I've blogged here for a full month, and I haven't sold out and done a list of any kind (though written in list format, I don't count my weekly declarations as a list, because they are unrelated to each other, there's not one specific theme). Until now, that is. Inspired by reading some other blogs on this topic, I've come up with a list of my ten favorite sports movies of all time. Enjoy, fellow bloggers (Week 16 NFL picks to follow, by the way).

My Ten Favorite Sports Movies

10. Major League

This movie was driven by an outstanding cast. Corbin Bernsen as overpaid crybaby Roger Dorn, Wesley Snipes as the slick speedster Willie "Mays" Hayes, Charlie Sheen as the psychotic "Wild Thing" Rick Vaughn, Bob Uecker as the broadcaster without a care Harry Doyle, Dennis Haysbert as crazy, voodoo-worshipping slugger Pedro Cerrano, and, of course, the pimp of the '80's, Tom Berenger as the team leader Jake Taylor, all were perfectly cast. The one drawback to this movie is that the "last game" scene is far too long. In a comedy, that scene doesn't need to top a half hour, which this one did. Otherwise, there isn't anything else wrong with this baseball movie classic.

Favorite Line: Haysbert; "You no help me now, I say F*** you, Jobu (his bat)!"

9. Rudy

Your enjoyment of this movie probably is based on whether or not you like Notre Dame. Me, I've always been a fighting Irish backer, and so, naturally, I adore this film. Sean Astin (who wasn't heard from again until the Lord of the Rings films), absolutely nails the part of classic underdog Daniel "Rudy" Ruetigger. Also contributing are Bronx Science alum Jon Favreau (had to get the shout-out to my high school in there), and the massively underrated Charles S. Dutton, who wills Rudy to keep on fighting for his dream of playing for the Irish, in, what turns out to be, a classic scene. And it is impossible not to shed a tear at that ending. Damn, I'm choking up just thinking about it.

Favorite Quote: Dutton; "You're five-foot nothin'. A hundred and nothin'. And for two years, you've been hangin' with the greatest college football players in the land!"

8. Rocky

My biggest problem with this movie is that it got a Best Picture OSCAR that it didn't deserve (Taxi Driver and Network were both much, much better). Still, this has to be considered one of the great sports movies of all-time. Rocky Balboa set the standard for all underdog characters in sports movies, and Sylvester Stallone gave a clinic on how to play them. The ninety-seven sequels also take away from the greatness of the original, as Sly, much like a punch-drunk fighter, doesn't know when to pack it in. Burgess Meredith's Mickey is the standard bearer for all "coach" characters, and Talia Shire, somehow, stumbles into another great movie, even though she tried her best to wreck it with her pathetic Adrian.

Favorite Line: Stallone: (Coming out for the fifteenth round against Apollo Creed) "You stop this fight, I'll kill ya!"

7. Bull Durham

Kevin Costner's first appearance on my list (with apoligies to Tin Cup and For the Love of the Game, there'll only be one more) is in this '80's classic. He does an outstanding job with the role of lifetime minor-leaguer Crash Davis. He, Susan Sarandon, and Tim Robbins all worked perfectly together. And, in a bit part, Robert Wuhl (Arli$$) is hysterical. This movie takes you by surprise with how funny it is. You think its going to be a completely sappy romance, and then the funny stuff comes from out of nowhere. Terrific movie.

Favorite Line: Robbins; (on the bed, tied up, listening to Sarandon read poetry) "So...are we gonna have sex, or what?"

6. The Natural

Leave it to Robert Redford to completely "Chick-ify" a sports movie. That's exactly what he does with this one. Still, you can't help but like it. Redford's portrayal of Roy Hobbs is brilliant. And Robert Duvall finds his way into another great movie (it seems like he's been in fifty), along with childhood sweetheart Glenn Close, and Kim Basinger in one of her first major roles (And she looked good back in the day). This movie moves slow, at times, but your patience is rewarded with a terrific final sequence.

Favorite Moment: Redford hitting one out in the final scene, knocking out the lights in "Knights Stadium"

5. Eight Men Out

It was in writing a comment about this movie on another blog that I was inspired to do this list. I think this is, easily, the most underrated sports movie of all time. It gives you great perspective on the 1919 Black Sox Scandal, showing you a side of the story that's not often heard about. You end up feeling sorry for some of the ballplayers, especially John Cusack's railroaded Buck Weaver. David Strathairn's understated performance as morally torn pitcher Eddie Cicotte is outstanding (the secret's out on him, he stands a good shot to win the OSCAR this year for his performance as Edward R. Murrow in Good Night, and Good Luck). Really terrific film.

Favorite Line: (a little boy to "Shoeless" Joe Jackson) "Say it ain't so, Joe. Say it ain't so."

4. Caddyshack

My favorite sports comedy of all-time. Rodney Dangerfield, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, and Ted Knight, all at their best. What an absolute scream this movie is. Not even a godawful Kenny Loggins song at the end can ruin it for you, and that's saying something. Murray's role is the most remembered, but the key to the whole thing was Ted Knight. Nobody was better at playing a guy that you just wanted to punch in the face, than Ted Knight. Boy, he could make you hate him. And Rodney, as always, gets no respect.

Favorite Line: Dangerfield; (hitting an errent shot) "Fore!" (hits Ted Knight in the private area) "I shoulda yelled two!"

3. Million Dollar Baby

A deserving Best Picture winner if there ever was one. For me, this one's right up there with The Shawshank Redemption for best movie of the last ten years (and Morgan Freeman narrated both of them. hmmm...). I never walked out of the theatre as shaken as I did after I saw this movie. It was just so unbelievably moving. The chemistry between Clint Eastwood's Frankie Dunn, and Hilary Swank's fighting Maggie Fitzgerald is remarkable. Like all truly great sports dramas, the sport (in this case, boxing) just serves as a backdrop for a greater story. Hopefully, you got to see it without knowing the ending, as it's a completely different experience.

Favorite Line: Eastwood; (explaining to Swank what her nickname means) "Mo Cuishla means, my blood. My darling."

2. Field of Dreams

The movie that made every boy/man treasure every moment he spent playing catch with his dad. A special film, truly. Costner does it again, as Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella. And James Earl Jones lends remarkable gravitas to his role as a reclusive writer. This movie drags, just a touch, in the middle. But the payoff in the end is amazing.

Favorite Line: Jones; "The one constant through all the years, Ray, is baseball."

1. Raging Bull

There is no arguing with me on this one. Raging Bull, in my opnion, is the second best movie of all time (behind The Godfather). Robert DeNiro's stunning portrayal of troubled middleweight Jake LaMotta is the greatest acting performance ever recorded on film. Period. He nailed every complexity of one of the most fascinating characters in modern times. The brutal fight sequences, directed by the brilliant Martin Scorsese, haven't been outdone to this day. Joe Pesci turns in his most toned-down performance, that might just be one of his best, as Jake's brother. A classic American film. Required viewing for anyone who thinks of themselves as a film buff. And, easily, the greatest sports movie of all-time.

Favorite Scene: DeNiro's breakdown in a Florida prison. A gifted actor at his very best.

So that's it, there's the list. If you disagree with me, you're wrong, it's that simple (oh, I'm kidding, of course...). By the way, I'm going to set the over/under on the number of "Where's Hoosiers?" comments at 10. I don't know, Hoosiers, it just didn't do it for me. Nothing wrong with Hackman or Hopper, this one just didn't do it for me. Don't know why.

Okay, on to some week 16 NFL stocking stuffer picks. A very shaky 2-2 last week (though I'm glad I was wrong about Chiefs over Giants), my total record is a dismal 5-5-2 against the number. Let's see if we can run off a few here.

San Diego at Kansas City

As a rule, I don't pick against the Chiefs at Arrowhead. I'll stick with this rule here, even though, if there was ever a spot where I'd pick against the Chiefs, this would be it. The Chargers, a week off of their big win over the Colts, might pay for having to go on the road again after a short week of practice. The Chiefs, if they can tackle this week, might be able to hold the Bolts under 40. If they do that, I think they'll score what they need to in order to take care of the Chargers, and keep their slim AFC playoff hopes alive. Only giving up one point, it's not a problem. I'll go with the Chiefs.

Atlanta at Tampa Bay

I've picked against Atlanta twice in this space, and it's worked out both times. No reason to see their luck changing against the Bucs. I don't love picking Tampa Bay, they seem to be kind of schizophrenic themselves, but I don't see much of a danger here with the Falcons, who are about ready to fold up the tent. Vick's ribs might still be an issue, and this Falcon team just cannot stop the run. It says here that their miserable Sunday night performance against Chicago snowballs. You're asked to give up three points here with Tampa. Fine by me, I'll go with the Bucs.

Jacksonville at Houston

I wrote about this game in my dozen this week, so I won't go on too much about it here. The Texans, with head coach in waiting Dan Reeves closely watching, are going to give a big effort, and win the game outright, against an anemic Jacksonville offense. That's right. I said win the game outright. The 10-4 team only spots the 2-12 team six points, and there's your first clue right there. I'll take the charity, and hope I don't need it.

N.Y. Giants at Washington

This is, what I call, a reactionary line. The 'Skins are giving up a field goal in this contest, based solely on their drubbing of the Cowboys last week. This line implies that the Giants and the Redskins are equal teams, and, my biases aside, this is not the case. The Giants are better. Period. Joe Gibbs has spoken about shutting down Tiki Barber. Well, in order to do that, you must commit an eighth man in the box. This means leaving Shockey, Toomer, and Burress all in man coverage. Eli Manning, though he's struggled lately, is still good enough to exploit this. Giants take this one, plus a field goal.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays everybody!