A few days ago I was killing time, watching a movie. The movie in particular was Major League II. You know, the one that sucked.

And I started thinking about how much real sporting events are like little movies. You have drama, personalities, villains, heroes, plot twists, etc.

Moments like Kirk Gibson’s home run against Dennis Eckersley in the World Series or ISU beating Nebraska in 1992 (goal post!!); these are the moments that make us beam with pride that we belong to the same race as people capable of such heroic feats.

And we look at events that cause such heartache and sorrow, we sometimes forget we’re wrapped up in watching a game meant for little boys and girls.

Events like Monica Seles being stabbed during a match, Dave Draevecky’s cancer and Bill Buckner letting that DAMN BALL ROLL THROUGH HIS LEGS AND PREVENTING THE RED SOX FROM WINNING THE WORLD SERIES FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1918!!! … I’LL GET YOU BUCKNER!!! YOU’LL GET WHAT’S COMING TO YOU, YOU BASTARD!!! …

Ahem … Sorry …

Regardless, I was thinking, while watching Corbin Bernsen give the performance of his life and Tom Berenger give the worst of his, how few films there are that really capture the essence of what sports are all about. That heroic triumph over mind and body, the sacrifices and challenges those involved in athletics go through, making an athletic contest an exciting escape from the problems of the world and so much more to its fanatical fans.

However, there are a few movies that truly capture what sports are all about. With bowl games just around the corner in NCAA football, and basketball season now gearing up for competition, I’ve assembled a little list of films sports fans should watch in between athletic contests to remind us how lucky we are to be even remotely connected to the glorious world of sports.

* Rocky. Laugh if you will at Stallone. Watch something like Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot! or The Lords of Flatbush and Stallone reveals himself to have all the range of a Daisy air rifle, as Dennis Miller said. But Rocky is the consummate story of overcoming obstacles to do something heroic and fantastic, to make your mark on a world that too often had kicked you in the ass. A triumphant reminder of what the human spirit is capable. And Stallone actually is pretty good in this one. Quit laughing.

* Raging Bull. This movie is widely considered the best movie of the 80s, the decade that brought us other sports thrillers like Johnny B. Good and American Anthem. Raging Bull is not so much a sports story as it is a drama about Jake LaMotta’s life. But it is a darn good movie, and it gives me a chance to mention that Robert DeNiro is the greatest actor to ever live.

* Pride of the Yankees. Sob sob sob. A big tearjerker (not me of, course, I meant… other people) about the real Iron Man of Baseball who played his final years with a debilitating disease, without missing a day of work or going on strike (can Ripken say that?).

I guess I’m out of room, but pick up other great flicks like The Natural, Bang the Drum Slowly, Brian’s Song, Chariots of Fire, Slapshot, Hoosiers and Nymphoid Barbarians in Dinosaur Hell to truly capture the essence of sports.

All right, that last one has nothing to do with sports, and it’s not very good. But it’s better than Rocky III (Thunderlips!).

Filling in for an ailing Chris Miller is guest columnist Tim Davis. Davis is a non-majored junior from Carlisle. He is the opinion page editor of the Daily.