Some of us here at CinemaSpeak love sports almost as much as we love the movies. So imagine how excited we get when our two favorite pastimes are combined. Since the Lakers are out of contention, the Dodgers are once again stinking up the joint and the classic Over the Top is more than likely checked out of your local videostore, grab a brew and a dog and feast your eyes on some of these winners.

Talk about your favorite sports movies on the Message Boards.

RYAN KUGLER:

The Bad News Bears (1976/Michael Ritchie): "Let them play. Let them play. Let them play." Before everyone gets in a tizzy and crucifies me on the boards for being an idiot, let it be known that I realize the above chant is from Breaking Training and not this, but I didn't know what else to write.

Bull Durham (1988/Ron Shelton): Simply put, the greatest baseball film ever made (no matter what the Hall of Fame/Shame says).

Caddyshack (1980/Harold Ramis): The scene where Ty decides to play through (even though his ball has landed in Carl's shack) is one of the funniest ever filmed. Favorite line: "Hey Wang, this is an exclusive club. Don't tell 'em you're Jewish."

The Color of Money (1986/Martin Scorsese): The Hustler bores me. There, I said it. Sue me, if I find this ultra-cool sequel to be the superior of the two. Besides, there has to be one person in the world who thinks this way.

Field of Dreams (1989/Phil Alden Robinson): More of a father/son story than a traditional sports picture, though America's favorite pastime imbeds itself so deeply in every single scene, that I think it fits this list like a glove.

Hard Target (1993/John Woo): Van Damme's best feature is also arguably the greatest film ever made about the sport of hunting humans; in this case, it's hunting bums through the streets and bayous of Louisiana.

Hoosiers (1986/David Anspaugh): This sentimental favorite about a group of underdog basketball players and their coach (memorably played by Gene Hackman) is what uplifting sports films are all about. My only problem (and no fault of the film) is that Dennis Hopper was nominated for this in the same year that he tore shit up in Blue Velvet.

The Karate Kid (1084/John G. Avildsen): The first and still the best. Maybe I have such a fondness for this flick because LaRusso was from Reseda (like me), learned karate (like me), dated a piece of ass (like me) and won the All Valley Under 18 Championship (like me). Ok, only the first "like me" is true, but it's nice to dream.

Raging Bull (1980/Martin Scorsese): One of the best films of the 80s and by far the best one on this list (though it's not quite as funny as Caddyshack). This is the quintessential Scorsese/DeNiro team-up and the finest boxing film ever made (Streets of Gold notwithstanding).

Rocky (1976/John G. Avildsen): The first and still the best (though III gives it a run for its money). Speaking of III, how about this line by Apollo (which always bugged me): "You fight great, but I'm a great fighter." Huh? What the hell is that supposed to mean?

CURTIS RAINES:

I am a huge sports fan but I want to start by saying that I believe poker and billiards are sports. Yeah, yeah, I know -- a sport shouldn't be something you do in the back of a pub. But come on, you gotta love it -- in what other sport can you be fat and drunk and actually play better? Okay, I'll give you softball.

The Bad News Bears (Michael Ritchie/1976): If you haven't seen this movie in a while, you may just remember it as being a silly movie about a bunch of kids playing little league. But it's much much more than that. It includes many great subplots led by Vic Morrow's story line of the overbearing father.

Bull Durham (Ron Shelton/1988): The only movie I can say with a straight face that Kevin Costner was great in… Okay, so I'm laughing. He was good though, as were Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon. Best baseball movie ever.

The Cincinnati Kid (Norman Jewison/1965): I first saw this movie about high stakes poker when I was thirteen. I've been a raging gamble-holic ever since (inside joke - 1,2,3, drop). Steve McQueen is classic as the young phenom and not to be out done is Edward G. Robinson as the old master. It's easily McQueen's best performance.

Fat City (John Huston/1971): I'm a big boxing fan so it may be no surprise for those who know me to see this classic on my list. A great tale about a boxer facing the end of his career (Stacey Keach) and another (Jeff Bridges) whom is on the rise. Based in Stockton, CA (near my hometown), Huston captures the slow paced life and small town mentality perfectly.

The Hustler (Robert Rossen/1961): I'm not a big Paul Newman fan, but he nailed the role of my idol "Fast" Eddie Felson in this epic pool hall hustling movie. Seriously, who wouldn't want to live a life as a roustabout going from town to town swindling pool players out of twenty bucks here and there to barely scrape together enough income to squeak out a dismal, lonely, pathetic life? Damn, I envy him!!!

The Natural (Barry Levinson/1984): The music alone gets this baby on my list. What a great feel good movie that I partly wished would have stayed true to the ending written in the book. But I understand; happy endings sell big. It may be a little strange that Robert Redford looked about sixty-years-old playing a young ball player, but hey, you work with what you got. Anyone who dreamed of being a big leaguer must see this movie. Or should I say; anyone who has lived under a rock for the past twenty years must see this movie.

Phar Lap (Simon Wincer/1984): What in the hell is a Phar Lap? I know that's what you are probably thinking, but trust me, this true story about a New Zealand racehorse is amazing on every level. I know Seabiscuit, starring Spiderman, hits theaters soon, but I can't imagine it being more powerful than this story about a champion horse destined for glory. This may be hard to find on video, but if you see it, get it. Horse racing fan or not, you're gonna like it.

Raging Bull (Martin Scorsese/1980): I'm sure this will be on everyone's list, so I won't discuss it. It's great. Plain and simple.

Rocky (John Avildsen/1976): So, I'm a little obsessed with boxing.

Vision Quest (Harold Becker/1985): Sure, it's one of those cheesy 80s movies with a great soundtrack, but damn it, I can't help myself. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined a top-ten list that included a Matthew Modine movie. I'll admit though, I can't turn the channel when I see this thing on cable. I still wish Shute had whooped Matthew Modine's ass in the end. Come on, Shute was a machine, no way he loses that match. I love that guy. In fact, I'm naming my kid Shute. There! It's settled.

DAN TESTER:

The Bad News Bears (1976/Michael Ritchie): Walter Matthau as beer-guzzling Morris Buttermaker is one of the most inspired performances of his legendary career; and when combined with a Little League team of foul-mouthed misfits, it becomes the thing of comedic legend. While gut-wrenchingly funny to be sure, Bad News Bears achieves greatness with its underlying sweetness. Matthau's relationship with Tatum O'Neal is very well written, and I am not afraid to admit that when little Timmy Lupus catches that fly ball…well, that is one of the most triumphant moments in cinema history to me.

Bull Durham (1988/Ron Shelton): No movie has really ever captured the "true" essence of professional baseball more than Bull Durham. No others have ever really captured the wacky spirit and reality of "the show," or the dreams of attaining it. Bull Durham knows the essence of baseball concerns three things: Sex, superstitions and sex. Kevin Costner has no peers when it comes to playing aging sports heroes, and his final run through the minor leagues here allows him his finest film performance. And you will never watch a pitcher's mound conference the same way again. Ever.

Caddyshack (1980/Harold Ramis): This was a hard one to position on this list. It is surely one of the funniest movies of all time, but when compiling a top ten, it falls curiously low. I dunno. Maybe because it is golf. Golf is not really a sport is it? Is it? Welllllll? I'm waiiiiting?

Hoosiers (1986/David Anspaugh): Hoosiers moves me greatly upon every viewing. Maybe it is the amazing performance by Gene Hackman as the tough but fatherly coach with a vision. Maybe it is the small town, the kind in which high school basketball really is the end all be all of existence. But more than anything, it is probably the amazing film score, which is quite possibly my favorite of all time. It is an essential musical accompaniment, sometimes thunderously inspiring, sometimes hauntingly subtle, but always moving. Hoosiers is one of those goose-bumpy movies for me, and as Hackman's final words echo over a black and white picture of the team that has risen against all hope to victory, I darn near spill a tear everytime.

Kingpin (1996/Bobby and Peter Farrelly): Some movies just seem to exist to make me happy. Kingpin does every time. It is easily the best movie ever about bowling (The Big Lebowski was better I suppose, but Jeff Bridges is never even seen throwing a bowling ball in that one, so it doesn't count!) Bill Murray is amazing as the evil Big Ern McCracken, and his final showdown with Woody Harrelson can only be described as one thing…Comedy Karma.

Let it Ride (1989/Joe Pytka): Richard Dreyfuss' lucky day at the horse track is just so damn entertaining to me that I included it here, although I suppose it's inclusion on a Best Sports Film list is debatable. But I don't care.

The Natural (1984/Barry Levinson): Just as Bull Durham captured the "essence" of baseball reality, The Natural captures the "essence" of the baseball ideal. Robert Redford is great as the aging baseball wannabe with one last chance at greatness, and Randy Newman's musical score is one of the most famous in motion picture history. The Natural is a great tribute to America's pastime, and its spirit is a melancholy one for a time that is forever gone in the wake of free agency and union strikes.

North Dallas Forty (1979/Ted Kotcheff): Just as Bull Durham is the definitive "essence of baseball" movie, North Dallas Forty is the definitive "essence of football" movie. Although North Dallas Forty is 24 years old, it's observances and indictments of the world of the NFL are still startlingly relevant, and Nick Nolte and Mac Davis (of all people!) are really very, very good as the veteran quarterback/tight end duo nearing the end of their run. This is a must see for all football fans! Back when Oliver Stone was contemplating the production of his silly and anticlimactic Any Given Sunday a few years ago, I only wish someone had taken the initiative to slip him a copy of North Dallas Forty so he would have realized not only had it already been done, it had been done "right".

Raging Bull (1980/Martin Scorsese): Scorsese's electric depiction of Jake La Motta's storied career really needs no description here does it? Surely you have already seen it. If you haven't, please do.

Slap Shot (1977/George Roy Hill): Sports film or no sports film, Slap Shot is one of my all-time favorites either way. Paul Newman gives quite possibly his finest film performance as the aging "old school" hockey player/coach who encourages his team to "play dirty" when he discovers his bankrupt team is being sold. Suddenly the team is both popular and successful. The script crackles with a kind of brilliance you would never expect from a film of this genre, George Roy Hill's solid direction is flawless and the razor sharp editing needs to be seen to be believed. This is a must see, an loving tribute to "old time hockey" with a flurry of Hanson Brothers, football helmeted organists, toupeed announcers, beer, broads, blood, toothless grins, sex, wacky accents and spunky young girls who are just scrappin'. And that is just kind of a brief overview. I wouldn't want to spoil anything.