While my Toronto Maple Leafs gear up to trade away more talented players (I wonder if the Bruins would trade us back our first and second round draft picks for Phil Kessel. That’d be ironic) for junk, I thought I’d ignore my growing dismay at the state of the Leafs and instead talk about my favorite sports movies. You know, films like Over the Top and Invincible… wait, I did say “favorite,” didn’t I?

5. The Replacements

Keanu Reeves is not my favorite actor, but he does a good job in this film about a theoretical strike in the NFL that leaves teams hiring washed up athletes to continue “business as usual.” I think I have a special place in my heart for this one because of the deaf wide receiver. The actor (Roy from the Office) does an admirable enough job of it that the first time I watched the movie, I had to look up whether or not he was deaf. And I’m the child of a deaf man. On a second viewing, it was a little more obvious. A silly premise, but a feel-good story.

4. Glory Road

This film tells the story of the first NCAA team to start 5 african-american players. Even within the team, the tension is palpable. A good reminder of the power of sports to spread unity and help overcome adversity. Also, the opening scene where the coach is yelling at the players about passing like girls… and then it turns out he’s coaching girls… that’s funny stuff.

3. Miracle

Okay, granted, it’s about the US hockey team beating the Russians in 1980. Through the whole movie, I’m waiting for the guys with the red flag on their jerseys. They don’t show up. Instead, it’s this red, white, and blue stuff. (Cue someone starting a slow chant… U… S… A… As hockey movies go, though, it’s a pretty darn good one. It features the only role I’ve ever believed Kurt Russell in. A quality film, worth the watch. U… S… A…

2. Remember the Titans

Another film about the intersection of race and sport. Denzel does a great job playing second fiddle to the young men cast as his team in this movie. It’s one that I can watch again and again. It’s not just about winning. The multiple levels that this movie communicates on really work… you can feel the awkwardness for the adults, as a black coach takes over, as the assistant coach sends his white daughter (a very young Hayden Panettiere, btw) to play with the black coach’s daughter, the frustration for the football players as they’re forced to integrate, and the relationship between the two little girls serves as a great counterpoint to the racial tension, in that the differences and awkwardness in their relationship had absolutely nothing to do with race and everything to do with personality differences.

1. The Mighty Ducks

Okay, this film doesn’t belong at number one on any other list of great sports movies. But, this is my list. The Mighty Ducks has a special place in my heart. I’m not sure why… timing probably played into it, as it released at the same time that my parents were deciding to move our family to a tropical paradise. The hockey thing probably tied the memories of the film to memories of home. I digress. This is not a great film, but it is a terrifically fun film, if you fell in love with it when you were 9.