Top 100 Best Reviewed Sports Movies

Robert DeNiro in 1980's Raging Bull

Robert DeNiro in 1980’s Raging Bull…the highest rated Sports Movie according to critics and audiences.

Want to know the Top 100 Best Reviewed Sports Movies? Well you have come to the right place….because we have all of that information.  A few years ago, I got a request I got a request from HubPages’s Stevennix2001 to figure out the Top 100 Sports Movies according to my Cogerson Movie Score formula.  Well I had to research over 1,200 sports movies….but I was able to come up with a Top 100.  Along the way I actually wrote 14 sport movie pages.  Ten of those pages looked at each individual sport….for example Ranking Baseball Movies.  Three more of those pages were: Top 100 Biggest Box Office Grossing Sports Movies,  and Top 400 Sports Movies.

The 14th Sports Movie Page I wrote was this one….Top 100 Best Reviewed Sports Movies.  So where do I find critics and audience ratings? I used many different sources: RottenTomatoes, IMDb, Letterboxd.com, Rating the Movie Stars, MetaCritic, VideoHound, Roger Ebert, Leonard Maltin and Fandango to name the main sources. Put them all together and I get an average with 100% being the highest score possible.  RottenTomatoes.com uses 60% as the benchmark for a good movie.  Well every single movie on this list is over 70%.

Tim Robbins and Kevin Costner in 1988's Bull Durham.

Tim Robbins and Kevin Costner in 1988’s Bull Durham….currently ranked as the 13th best movie according to critics and audiences.

Best Reviewed Sports Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table

The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.

  • Sort Best Reviewed Sports Movies by the type of sport
  • Sort Best Reviewed Sports Movies by the star of the Boxing movie
  • Sort Best Reviewed Sports Movies by adjusted box office grosses using current movie ticket cost
  • Sort by how Best Reviewed Sports Movies were received by critics and audiences.  60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
  • Sort by how many Oscar® nominations and how many Oscar® wins each Best Reviewed Sports Movies received.
  • Sort Best Reviewed Sports Movies by Cogerson Movie Score.  Cogerson Movie Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
RankMovie (Year)Type of Sports MovieStar of MovieInflated Domestic Box Office (Millions)OpinionOscar Nom / WinCogerson Movie Score
Raging Bull (1980)BoxingRobert DeNiro$73.1091.0%08 / 0262.97
Hustler, The (1961)PoolPaul Newman$91.8088.5%09 / 0263.34
Wrestler, The (2008)WrestlingMickey Rourke$30.0088.5%02 / 0038.18
Moneyball (2011)BaseballBrad Pitt$77.1088.0%06 / 0061.51
Fighter, The (2010)BoxingChristian Bale$96.6087.3%07 / 0265.01
Million Dollar Baby (2004)BoxingClint Eastwood$131.5087.0%07 / 0479.15
Lagaan (2001)CricketAamir Kahn$.8087.0%01 / 0031.21
Body and Soul (1947)BoxingJohn Garfield$67.4086.5%03 / 0146.56
Breaking Away (1979)Bike RacingJackie Earle Haley$73.1085.5%05 / 0152.04
Rush (2013)Car Racing$26.8085.5%00 / 0037.83
Brian's Song (1971)FootballJames Caan$3.2084.5%00 / 0030.22
Damned United, The (2009)SoccerMichael Sheen$.8084.5%00 / 0029.74
Pride of the Yankees, The (1942)BaseballGary Cooper$225.7084.0%11 / 0185.40
Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)BoxingRobert Montgomery$76.3084.0%07 / 0261.66
Bull Durham (1988)BaseballKevin Costner$100.7084.0%01 / 0050.14
Bad News Bears, The (1976)BaseballWalter Matthau$122.6083.5%00 / 0053.74
Gentleman Jim (1942)BoxingErrol Flynn$109.6083.5%00 / 0051.14
Champion (1949)BoxingKirk Douglas$86.9083.5%06 / 0150.60
Lusty Men (1952)RodeoRobert Mitchum$48.7083.5%00 / 0038.96
This Sporting Life (1963)RugbyRichard Harris$18.7083.5%02 / 0034.16
Foxcatcher (2014)OlympicsChanning Tatum$12.2083.5%05 / 0032.80
Requiem For a Heavyweight (1962)BoxingAnthony Quinn$26.0083.0%00 / 0034.25
Warrior (2011)Mixed Martial ArtsNick Nolte$13.8083.0%01 / 0032.76
Phar Lap (1984)Horse RacingTom Burlinson$7.3083.0%00 / 0030.51
Rocket, The (2007)HockeyRoy Dupuis$2.4083.0%00 / 0029.53
Cinderalla Man (2005)BoxingRussell Crowe$78.0082.7%03 / 0045.08
Fat City (1972)BoxingJeff Bridges$8.9082.5%01 / 0031.25
Shaolin Soccer (2004)SoccerSteven Chow$.8082.0%00 / 0028.86
Hoosiers (1986)BasketballGene Hackman$62.5081.5%02 / 0042.88
Harder They Fall, The (1956)BoxingHumphrey Bogart$43.8081.5%01 / 0037.88
Crowd Roars, The (1932)Car RacingJames Cagney$43.8081.5%00 / 0037.28
Set-Up, The (1949)BoxingRobert Ryan$45.5081.0%00 / 0037.45
Big Lebowski,The (1998)BowlingJeff Bridges$30.0081.0%00 / 0033.51
Gregory's Girl (1981)SoccerDee Hepburn$3.2081.0%00 / 0028.99
World's Fastest Indian, The (2005)Car RacingAnthony Hopkins$6.5080.5%00 / 0027.75
Karate Kid, The (1984)KarateRalph Macchio$219.2080.0%01 / 0068.60
Color of Money, The (1986)PoolPaul Newman$114.5080.0%04 / 0157.19
Pat and Mike (1952)GolfSpencer Tracy & Katharine Hepburn$68.2080.0%01 / 0042.24
National Velvet (1945)Horse RacingElizabeth Taylor$212.7079.5%05 / 0272.82
Rocky (1976)BoxingSylvester Stallone$446.6079.3%10 / 0392.77
Chariots of Fire (1981)OlympicsBen Cross$172.1079.0%07 / 0480.97
Cincinati Kid, The (1965)PokerSteve McQueen$63.3079.0%00 / 0040.31
Eight Men Out (1988)BaseballJohn Cusack$11.4079.0%00 / 0028.13
Jerry Maguire (1996)FootballTom Cruise$282.6078.5%05 / 0184.24
Hurricane (1999)BoxingDenzel Washington$81.2078.5%01 / 0046.50
McFarland USA (2015)RacingKevin Costner$43.0078.5%00 / 0036.13
Bang the Drum Slowly (1973)BaseballRobert DeNiro$16.2078.5%01 / 0031.32
Stratton Story, The (1949)BaseballJames Stewart$153.5078.3%01 / 0159.72
Hard Times (1975)BoxingCharles Bronson$49.5078.0%00 / 0037.20
Girlfight (2000)BoxingMichelle Rodriguez$2.4078.0%00 / 0027.78
Big Fan (2009)FootballPatton Oswalt$.0078.0%00 / 0027.30
Heaven Can Wait (1978)FootballWarren Beatty$283.4077.5%09 / 0185.12
Natural, The (1984)BaseballRobert Redford$116.1077.5%04 / 0056.65
Slap Shot (1977)HockeyPaul Newman$108.8077.5%00 / 0048.88
Night and the City (1950)Wrestling PromotionRichard Widmark$46.3077.5%00 / 0036.38
Rudy (1993)FootballSean Astin$44.7077.5%00 / 0035.65
Match Point (2005)TennisScarlett Johansson$29.2077.5%01 / 0031.61
Major League (1989)BaseballCharlie Sheen$101.5077.0%00 / 0053.16
Miracle (2004)Hockey/OlympicsKurt Russell$84.4077.0%00 / 0044.86
North Dallas Forty (1979)FootballNick Nolte$84.4077.0%00 / 0043.83
Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956)BoxingPaul Newman$65.0077.0%03 / 0243.75
Bend It Like Beckham (2003)SoccerKeira Knightley$43.8077.0%00 / 0038.21
Whip It (2009)Roller DerbyEllen Page$13.8077.0%00 / 0029.71
Cornbread Me and Earl (1975)BasketballMoses Gunn$13.8077.0%00 / 0029.71
City for Conquest (1940)BoxingJames Cagney$73.9076.5%00 / 0041.56
League of Their Own, A (1992)BaseballTom Hanks$210.3076.0%00 / 0066.60
Longest Yard, The (1974)FootballBurt Reynolds$186.8076.0%01 / 0065.81
42 (2013)BaseballHarrisonFord$95.0076.0%00 / 0050.37
Rookie, The (2002)BaseballDennis Quaid$105.6076.0%00 / 0049.46
Friday Night Lights (2004)FootballBilly Bob Thornton$80.4076.0%00 / 0042.68
Day At The Races, A (1937)Horse RacingMarx Brothers$65.0076.0%01 / 0040.20
Bing Long's Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings (1976)BaseballBilly Dee Williams$44.7076.0%00 / 0035.54
Joyeux Noel (Merry Christmas) (2005)SoccerDiane Kruger$1.6076.0%01 / 0027.52
Cup, The (2000)SoccerOrgyen Tobgyai$1.6076.0%00 / 0026.92
Seabiscuit (2003)Horse RacingTobey Maguire$161.6075.5%07 / 0070.88
Grand Prix (1966)RacingJames Garner$154.3075.5%03 / 0361.08
Damn Yankees! (1958)BaseballTab Hunter$77.1075.5%01 / 0044.94
Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, The (1962)Long Distance RunningTom Courtney$22.7075.5%00 / 0030.96
Sugar (2009)BaseballAlgenis Perez Soto$.8075.5%00 / 0026.58
Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949)BaseballFrank Sinatra$141.3075.0%00 / 0054.51
Love & Basketball (2000)BasketballOmar Epps$41.4075.0%00 / 0034.53
Fear Strikes Out (1957)BaseballAnthony Perkins$26.0075.0%00 / 0031.45
Goon (2012)HockeySean Michael Scott$4.1075.0%00 / 0025.61
Rocky Balboa (2006)BoxingSylvester Stallone$86.9074.5%00 / 0041.85
Invictus (2009)RugbyMatt Damon & Morgan Freeman$40.6074.5%02 / 0035.86
Great Race, The (1965)Car RacingTony Curtis & Jack Lemmon$199.8074.0%05 / 0169.86
Champ, The (1932)BoxingWallace Berry$121.8074.0%04 / 0266.66
Remember the Titans (2000)FootballDenzel Washington$174.6074.0%00 / 0062.84
He Got Game (1998)BasketballDenzel Washington$37.4074.0%00 / 0037.67
Without Limits (1998)OlympicsDonald Sutherland$1.6074.0%00 / 0026.22
Caddyshack (1980)GolfChevy Chase & Bill Murray$130.7073.5%00 / 0051.86
Knute Rockne All American (1940)FootballRonald Reagan$69.8073.5%00 / 0039.68
One on One (1977)BasketballRobbie Benson$104.7073.0%00 / 0046.49
Finding Forrester (2000)BasketballSean Connery$78.0073.0%00 / 0039.17
Boxer, The (1997)BoxingDaniel Day-Lewis$10.6073.0%00 / 0028.33
Heart Like a Wheel (1983)RacingBonnie Bedelia$0.8072.5%01 / 0026.14
Junior Bonner (1972)RodeoSteve McQueen$19.5071.7%00 / 0028.98
Blind Side, The (2009)FootballSandra Bullock$276.9071.5%02 / 0175.90
Rocky II (1979)BoxingSylvester Stallone$275.3071.3%00 / 0064.97
Walk Don't Run (1966)OlympicsCary Grant$65.0071.0%00 / 0037.85

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