Sports movies and films to watch this summer

Sports and films have had the longest connect as far as the human mind can conceive. As the summer months bring with them long streaks of irritating dry winds and unpredictable showers, one can often find oneself lying on the couch wondering what to do. The best way to engage our sporting minds is, of course, to watch a sports film.

The Blind Side

One of the best ones to watch this summer is the 2009 starrer 'The Blind Side', an adapted biographical film on the life of the American footballer Michael Oher. A film that won one of Hollywood's A-list stars Sandra Bullock her first Oscar, leaves the viewer in a delight. The story is emotional as it brings about the life of a young boy about to enter adulthood. His childhood has involved runs from one home to another. One day, he is picked by a coach in a Christian school and is given a free ride to attend the school due to his natural athletic ability. Having not had any education prior to this, he is left by himself and cannot comprehend what exactly is happening in any class. Then, one day, he is spotted walking on the road on a cold winter night, wearing just a t-shirt and shorts, by Mrs. Leigh Anne Tuohy(played by Sandra Bullock), the owner of over 85 restaurant chains in Memphis,USA,along with her husband Sean, and an interior designer. She stops 'Big Mike' and takes him over to her house. The rest as we say is history. Gradually, Big Mike changes to Michael and becomes part of the Tuohy family along with the Tuohy's two other children. He becomes a high school American football star and is given recruitment offers by a large number of American colleges, but he finally chooses Ole Miss. He is also able to get the minimum GPA to attend college despite having had to face many challenges along the way. The story gives us a shout out to kick up and do good to the society and to ourselves. It is a mood up-lifter and a must watch for every Sportskeeda.

INVICTUS

One film is good but one more can make us get more inspired. As always, we don't just want to stop on one slam but want to win many more. So, the next great inspiration is the Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon 2009 starrer 'Invictus.' The film is set on the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa. It shows us how sport can be a peace-maker in a country marked by turmoil and hatred amongst its own kin. It follows the history of how the late President Nelson Mandela uses his powers to help motivate the South African Rugby team, known as the Springboks, to win their first world cup ever during the Apartheid struggle in the country. This period of time also gave the country the term the 'Rainbow Nation.' The film focuses on the captain of the team Francois Pienaar(played by Matt Damon) and his relationship with Nelson Mandela(played by Morgan Freeman), which make them win the World Cup together. For the first time in the history of the nation are all the South Africans cheering together. There is no distinction made between the citizens of the country. Mandela had used his creative thinking to bring about this change. The visuals are outstanding and one can feel the emotion, pain, and struggle of the people when one watches this beautiful motion picture. After you watch this, you can easily come to the conclusion that a sport is not just a sport, it is much more. A definite watch!

MONEYBALL

I'm sure that watching those two trailers has left you spellbound already. If not, then this third one might be of some interest to you. Obviously, after Nadal won his seventeenth, you cannot stop at two. This third one is Brad Pitt's 2011 hit film "Money Ball." This movie is meant for anyone with an interest in sports management and creative-critical thinking abilities. It outlines the method used to build an undervalued team to win 20 consecutive games in Major league Baseball(MLB). Billy Beane, General Manager of the 2002 Oakland Athletics(played by Pitt), takes the young economics graduate Peter Brand on managerial team to devise the team's building-up strategy. It shows the actual story that took place in 2002 with the Oakland team and Billy Beane. Why is it a watch for us? Well, simply because it is a roller coaster of a ride. There is just so much adrenaline on this ride, that one is left in a frenzy to decide the outcome. Though the plot is based on baseball, much of it involves mathematical calculations leading to the saber-metric approach of Baseball scouting. After two life-altering stories, this one is a good team and capacity building thrill. Go watch it!

SHOE DOG

Have you ever dream't of owning a billion dollar business? Most of us have actually. Next, have you ever thought about using sports as a way to get to that mark? If the answers to both these questions was a YES, then it's time to pick up the book 'Shoe Dog.' This read is a definite because it tells the story of the brand NIKE right from the start. It gives a clear path of how a B-school idea ,by the now hugely popular business magnet Phil Knight,is turned into a billion dolllar company step by step through energy, passion, determination, and of course a bit of an early investment.

Shoe dog places emphasis on building a team that is a close knit unit and a camaraderie amongst the buyers of the product. It gives you much needed but simple tips on running a business by yourself for the first time. It also helps you observe the patterns and trends in the market by looking at its share and competitors. With a large consumer market in the sports industry, it was important to tap this niche space. So, NIKE jumped into it and created history.

What are you waiting for now? I bet a 'Swoosh' on that page of your to-do lists this summer. JUST DO IT!

It is actually easier said than done!

I have finally come to my last read for this already fun filled sports adventure. This one is relatively new for the fact that it was just released in the market, and I had an opportunity to meet its author and get a signed copy of it. Yes, I'm talking about the autobiography 'Easier Said than Done-A life in sport' by Alan Wilkins. Everybody recognizes Alan on the TV screen during July at SW 18(obviously it's Wimbledon). But, how many of us know that he played professional cricket during his early life? Well, not many. At least I didn't when I first started reading it. Alan writes his story with perfection, taking the reader right into the scenes where he was at the point in his life. Isn't it amazing that he was broadcasting the same tournament that we saw depicted on screen in 'Invictus' in real? He has gone from one sport to another for his work- Cricket, Rugby, Football, Golf, Squash,etc. His life has really been that of a sports enthusiast and being sportskeedas, we should take some inspiration from him before we finally get rid of this summer heat. So, go buy yourselves a ride that takes you from the highlands in Scotland to the Southern tip of the World in Africa to the diversity of India in this book by Alan Wilkins.