Can You Name These Famous Sports Movies from a One-Line Description?

By: John Miller
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
Can You Name These Famous Sports Movies from a One-Line Description?
Image: TriStar Pictures

About This Quiz

YOU SHOOT, YOU... Let's hope you'll be scoring on this quiz! When it comes to cinema, you'll find a host of different genres. There's action, adventure, romance, sci-fi, and who could forget about the dramas and comedies? While the latter two are the genres of thousands of films, there's a certain number of these films that are dedicated to sports. From basketball and hockey to baseball and soccer, can you name these famous sports movies from a one-line description?

While you might find a ton of professional sports in the United States, there are a few that are easily the most popular. In a 2013 Harris Poll, it was revealed that more Americans prefer football. This sport is followed by baseball, basketball, ice hockey, and tennis. The order of this list also reflects how these movies appear in the theater. It is infinitely easier to find movies on football, baseball, and basketball than it is to find movies on ice hockey and tennis. Popular football films feature the 2000 film Remember the Titans while A League of Their Own is a classic film for baseball lovers. No one can forget about the Michael Jordan/Bugs Bunny collaboration of Space Jam, and hockey was put on the map for younger kids with The Mighty Ducks. 

There are hundreds of sports movies ready to test your talents, but can you score a touchdown, score a point, or hit a home run? Let's find out if you can name these famous sports films!

In which movie does a blue-collar Italian-American guy somehow get a chance to win the world heavyweight boxing championship?
"Ricky"
"Robby"
"Rocky"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Written by Sylvester Stallone, who also plays the main character, "Rocky" is a moving testament to the power of human will ... and bloody fists.

In _______, a cocky young stock car driver gets a shot at racing with the big boys of NASCAR.
"Days of Thunder"
"Fight Club"
"Trainspotting"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

1990's "Days of Thunder" sees Tom Cruise as a up-and-coming stock car driver who is ridiculed by more established drivers. In the end, you know who is going to be drinking the champagne.

Which film portrays a college student who really wants to play football for Notre Dame?
"Born on the Fourth of July"
"Rudy"
"Basic Instinct"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In "Rudy," a young man struggles to get into Notre Dame due to his low grades, and even after he's finally admitted, he's too small to play football. Or is he?

Advertisement

In ____, a small-town basketball team from Indiana overcomes all odds to win the state basketball championship.
"Rocky"
"Hoosiers"
"Finding Nemo"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When was the last time you saw an audience stand up and cheer during a sports movie? At "Hoosiers." Those were seemingly idyllic times, to be sure, when small-time Hickory took the Indiana basketball world by storm.

In which inspiring film does an all-black basketball team make it to the 1966 NCAA championship game?
"Glory Road"
"Happy Street"
"Disappointment Boulevard"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Based on a true story, "Glory Road" dishes the story about Texas Western, the first all-black basketball team to make it to the NCAA title game.

In which movie does political leader Nelson Mandela work to help South Africa win the Rugby World Cup?
"Remember the Titans"
"Invictus"
"Saving Private Ryan"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon star in "Invictus," which tells the true story of how Mandela worked with South Africa's rugby team. The effort helped to heal a nation torn by apartheid.

Advertisement

In which 2004 film does the United States hockey team somehow beat the Soviet juggernaut in the Olympics?
"Miracle"
"Dancing with the Stars"
"Avatar"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Miracle" tells the story of the 1980 men's hockey team, which overcame incredible odds to beat a Soviet team favored to deliver a beatdown. In real life, and in the movie, the Americans grab the gold medal.

In which movie does a small town's amateur hockey team play an exhibition game against the New York Rangers?
"Mystery, Alaska"
"Baked Alaska"
"Fargo"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Mystery, Alaska" portrays a small Alaskan town going nuts with excitement over a game between their local team and the Rangers. Hijinks ensue.

Which movie is all about a college basketball coach who violates NCAA rules in order to nab the talent he needs to win?
"Red Cards"
"Blue Chips"
"Yellow Dice"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In "Blue Chips," Nick Nolte is a coach who will do anything to recruit the most talented players -- even if it means breaking the rules.

Advertisement

In "Bend It like _____," a young woman pursues soccer glory even though her parents want her to give up sports and settle down.
"Bend it Like Beckham"
"Bend it Like Bonham"
"Bend it Like BooBoo"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

She's of East Indian origins and expected to settle down in a conservative society. But in "Bend It Like Beckham," a young woman defies her parents and chases glory on the pitch instead.

In which movie does a middle-aged baseball player somehow become a star in the big leagues?
"Broken"
"The Natural"
"Weird Science"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In "The Natural," Robert Redford is Roy Hobbs, who is too old to become a baseball star. But he gets a bat made from a tree that's struck by lightning and then everything changes.

Which movie is all about the life of Ernie Davis, the first black player to win the Heisman Trophy?
"The Express"
"Polar Express"
"The Pony Express"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ernie Davis was a talented running back at Syracuse in the late '50s and early '60s. He rose to prominence and became the first black player to win college football's most coveted award. "The Express" tells his story.

Advertisement

In which movie does a Rams quarterback die just before the Super Bowl, only to return to Earth in someone else's body?
"NFL Nirvana"
"Hell is a Bus Stop"
"Heaven Can Wait"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In "Heaven Can Wait," an NFL QB dies too soon, in part thanks to an angel who makes a mistake. He returns to life in the body of a millionaire and then falls in love.

Which touching film details the story of a homeless boy who becomes one of the best left tackles in pro football?
"The Blind Side"
"The Far Side"
"The Bloody Side"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Quinton Aaron and Sandra Bullock star in "The Blind Side," in which a family befriends a young, down-on-his-luck homeless boy. It's based on the true story of Michael Oher, who really did make it as a star in the NFL.

In which film do prison inmates assemble a football team and take on the prison guards in an epic gridiron game?
"The Longest Yard"
"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"
"The Usual Suspects"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 2005's "The Longest Yard," Adam Sandler is a former football star who winds up in prison. In a weird turn of events, the inmates wind up playing a football game against the cruel correctional officers.

Advertisement

An Amish bowler tries to find fame and money in which famous bowing movie?
"The Big Lebowski"
"Kingpin"
"Bowling for Columbine"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In "Kingpin," an Amish bowler named Ishmael is befriended by a cynical former bowling star. They travel to Reno for a big tournament, but trouble lurks.

Which movie shows the drama of a black coach taking the helm of a newly-integrated high school football team?
"Remember the Titans"
"Forget the Greeks"
"M.A.S.H."
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Denzel Washington is the head coach in "Remember the Titans." He has to somehow get his white and black players to cooperate while fending off threats to his job.

In which movie does a high school football player desperately pursue a sports scholarship so that he can get out of his dying Pennsylvania town?
"Tom Gun: Part II"
"All the Right Moves"
"Move to the Right"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

1983's "All the Right Moves" was the right move for Tom Cruise's career. He played a tough-minded (but smart and handsome) football star who just wants to have a real chance in life after high school.

Advertisement

In which movie do audiences watch young players trying to deal with the pressure of high-stakes college football?
"The Program"
"The Pitch"
"The Brochure"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

1993's "The Program" portrays young men caught up in the high-pressure world of college football. Only the toughest will survive "The Program."

Which film portrays a sports agent who gives up the rat race to handle just one NFL client?
"Top Gun"
"Rudy"
"Jerry McGuire"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tom Cruise is "Jerry McGuire," a big-shot sports agent who chucks his career and decides to handle just one NFL player. "Show me the money!"

In which movie does a failed hockey player take to the golf course to save his grandma's house from foreclosure?
"Forrest Gump"
"Unforgiven"
"Happy Gilmore"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Before Adam Sandler threw his career away, he appeared in classics like "Happy Gilmore." Happy is the frenetic, failed hockey player who desperately seeks money playing golf so that he can save his grandma's house.

Advertisement

In which film does a team of pro baseball players accept bribes to intentionally lose the 1919 World Series?
"Eight Men Out"
"The Big Lebowski"
"Reservoir Dogs"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Eight Men Out" portrays one of big league baseball's most shameful moments, when the White Sox deliberately threw the World Series. It stars John Cusack, Clifton James and other big Hollywood names.

In which movie does a baseball team owner intentionally assemble a terrible team in hopes of moving it to another city?
"Minor League"
"Major League"
"PeeWee Ball"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 1989's "Major League," the owner of the Indians puts together a horrible roster so that the team can leave town for another city. But the players decide they want to try their hardest ... and then they start winning.

In which film does a star quarterback suffer a major injury, and then a third-stringer leads the team to glory?
"Any Given Sunday"
"Every Other Monday"
"It's Actually Tuesday"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In Oliver Stone's "Any Given Sunday," a third-string QB shows that preparation and mental fortitude can overcome life's toughest challenges. It stars Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz and Dennis Quaid.

Advertisement

Which film is all about a failed Jamaican sprinter who decides to start the country's first Olympic bobsled team?
"Icy Jerk Chicken"
"Cool Runnings"
"Hot Jogging"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 1993, the sports-film world was abuzz with "Cool Runnings," starring John Candy and Leon. Mocked and ridiculed, the Jamaicans do their best to assemble a bobsled team from scratch.

In which movie does a small high school football team in Texas overcome hardships to win a championship?
"Sunday Giants"
"Saturday Morning Glory"
"Friday Night Lights"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Friday Night Lights" is based on a book by H.G. Bissinger. It follows the story of a small, conflict-ridden team from Odessa, Texas, that comes together at the right time.

In which film does a losing hockey team give up on actually winning and instead start fighting during games?
"Bank Shot"
"Snot Shot"
"Slap Shot"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 1977's "Slap Shot," a losing team resorts to "goon" hockey, in which players fight like crazy during hockey games. The results are predictably amusing.

Advertisement

Which movie features a clash of rich and poor golfers, as well as a dancing gopher?
"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"
"Caddyshack"
"Ghostbusters"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bill Murray's career went into overdrive with "Caddyshack." There isn't really much plot, but hilarious misadventures on the golf course make this one a classic.

In which emotionally-wrenching film do two running backs compete for playing time with the Bears, only to learn that one of them is dying from an incurable illness?
"Brian's Song"
"Pete's Tune"
"Jack's Whistling"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In "Brian's Song," we witness the true story of Brian Piccolo, who befriends teammate and NFL star Gale Sayers. But Brian isn't long for this world -- he becomes ill, and he doesn't get better.

Which movie shows an undersized horse winning a big race during the Great Depression?
"Warhorse"
"Seabiscuit"
"Oceanmuffin"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 2003, "Seabiscuit" brought audiences to tears, as a small, underrated horse races to glory against bigger and supposedly better animals. We won't spoil the ending for you, though.

Advertisement

You Got:
/30
TriStar Pictures