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The allure of the sports genre is undeniable—audiences love an underdog story or a glimpse into the high-stakes world of athletes. But when these elements go wrong, viewers are left with movies that test even the most forgiving fans' patience. Whether due to cliched scripts, miscast actors, or misguided attempts to blend comedy and drama, certain sports films miss the mark and wind up cringe-worthy, even painful.
With this in mind, this list dives into some of the worst sports movies ever made, each one a reminder that even a good concept can turn bad if not handled well. From forced humor to convoluted plots, these movies demonstrate that not every sports film can be Rocky or Field of Dreams. While some have become guilty pleasures, most are nearly impossible to watch without groaning.
10 'The Fan' (1996)
Directed by Tony Scott
"I just wanted to be your number one fan." Robert De Niro leads this one as Gil Renard, a deeply obsessed baseball fan whose admiration for his favorite player, Bobby Rayburn (Wesley Snipes), turns deadly. When Rayburn doesn't live up to his expectations, Gil spirals into madness. His behavior grows increasingly dangerous and disturbing as he tries to "help" Rayburn reclaim his glory on the field. It's admittedly a strange premise, but it could have turned out well, especially with a director like Tony Scott (Top Gun, Man on Fire) at the helm.
He tries to blend psychological thriller elements with a sports backdrop but, the whole affair quickly veers into implausibility. Even worse, it's just not that thrilling, with an underwhelming third act. Every twist and turn is exaggerated to the extreme, resulting in a melodrama that undermines any real tension. Finally, on the acting side, De Niro's performance oscillates between disturbing and unintentionally comical, making it difficult to take his character seriously.
9 'Juwanna Mann' (2002)
Directed by Jesse Vaughan
"You’re looking at the next queen of the court." This oddball movie takes the concept of gender disguise to the basketball court, following the story of Jamal Jeffries (Miguel A. Núñez Jr.), a disgraced NBA player who, after being suspended, decides to join a women's basketball league disguised as "Juwanna Mann." (The name is a none-too-subtle riff on "You want a man?") The movie aims to offer a comedic twist on the sports genre but ends up relying on stereotypes and predictable gags that fail to deliver genuine laughs.
Indeed, Juwanna Mann is frequently ridiculous and almost always unbelievable. For example, the fact that no one realizes 'Juwanna' is a man is hard to take seriously. The filmmakers attempt to balance out the jokes with a moral message, but the examination of gender dynamics in sports is gimmicky and shallow. Most critics panned the flick, ranking it among the worst gender-bending comedies ever.
Juwanna Mann
Runtime 91
Writers Bradley Allenstein
8 'Johnny Be Good' (1988)
Directed by Bud S. Smith
Image via Orion Pictures "I'm the best, and I can do whatever I want." In Johnny Be Good, Anthony Michael Hall plays Johnny Walker, a high school football star being courted by various colleges with lucrative offers and extravagant perks. His best friend (Robert Downey Jr.) and his girlfriend (Uma Thurman) have different opinions over where he should study, pulling him in conflicting directions. The plot is quickly bogged down in cliches and juvenile humor, however.
A few scenes in, Johnny Be Good becomes a tedious ride of predictably bad choices and moral conflicts. It doesn't help that the protagonist is obnoxious and unlikable. As a result, what could have been a commentary on the sports industry instead turns into a string of disconnected scenes with little emotional impact. It's kind of interesting to see the young Downey Jr. and Thurman at work but, beyond that, there's no reason to watch this tepid Breakfast Club wannabe.
Johnny Be Good
Runtime 91 minutes
Writers David Obst , Jeff Buhai
7 'Space Jam: A New Legacy' (2021)
Directed by Malcolm D. Lee
"Welcome to the Space Jam… again." LeBron James returns as himself in the Space Jam sequel, this time trying to save his son from the clutches of a rogue AI by winning a basketball game against digitized foes in the Warner Bros' Serververse. The original was a charming if goofy cash grab, but A New Legacy comes across more like a corporate commercial stretched over two hours.
The LeBron hagiography becomes grating, and the countless Warner Bros. references feel more like product placement than plot development. Many classic characters and creations parade across the stage, from King Kong to Game of Thrones, somehow seeming less epic with each appearance. Consequently, this movie is a joyless game of spot-the-movie-reference, recycling ideas from Ready Player One but without the wit or energy. Younger viewers won't mind all the CGI-fueled mayhem, but everyone else will quickly tire of the underdeveloped family dynamics and the formulaic plot.
6 'The Slugger's Wife' (1985)
Directed by Hal Ashby
"Love and baseball… they don’t always mix." The Slugger's Wife is one of the weakest projects by director Hal Ashby, who made gems like Being There and Harold and Maude. It tells the story of a baseball player, Darryl Palmer (Michael O'Keefe), whose career takes a nosedive after his relationship with a nightclub singer, Debby (Rebecca De Mornay), becomes strained. As Darryl's performance on the field declines, his obsession with winning Debby back leads to increasingly outlandish decisions that strain believability.
The movie starts out alright, but starts to wobble around the midsection. The repetitive emphasis on Darryl's attempts to win back Debby’s affection becomes tedious and ultimately diminishes their likability. The nosedive continues, to the point that most viewers will have lost all interest by the time the climax rolls around. For these reasons, The Slugger's Wife was a huge failure. It grossed just under $2m against a $19m budget and currently holds a 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
5 'Slap Shot 2: Breaking the Ice' (2002)
Directed by Steve Boyumanch
"Hockey just isn’t what it used to be." Slap Shot 2: Breaking the Ice is the direct-to-video sequel to the 1977 cult classic, following a minor-league hockey team caught up in a new owner's attempt to turn them into a family-friendly spectacle. The main character this time around is Sean Linden (Stephen Baldwin), a disgraced former NHL player who joins a new team as the player-coach, seeking redemption.
Fundamentally, this movie loses the irreverent charm that made the first Slap Shot a cult favorite. Instead of being cheeky and raunchy, Breaking the Ice is all watered-down and tame, with a lack of grit and an abundance of recycled jokes. The antics on the ice are also pretty absurd, frequently disregarding the rules of actual ice hockey. It all adds up to a woeful sequel that seems guaranteed to leave a bad taste in the mouths of Slap Shot fans. What a disaster.
4 'The Bad News Bears Go to Japan' (1978)
Directed by John Berry
"We're taking the Bears to Tokyo!" Another abysmal sequel, The Bad News Bears Go to Japan follows the beloved underdog team as they travel to Tokyo to compete in an international baseball tournament. The first one is a classic, but this third entry lacks the heart and humor that made the original so popular. Like Juwanna Mann, it leans heavily on cultural stereotypes and slapstick humor that feels forced and outdated.
While the Japanese locations provide a fresh backdrop, the lack of character development and the contrived plot make it hard to engage with the movie on anything but a surface level. Overall, the movie tries and fails to imitate the first one, without innovating or trying anything new. This approach pleased exactly no one, resulting in a forgettable, aimless misfire. The film should have been better, given that it was penned by the same writer as the original, but perhaps director John Berry just didn't have the chops of the first film's Michael Ritchie.
The Bad News Bears Go to Japan
Runtime 92 minutes
Writers Bill Lancaster
3 'Rollerball' (2002)
Directed by John McTiernan
Image via Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures "The game has changed, and not for the better." This remake of the 1975 classic attempts to update the dystopian sports thriller but ends up missing the mark completely. The plot centers on Jonathan Cross (Chris Klein), a rollerball player who begins to realize that the brutal sport he plays is being manipulated for profit. Despite its high-energy action scenes, Rollerball feels overly stylized and hollow.
In addition, the social critique is muddled, buried under flashy visuals and nonsensical character motivations. It transforms a story about corporate greed and violence into an overly polished spectacle. The inclusion of a convoluted mining subplot only confuses things further. Critics eviscerated the movie, and it was a colossal box office bomb, bringing in just $25.9m against a $70m budget. Shabby storytelling aside, the movie was also mired in controversy, with director John McTiernan (Predator, Die Hard) accused of hiring a private investigator to wiretap the producer.
The big thing in 2005 is a violent sport which can have some pretty serious consequences... like dying.
Runtime 98 Minutes
Writers William Harrison , Larry Ferguson , John Pogue
2 'Who's Your Caddy?' (2007)
Directed by Don Michael Paul
"Sometimes a man's just gotta play through the rough." In Who's Your Caddy?, a wealthy and flamboyant rapper named C-Note (Big Boi) decides to join an exclusive country club in South Carolina, much to the dismay of the club's snobbish members. C-Note’s attempts to become a member are met with resistance, particularly from the elitist club president, but he pushes forward, bringing his entourage and attitude along for the ride. Cue a series of chaotic clashes with the conservative club members.
Big Boi’s charisma isn't enough to carry the film, which struggles with a lackluster script and uninspired jokes. Once again, this is a movie that traffics in crude stereotypes, with few characters that rise above cardboard cutouts. Ultimately, this is an uneven, subpar movie that barely scratches the surface of its potential. Weirdly, Bill Clinton apparently called it his favorite comedy (at least according to Bradley Cooper and Todd Phillips).
1 'Ed' (1996)
Directed by Bill Couturié
"The secret to winning? Always bet on Ed!" When it comes to the worst sports movie of all time, it's hard to top this dysfunctional star vehicle for Matt LeBlanc. He plays struggling baseball player Jack Cooper, who's assigned a new teammate—a chimpanzee named Ed who happens to have an extraordinary talent for baseball. As Ed becomes the team's star player, Jack struggles with jealousy and embarrassment before ultimately learning the value of friendship and accepting Ed as his teammate.
The monkey effects are reasonably well done, but everything else is abysmal. While the movie is intended as a lighthearted comedy, Ed quickly becomes an exercise in absurdity. The attempt at humor falls flat, relying heavily on mediocre physical comedy and the novelty of having a chimp in the game. LeBlanc's performance, though earnest, can't elevate a movie structured like a series of disconnected gimmicks rather than a cohesive story. Not for nothing, the movie currently holds a 2.8/10 on IMDb.
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