underdog who tried out for an NFL team on a whim and ended up being one of their star players. His career and background earned him the nickname “Rocky” after Rocky Balboa, so of course Hollywood would come a-knockin’ for his life rights. Wahlberg brought a lovable warmth to the role. But which NFL team did Papale play for?

Question 17

Which US political enemy did the Americans beat in Miracle?

Miracle is a wonderful fact based drama from Disney starring Kurt Russell in the true story of an American victory in a hockey game during a Winter Olympics ceremony. The reason the game is particularly notable is because the American team didn’t just win any old game; it was a game against the team of one of American’s fiercest political enemies, during an intense conflict that could’ve resulted in the annihilation of the United States. But which enemy was it?

Question 18

What sports rivalry is Rush about?

Rush is a cool little historical movie directed by Ron Howard (who is currently handling the Han Solo spin off movie coming at us at lightspeed next year) and starring Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl. Rush has an 89% score on Rotten Tomatoes; the critics loved it. The critics' consensus on Rotten Tomatoes called it "a finely crafted sports drama." It tells the story of a famous historical heated sports rivalry. Which one of these sports rivalries is it about?

Question 19

Which Hollywood A-lister played Branch Rickey in 42?

42, Brian Helgeland’s biopic based on the life of Jackie Robinson, is a grand achievement. Helgeland effectively portrays the desegregation of the sport of baseball by one of its greatest all time players, making a point about the subject of race as well as about the man his movie is based on. This is also partly down to Chadwick Boseman’s brilliant performance as Robinson. But which gruff, aging Hollywood star played Branch Rickey, the baseball executive who helped to make it happen?

Question 20

Which Pulp Fiction actor starred in Coach Carter?

Coach Carter is an uplifting and powerful sports movie with an important message. It’s about a high school basketball coach who saves his team from failure and hammers them into shape with his iron fist rule, but when his players’ grades start to suffer, he locks them out of the court and won’t let them play because he believes their education to be more important. The coach is played by a Tarantino favorite who appeared in Pulp Fiction. Who is it?

Question 21

What animal terrorizes the golf course in Caddyshack?

Caddyshack still stands today as one of the funniest comedy movies of all time. It stars a whole raft of comedic geniuses – Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, and Rodney Dangerfield, to name a few – in the tale of the antics of a country club and its golf course. In the movie, the course is being terrorized by a mischievous little animal. Bill Murray is led to desperate and hilarious measures to deal with this animal, including an elaborate TNT rig. But what animal is it?

Question 22

What is The Wrestler’s girlfriend’s job?

The Wrestler was hailed as one of the best movies of 2008. It was directed by The Fountain’s Darren Aronofsky and came as a surprise, since it’s a quiet, melancholic drama and yet it’s so powerful. It stars Mickey Rourke in his comeback role as a pro wrestler who gives up the game to focus on his relationship with his estranged daughter and his romance with a woman of a certain profession played by Marisa Tomei. What job does she have?

Question 23

What Disney princess is Russell Crowe’s boxing movie named after?

In 2005, Ron Howard directed a movie based on the life of heavyweight boxing champion James J. Braddock. It wasn’t a huge financial success, taking in just $105 million at the worldwide box office on its production budget on $88 million – clearly a larger take was expected. But it’s still a good movie. Russell Crowe played Braddock in the movie, which was named after Braddock’s nickname. This nickname comes from a Disney princess. But which Disney princess is it?

Question 24

Who is the movie The Rookie about?

The Rookie is a lovely, enjoyable sports movie about a short but memorable career in Major League Baseball. The movie’s subject finds himself often frustrated as he’s drafted in and out of the Majors and then only lasts for two seasons before he retires and returns to his hometown, to the humdrum life he aspired to leave. That’s an interesting moral story, right? The mundane life we wish to leave now might be the life we want to come back to after achieving our dreams. But who was the subject of the movie?

Question 25

What civil rights icon appears in Invictus?

Invictus, directed by Clint Eastwood (who has become one of the greatest movie directors of this generation after being one of the greatest actors of his own), is technically a movie about rugby starring Matt Damon. However, it’s really about racial segregation and how sports bring people together, and it features a civil rights icon. Which one is it?

Question 26

What is Jackie Moon’s hit song?

Will Ferrell must love sports. He attended NBA games in both The Other Guys (a movie in which Derek Jeter plays himself) and Daddy’s Home, and he’s made a bunch of sports oriented movies. He made Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby about NASCAR, Blades of Glory about figure skating, and Semi Pro about basketball. His character in Semi Pro, Jackie Moon, is known for his one hit song that he released years ago. What is the song called?

Question 27

Which of these actors is NOT in Moneyball?

To be perfectly honest, Moneyball is quite disappointing, mundane, and boring when you consider the caliber of the people involved. It was directed by Bennett Miller, who captured audiences’ imaginations with Capote and later with Foxcatcher, but fails to do so with Moneyball. It was also scripted by Steven “Schindler’s List” Zallian and Aaron “The West Wing” Sorkin, so the script should’ve been tighter and more entertaining, and they were adapting it from a book by Michael Lewis, who wrote The Big Short, so the central theme should’ve been more riveting. The movie’s saving grace is its amazing cast. But which of these actors ISN’T in the movie?

Question 28

Which movie legend directed Any Given Sunday?

Any Given Sunday is a football epic. It’s over two and a half hours long and it chronicles the behind the scenes struggles of all the people involved with an American football team that doesn’t even exist. It stars Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, Dennis Quaid, James Woods, Jamie Foxx, Matthew Modine, Charlton Heston, and Aaron Eckhart. How did the director get all of these great actors on board? Well, that’s simple. He is legendary, not typically the kind of guy to make a sports movie. He’s typically known for his politically controversial dramas like JFK and Nixon. Who was it?

Question 29

Who played Babe Ruth in The Babe?

The Babe is a biopic that takes liberties with the life of its subject, Babe Ruth. For starters, they portray his called shot, which is still debated to this day. Sure, there’s video proof that he did make the gesture, but no one knows what exactly he meant by it. They also depict the two home runs he hit for a sick kid, which has long been known as a myth. However, it’s a heart-warming movie that also portrays legends such as Lou Gehrig and Al Capone – but who plays Ruth?

Question 30

Which NFL team drafts Michael Oher in The Blind Side?

The Blind Side was a huge hit, earning Sandra Bullock an Oscar (and, surprising its producers, a nomination for Best Picture) as well as $300 million at the worldwide box office. It tells the story of Michael Oher, a kid who grows up in an impoverished environment before being adopted and raised by a lovely couple who manage to get him into a good college where he becomes a hot item in college football and gets drafted by an NFL team – which team is it?

Question 31

Complete the movie title: The Pride of the... what?

In 1942, Gary Cooper, best known for his starring roles in the early talkies like adventure movies and westerns, starred in one of the first sports movies ever made. It was a Samuel Goldwyn production (as were all the popular and successful movies back then) and it was directed by Sam Wood. The movie is less a narrative and more of a loving tribute. It’s a great flick. But which team was it specifically made about? Complete its title: The Pride of the... what?

Question 32

Which Godfather actor starred alongside Will Ferrell in Kicking and Screaming?

Being an American movie, there’s a lot about soccer (known in the UK as football) that Kicking and Screaming got wrong. The rules, the industry of the game, a lot of it is inaccurate in the movie. However, it’s still a wonderful, hilarious, and hugely enjoyable movie if you ignore all of that and just watch it as a Will Ferrell comedy. What Ferrell brings to it is that half way through what could’ve been a generic family comedy, he turns it into a Martin Scorsese type rise and fall story about a kids’ soccer coach who becomes addicted to coffee and success. It’s a riot. But which actor from The Godfather appears alongside Ferrell as his father-in-law and rival?

Question 33

If you build it, who will come?

Field of Dreams is a lovely, heartwarming movie starring Kevin Costner as a farmer who is told by a mysterious, ghostly voice to build a baseball diamond on his land. Everyone makes fun of him as he does it, but his wife sticks by him every step of the way, and he shows them all when the ghosts of the 1919 Chicago White Sox turn up and start playing there. But which player was the voice specifically referring to when it said, “If you build it, he will come?” Who will come?

Question 34

What is the name of Susan Sarandon’s baseball groupie in Bull Durham?

Bull Durham is remembered as being the greatest baseball movie ever made. It stars Kevin Costner as Crash Davis, a veteran Minor League catcher who is tasked with preparing rookie pitcher Tim Robbins for his Major League debut. However, a promiscuous baseball groupie played by Susan Sarandon gets in the middle of them as she vies for each of their affections. At first, she’s attracted to Robbins, but then she’s drawn to Costner. But what is the name of her character?

Question 35

Which famous stoner shares a trailer with Kevin Costner in Tin Cup?

Tin Cup isn’t too great as a romantic comedy – it’s missing the spark, the love, the laughs, and pretty much everything else that makes a good rom com. However, it is a great golf movie, because there’s a passion for the sport behind the scenes. Kevin Costner is a huge golf nut, and he didn’t phone it in for the movie – he developed a professional quality swing to make the movie more accurate. But which famous stoner plays his roommate, with whom he shares a trailer out in the desert?

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