One by one the professional sports leagues and organizations canceled their events. It started with talk of playing in front of empty stadiums and then the NBA put their season on hold. Afterward, everyone followed suit. Even the NFL wasn’t immune to the cancelations. The league decided to move skip its upcoming league meeting and push it off for a few months. Teams are pulling scouts off the road. The whole point of this is that we will have nothing to watch over the next few weeks. It’s time to binge-watch television shows and movies. Here are some suggestions to bide your team.
The Replacements (2000)
Keanu Reeves plays Shane Falco, a former Ohio State quarterback who never recovered from a bad bowl game. A funny note this is actually the second time that Reeves played a former Ohio State quarterback since his role as Johnny Utah in “Point Break” was also a former Ohio State quarterback.
Back to “The Replacements” which had Falco join a team of rag-tag players coached by Gene Hackman. It has some comedy, and it has some romance, and it has a kicker who smokes cigarettes. It’s a fun movie to pass the time.
Brian’s Song (1971)
“Brian’s Song” was actually an ABC television movie. If you want a good cry, watch this movie about terminally ill Brian Piccolo. The highlights are the parts where Gale Sayers and Piccolo interact at a time where race was still a large issue in America. It’s an old movie, but an absolute classic for any football fan.
Draft Day (2014)
If you haven’t seen “Draft Day” drop everything you are doing and start watching it now. It’s absolutely ridiculous. If you know anything about the draft, trades, and the NFL in general, the plot can be laugh-out-loud funny sometimes. If Kevin Costner was the general manager of the Browns, they would have won at least five Super Bowls by now. He’s that good of a drafter man.
Varsity Blues (1999)
A classic movie for any older millennial, James Van Der Beek does not want your life — you said that in an accent didn’t you. The story about a high school football team essentially going against its hard-line coach — played by Jon Voigt — is quintessential nineties early-two-thousands.
Friday Night Lights (2004)
Directed by Peter Berg and based on Buzz Bissinger’s amazing non-fiction book about the 1998 Permian High School football team, this movie was many folks first introduction to high school football in Texas — outside of Varsity Blues of course.
Remember the Titans (2000)
A heartwarming story about a football team coming together in a time of racism and desegregation. It’s a Disney movie so we get the heartwarming musical number, left-side strong-side, and just enough drama to make it a classic.
We are Marshall (2006)
A true story about the Marshall football team of 1971 and their emotional journey after 37 members of the 1970 team died in a tragic plane crash. This is one of those football as a life lesson and community building block movies. Matthew McConaughey is the inspiring coach that helps the team believe.
The Longest Yard (1974)
Back to an older movie, do yourself a favor and watch the original “The Longest Yard” not the more recent one with Adam Sandler. Burt Reynolds in all his glory leads a team of prison inmates in a game against the evil guards.
Any Given Sunday (1999)
You have to watch this move for two things and two things only: Al Pacino’s speech about inches and Jamie Foxx’s song about his character Will Beamen aptly named “My Namie is Willie.” Otherwise “Any Given Sunday” is just Major League but with football.
Rudy (1993)
Fine. Rudy makes the list. Everyone has seen Rudy. Everyone knows the story of Rudy. It’s the movie Rudy. We get it. The best part is actually realizing Vince Vaughn is the star player on the team.
Necessary Roughness (1991)
This movie does not get nearly enough credit as it should. It’s a comedy about a college football team that is coming off the death penalty. There is no shot they can win . . . until they get a 34-year old Scott Bakula who somehow has eligibility to come and save the team. It’s the Chris Weinke story before Chris Weinke ever played for Florida State. Sinbad is in this movie!
The Program (1993)
A movie that is obviously made about Florida State but does not outright say it is about Florida State. “The Program” goes into the darkness of college football. It’s like “Blue Chips” for football but darker. It’s also a pretty good movie.
