Hit a Home Run With This Sports Movies Quiz

In the 2006 movie “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,” Will Ferrell’s character, Ricky Bobby, is driven by something his ne’er-do-well dad tells him early on: “If you ain’t first, you’re last.” Later, when Ricky tells his father what inspired him, the dad admits that he was probably under the influence when he said that, and that logically it doesn’t even make sense. Nonetheless, Ricky shakes and bakes his way to becoming the best driver in NASCAR.

Player-coach Reggie Dunlop (Paul Newman) may be the lead character of 1977’s “Slap Shot,” but it’s the Hanson brothers who steal the show on the ice and in the penalty box. The Hansons are a trio of wild, violent, glasses-wearing hockey players, and two of them were played by real brothers. Jeff and Steve Hanson were portrayed by professional hockey players Jeff and Steve Carlson. Their third brother had to be replaced after casting because he got called to play for the Edmonton Oilers.

Writer-director David Zucker is responsible for creating “Airplane!” (1980), “The Naked Gun” (1988), and a new sport that became the basis of a 1998 movie: “BASEketball.” The movie features real sports figures, such as Bob Costas and Al Michaels, recalling the evolution of the sport through history. “BASEketball” is unique for being the only major project that “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone starred in but did not write.

In 2004’s “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story,” a group of misfits band together and enter a dodgeball tournament to save their local gym. The Las Vegas Dodgeball Open is broadcast on the fictional ESPN8, aka “the Ocho,” with anchors Gary Cole and Jason Bateman calling the shots. The name of the network was a play on ESPN2. When the spinoff channel launched in 1993, it was branded “the Deuce.”

The 2013 movie "Rush" follows the rivalry between Formula 1 athletes Niki Lauda and James Hunt. Upon watching the film for the first time, Lauda said, "I was impressed. There were no Hollywood changes or things changed a little bit Hollywood-like." Starring Chris Hemsworth as Hunt and Daniel Brühl as Lauda, the film went on to make nearly $100 million at the box office.

The 2000 film "Remember the Titans" is based on the true story of T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia. Set in the early 1970s, the movie follows Coach Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) as he attempts to smooth over the football team's racial tensions after integrating for the first time.

In 1913, an American amateur named Francis Ouimet beat legendary British golfer Harry Vardon to win the U.S. Open. Starring Shia LeBeouf as Ouimet, the 2005 movie "The Greatest Game Ever Played" is based on a book of the same name that declares the duel "the birth of modern golf."

Pat O’Brien portrayed real-life Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne in the 1940 biopic “Knute Rockne, All American.” The movie also starred future President Ronald Reagan as football player George "The Gipper" Gipp, who suddenly passed away while still an active member of the team. In the film, Rockne says, "Ask them to go out there with all they've got and win just one for the Gipper," which is ranked among the top 100 quotes in American movie history by the AFI.

"61*" chronicles Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris' battle to break Babe Ruth's single-season home run record during the 1961 MLB season. The two were neck-and-neck down the stretch, but Maris pulled ahead, achieving his 61st home run in the season's last game. The asterisk in the title comes from the fact that the 1961 MLB season was eight games longer than it was in Ruth's day, so the feat was easier to achieve.

Gary Cooper starred as "Iron Man" Lou Gehrig in this classic sports film, which was released a year after he passed away. The movie tells the life story of the Yankee great, and ends with Gehrig's farewell speech, where he says, "Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth." "The Pride of the Yankees" was nominated for 11 Oscars at the 1943 ceremony.

"The Blind Side" (2009) is based on the true story of Michael Oher (played by Quinton Aaron), a football player who grew up without a home. As a teen, he was taken in by a wealthy family, who helped foster his football talents. Sandra Bullock anchors the film as Leigh Anne Tuohy, Oher's adoptive mother. Oher played eight seasons in the NFL, helping the Baltimore Ravens win Super Bowl XLVII.

After only ever playing in the California Penal League, Ricky Vaughn (Charlie Sheen) makes a huge professional leap in “Major League” (1989). The pitcher’s lack of control on the mound and off the field earns him the nickname “Wild Thing.” In the movie, Vaughn comes out to the song “Wild Thing” by the Troggs. The character is often credited with popularizing “closer music” — songs that are played when the final pitcher takes the mound.

The year was 1919 and the Chicago White Sox were competing against the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series. As it turned out, a few members of the Sox had agreed to throw games in exchange for up to $100,000. Eight players were indicted on counts of conspiracy, and though these "Black Sox" were found not guilty in court, they were still permanently banned from organized baseball.

Directed by Martin Scorsese, "Raging Bull" was based on the autobiography of boxer Jake LaMotta. Robert De Niro portrayed the aging pugilist in an Oscar-winning performance that saw him gain 55 pounds during production. To prepare for the film, De Niro even sparred with and was coached by the real LaMotta, though LaMotta didn't love his less-than-flattering portrayal once the movie was actually released.

In 2002, the Oakland A's had one of the smallest budgets in the MLB, but they still needed to stay competitive. So, they used an advanced statistical model known as "sabermetrics" to try to get the best value players on the market. Their strategy worked. During the season, the A's won 20 games in a row. Their story became the subject of a book and 2011 movie, "Moneyball," starring Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill.

The 2017 movie "Battle of the Sexes" pits Emma Stone's Billie Jean King against Steve Carell's Bobby Riggs in a dramatic retelling of the sports duel. In real life, Riggs declared that he could beat any woman tennis player — a challenge which King accepted. With much pomp and circumstance from Riggs and the media, the match was contested with the nation watching as King beat Riggs in three straight sets.

Named for Jackie Robinson's jersey number, "42" tells the story of Robinson breaking the MLB's color barrier with the help of Brooklyn Dodgers manager Branch Rickey. In the movie, Robinson is played by the late Chadwick Boseman and Rickey is played by Harrison Ford. In 1997, Major League Baseball honored the achievements of Robinson by retiring the number 42 league-wide.

Gene Hackman starred as Coach Norman Dale in 1986’s "Hoosiers," which is loosely based on the true story of Milan High School in Indiana. The movie depicts the team during a tough season where their best player has just left. The passionate townsfolk are despondent until their new coach starts to turn things around, leading the boys to an unlikely state championship.

"Rudy" is based on the true story of Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger (played by Sean Astin). Despite not being academically strong or physically big enough to get admitted to Notre Dame and join the football team, Rudy persists. He eventually overcomes his dyslexia and works hard enough to earn a practice squad spot. Finally, on the last play of the last game of his senior year, Rudy gets put on the field and sacks the opposing quarterback.

The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was founded in 1943 to help keep the pastime alive while men were overseas fighting in WWII. Women played professional baseball across the Midwest on teams like the Rockford Peaches and the Racine Belles. Their story is depicted in 1992's "A League of Their Own," which stars Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Madonna, and Rosie O'Donnell.