2011 Off topic thread(basketball,movies,etc whatever)

[Vandelay]

I got willoughby south over eastlake north at -4.5. I think it was just a low limit due to the line probably just coming out. South needs the win to improve their playoff position and routinely beats north every year. I thought the line would be around 17.

[MMA_scientist]

-Prefontaine
-American Flyers

I am now listing movies about fringe sports when they pop into my head. I liked both those movies.

[Mr. IWS]

^^^Pre was an excellent movie

[SPX]

-Prefontaine
-American Flyers

I am now listing movies about fringe sports when they pop into my head. I liked both those movies.

Is hockey fringe?

[MMA_scientist]

Is hockey fringe?

To me it is, but no. There have been a bunch of decent movies about hockey though.

Golf has some movies, it is mainstream though. Bowling- I challenge any director to make a compelling non-comedy about bowling.

[MMA_scientist]

Invictus- was that about Rugby? I never saw it.

[SPX]

Bowling- I challenge any director to make a compelling non-comedy about bowling.

I don't think it's been done.

But if you're ever in a documentary mood, I can recommend this one:

[SPX]

Invictus- was that about Rugby? I never saw it.

Yeah, Rugby.

Though it's really one of those movies that's not REALLY about Rugby. It's about apartheid and Nelson Mandela's use of Rugby to inspire solidarity in his nation after taking power.

[SPX]

Here's a few . . . not saying they are all good movies, but they do exist:

Cool Runnings -- Bobsledding
The Cutting Edge -- Figure Skating
Over the Top -- Arm Wrestling
Blue Crush -- Surfing
Lords of Dogtown -- Skateboarding
Seabiscuit, Secretariat -- Horseracing
Searching for Bobby Fischer -- Chess (some call it a sport)
Best of the Best -- TKD/Karate (it may be an "MA" movie, of which there are many, but it's clearly a fringe sport movie as well)
Bring it On -- Cheerleading
Chariots of Fire -- Track
Color of Money -- Pool

[MMA_scientist]

Here's a few . . . not saying they are all good movies, but they do exist:

Cool Runnings -- Bobsledding, never saw it, isn't it a comedy?
The Cutting Edge -- Figure Skating- not a sport- my wife's college roomate used to watch this movie. Maybe the very worst movie ever made, ever, tied with NBD.
Over the Top -- Arm Wrestling- yep, win
Blue Crush -- I like surfing and surfing movies, just not this one
Lords of Dogtown -- Skateboarding- not a sport, I like skating though. You could argue about ramp stuff, but this movie was about street skating right?
Seabiscuit, Secretariat -- Horseracing- not a sport, I liked it though. Uf we call horse racing a sport, we have to call autoracing a sport, something I am not inclined to do.
Searching for Bobby Fischer -- Chess (some call it a sport)- not a sport, but a great flick.
Best of the Best -- TKD/Karate (it may be an "MA" movie, of which there are many, but it's clearly a fringe sport movie as well)- used to love that movie, clearly a sports movie as it was about karate/TKD competition. I never really understood how the little asian guy was a HW while Eric Roberts and Chris Penn were LHW though
Bring it On -- Cheerleading- not a sport
Chariots of Fire -- Track- I will count that
Color of Money -- Pool- not a sport

[poopoo333]

Is Luke alive?

[Mr. IWS]

Is Luke alive?

Busy as fuck with his classes. Tempted to neg him daily.

[SPX]

Cool Runnings -- Bobsledding, never saw it, isn't it a comedy?
The Cutting Edge -- Figure Skating- not a sport- my wife's college roomate used to watch this movie. Maybe the very worst movie ever made, ever, tied with NBD.
Over the Top -- Arm Wrestling- yep, win
Blue Crush -- I like surfing and surfing movies, just not this one
Lords of Dogtown -- Skateboarding- not a sport, I like skating though. You could argue about ramp stuff, but this movie was about street skating right?
Seabiscuit, Secretariat -- Horseracing- not a sport, I liked it though. Uf we call horse racing a sport, we have to call autoracing a sport, something I am not inclined to do.
Searching for Bobby Fischer -- Chess (some call it a sport)- not a sport, but a great flick.
Best of the Best -- TKD/Karate (it may be an "MA" movie, of which there are many, but it's clearly a fringe sport movie as well)- used to love that movie, clearly a sports movie as it was about karate/TKD competition. I never really understood how the little asian guy was a HW while Eric Roberts and Chris Penn were LHW though
Bring it On -- Cheerleading- not a sport
Chariots of Fire -- Track- I will count that
Color of Money -- Pool- not a sport

Well I guess it's easy to say there are no fringe sport movies when you rule out all fringe sports as sports.

The only one that I really see as arguable is chess, if you're one of those people that say in order for something to be a sport there has to be physical skill. But if that's the case, figure skating, horseracing, cheerleading, and even pool all fulfill both requirements of 1) being competitive, and 2) requiring physical abilities.

It might be worthwhile to define the difference between "sport" and "athletics."

To respond to your other comments. . .

I think Cool Runnings would better be described as a "family film," but there were definite comedic elements. It was also based on the true story of a Jamaican bobsled team that made it to the Olympics.

Skateboarding. Not at all sure why it's not a sport. But in Lords of Dogtown, it was definitely a sport. They went to competitions, picked up sponsors, and ramps eventually came into play. Definite sport. And a good movie, as is the documentary that it was based on, Dogtown and the Z Boys.

You remember more about Best of the Best than I do. I don't even remember them being separated into weight classes. But you bring up a good question. I think that's how it's done in Movie Land. And I watched it for the first time in years a few months ago. It's showing its age for sure, but I still enjoyed it.

[SPX]

Is Luke alive?

He died.

[MMA_scientist]

Well I guess it's easy to say there are no fringe sport movies when you rule out all fringe sports as sports.

I don't think anything was controversial there. Chess is no more a sport than monopoly- that is not even arguable. It is on ESPN, but so os poker and spelling bees.

Horse racing I guess could be argued, but to me that is a sport for horses. Jockey's may have some athletic effect on the race, but I mean, it is the horse running.

Skateboarding is a sport, but I thought Lords of Dogtown was about kids creating the movement, doing street stuff. I have seen it, but I guess it did not stay with me, because I don't remember the comps.

Surfing is a sport, just like competition skateboarding.

Figure skating, I really don't classify as a sport personally, but I guess it is. It definitely takes athletic ability... I guess just because it is dancing on ice I don't think it shoudl count. If diving is a sport, I guess ice skating has to be. But don't they judge for things like smile and outfit? I don't know, I can think of no other reason to wear sequins though.

Cheerleading, I see similarly. They are people that cheer for the sport that is happening behind them. I guess the actual cheering that happens is separate from cheer competitions... I don't know. I guess it counts, but it shouldnt.

If pool is a sport, darts, beer pong, tiddly winks and jenga are sports. I guess you can define a sport however you want, but to me, there has to be some element of total body movement and at least some possibility of sweating.

There are plenty of things that are clearly "sports", like swimming, wrestling, cycling, fencing, TKD, tennis, judo, track and field, distance running, triathlons, field hockey, water polo... you know, things that are sports, not board games or dancing "competitions."