THE START OF the new NFL season is now less than two weeks away and we’re in the mood for some football.
The glorified practise sessions that is the pre-season isn’t quite doing it for us so we thought we’d up the preparation by taking a look at some of our favourite American football-themed movies.
In no particular order, here they are. Let us know your own in the comment section.
Friday Night Lights
Plot: The Permian Panthers of Odessa, Texas must overcome the loss of their star running back.
Stars: Billy Bob Thornton, Tim McGraw.
Why it’s great: It’s Friday Night Lights, you know it’s great.
Typical YouTube comment: ”this is the best football movie of all time but i cant watch it because it brings back way to much…i could never get through the ending now matter how hard i try.”
Remember the Titans
Plot: The true story of a newly appointed black coach and his high school team in their first season.
Stars: Denzel Washington, William Patton.
Why it’s great: Forget the Oscars, Washington puts in a career performance in this emotional roller-coaster.
Typical YouTube comment: ”i saw it like a 6 years ago and i can’t stop watching it. I also think this is one of the greatest films ive seen.”
Jerry McGuire
Plot: An agent is fired for showing a soul, he has one last client to prove that you can still have a conscience and work as a sports agents.
Stars: Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Renee Zellwegger.
Why it’s great: You had me at hello.
Typical YouTube comment: ”tom cruise is best actor ever ………. amazing movie.”
Wildcats
Plot: A athletics coach decides she wants to take over a high school’s football team.
Stars: Goldie Hawn, Woody Harrelson, Wesley Snipes.
Why it’s great: Without this movie, we may never have had True Detective (season one).
Typical YouTube comment: ”Been a fan of little league sports movies I’ve never even heard of this.”
Semi-Tough
Plot: Hilarity ensues when a love triangle forms between two professional football players and the owner’s daughter.
Stars: Burt Reynolds, Kris Kristofferson, Jill Clayburgh.
Why it’s great: Both Reynolds and Kristofferson were actually gifted football players in college and that comes across in on-the-field scenes.
Typical YouTube comment: ”I love this movie too. The Pony Express piss flask was to funny.”
Any Given Sunday
Plot: A coach must juggle a meddling owner and the inflated ego of his new QB after losing his favourite player to injury.
Stars: Al Pacino, Jamie Foxx, Dennis Quaid, Cameron Diaz.
Why it’s great: Forget about that speech, this is actually a very good football movie with Pacino pitching his performance perfectly.
Typical YouTube comment: ”Elizabeth Berkley who played on Saved By The Bell tv show was in this as a prostitute and Al Pacino had sex with her.”
The Longest Yard
Plot: A former football player serving time is ordered by the warden to put together a team of inmates to take on — but deliberately lose to — the prison guards.
Stars: Burt Reynolds, Eddie Albert, Richard Kiel.
Why it’s great: Because it’s not the Vinnie Jones football remake.
Typical YouTube comment: ”I met Richard Kiel once. He was very nice man. RIP, Richard Kiel.”
Little Giants
Plot: A rag tag band of misfits dropped from the local pee-wee football team form their own squad led by the coach’s nerdy brother
Stars: Ed O’Neill, Rick Moranis, John Madden
Why it’s great: You learn the important — and very 90s lesson — that heroes come in all shapes and sizes.
Typical YouTube comment: ”Aww 90′s… why did you have to leave us?”
Injuries at the wrong time of the season unfortunately but team playing with confidence and could still get a result but a lot more difficult now. No Carrick in front of Mc Nair or Blackett either,
How is it the wrong time of the season?
Top 4 in the bag, no more cups, & not challenging for the league.
disaster. Kompany should have been sent off for that tackle on Blind the prcik. christ, rooney will be dropped back to midfield no doubt. hopefully moral will get us a win. will take a draw here in our fight for top 4.
2nd or 3rd is definitely there for the taking but in the scheme of things 4th is the minimum we were hoping for this season so a point away to Chelsea should be a valuable one come the end of season but LVG won’t be sitting back for the draw I think.
Mourinho will set his team up for a draw. It’ll probably be a snooze fest
United have every right to go for a win. Even with injuries we look rejuvenated in the way we are playing and should be able to leave with a positive result
Young left back, Di Maria left wing, with herrara Fellaini and mata in the middle and right. Rooney and falcao upfront
Who is going to replace Carrick as the holding midfielder Jason and who will play centre back instead of Jones?
McNair cb. Don’t need holding mf. 4-4-2.
It seems united now must plot a new game plan. I’d like to see herrara tried at cdm with di Maria and felliani ahead of him. That way there’s still energy in the side and herrara does pass the ball quite well. This would allow Rooney to stay where he plays best , genuinely don’t believe he’s effective at cm or cdm and herrara would support the defenders just as much. As for the defence that’s a problem , Valencia , smalling , McNair and shaw .. Isn’t going to be solid but then again Chelsea don’t have costa. Chelsea have to favourites at present but I wouldn’t be surprised if United got at least a point.
I’ll wait to see the team sheet on Saturday LVG is as slippery as …..