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The Funniest Movies About Sports

Updated July 20, 2021 4.1k votes 510 voters 19.9k views55 items

List RulesVote up the most hilarious comedies about athletes or sports teams.

Sports fans take their teams' games very seriously, but on the big screen, athletics can lead to lots of laughter. The funniest sports movies feature underdogs drawing on all their wits to compete against elite athletes. This is a list of the greatest comedies about sports including everything from Happy Gilmore to Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story to Slap Shot.

What films will you find on this list of sports comedy movies? In Caddyshack, Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Murray, and more star in this hilarious look at the members and staff of an exclusive golf course. Brian Doyle-Murray wrote the screenplay for the movie, which was directed by Harold Ramis. The Waterboy - starring Adam Sandler - is another funny movie about sports. White Men Can't Jump is largely a drama, but the snappy banter between Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes is downright hilarious. Other funny movies on this best sports films list include Semi-Pro, Kicking & Screaming, and The Longest Yard.

Which funny sports movie deserves the top spot on this list? Give your favorites a thumbs up to move them to number one, and please add any great comedies that are missing.

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Happy Gilmore
Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller
Released: 1996
Directed by: Dennis Dugan
Happy Gilmore is a 1996 sports comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan and produced by Robert Simonds. It stars Adam Sandler as the title character, an unsuccessful ice hockey player who discovers a... more
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Caddyshack
Bill Murray, Chevy Chase
Released: 1980
Directed by: Harold Ramis
Caddyshack is a 1980 American sports comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and written by Brian Doyle-Murray, Ramis and Douglas Kenney. It stars Michael O'Keefe, Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted... more
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Major League
Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger
Released: 1989
Directed by: David S. Ward
Major League is a 1989 American sports comedy film written and directed by David S. Ward, starring Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Dennis Haysbert, Wesley Snipes, James Gammon, Bob Uecker and Corbin... more
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Slap Shot
Paul Newman, M. Emmet Walsh
Released: 1977
Directed by: George Roy Hill
Slap Shot is a 1977 comedy film directed by George Roy Hill, written by Nancy Dowd and starring Paul Newman and Michael Ontkean. It depicts a minor league hockey team that resorts to violent play to... more
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The Waterboy
Adam Sandler, Kathy Bates
Released: 1998
Directed by: Frank Coraci
The Waterboy is a 1998 American sports/comedy film directed by Frank Coraci, starring Adam Sandler, Kathy Bates, Fairuza Balk, Henry Winkler, Jerry Reed, Larry Gilliard, Jr., Blake Clark, Peter Dante... more
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DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story
Ben Stiller, Chuck Norris
Released: 2004
Directed by: Rawson Marshall Thurber
DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, commonly referred to as DodgeBall, is a 2004 American sports comedy film produced by 20th Century Fox and Red Hour Productions, written and directed by Rawson... more
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Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly
Released: 2006
Directed by: Adam McKay
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is a 2006 American sports comedy film directed by Adam McKay. Number one NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) stays atop the heap thanks to a pact with... more
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Kingpin
Bill Murray, Woody Harrelson
Released: 1996
Directed by: Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly
Kingpin is a 1996 American sport comedy film directed by the Farrelly brothers and starring Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid, Vanessa Angel, and Bill Murray. It was filmed in and around Pittsburgh,... more
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Cool Runnings
John Candy, Malik Yoba
Released: 1993
Directed by: Jon Turteltaub
Cool Runnings is a 1993 American sports film directed by Jon Turteltaub, and starring Leon, Doug E. Doug, Rawle D. Lewis, Malik Yoba and John Candy. The film was released in the United States on... more
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The Longest Yard
Adam Sandler, Courteney Cox
Released: 2005
Directed by: Peter Segal
The Longest Yard is a 2005 American sports comedy film, a remake of the 1974 film of the same name. Adam Sandler plays the protagonist, Paul Crewe, a disgraced former professional quarterback for the... more
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White Men Can't Jump
Woody Harrelson, Wesley Snipes
Released: 1992
Directed by: Ron Shelton
White Men Can't Jump is a 1992 American sports buddy comedy film written and directed by Ron Shelton, starring Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson as streetball hustlers. The film was released in the... more
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Bull Durham
Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon
Released: 1988
Directed by: Ron Shelton
Bull Durham is a 1988 American romantic comedy sports film. It is partly based upon the minor league experiences of writer/director Ron Shelton and depicts the players and fans of the Durham Bulls, a... more
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The Benchwarmers
James Earl Jones, David Spade
Released: 2006
Directed by: Dennis Dugan
The Benchwarmers is a 2006 American sports-comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan. It stars Rob Schneider, David Spade, and Jon Heder. It is produced by Revolution Studios and Happy Madison Productions... more
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Blades of Glory
Amy Poehler, Will Ferrell
Released: 2007
Directed by: Will Speck, Josh Gordon
Blades of Glory is a 2007 American comedy film directed by Will Speck and Josh Gordon, and starring Will Ferrell and Jon Heder. The movie was produced by MTV Films, Red Hour and Smart Entertainment... more
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Semi-Pro
Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig
Released: 2008
Directed by: Kent Alterman
Semi-Pro is a 2008 American sports comedy film from New Line Cinema. The film was directed by Kent Alterman and stars Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin and Maura Tierney. The film was... more
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Tin Cup
Kevin Costner, Rene Russo
Released: 1996
Directed by: Ron Shelton
Tin Cup is a 1996 romantic comedy film co-written and directed by Ron Shelton, and starring Kevin Costner and Rene Russo with Cheech Marin and Don Johnson in major supporting roles.... more
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Goon
Liev Schreiber, Jay Baruchel
Released: 2012
Directed by: Michael Dowse
Goon is a 2012 Canadian-American action sports comedy-drama film directed by Michael Dowse, written by Jay Baruchel and Evan Goldberg, and starring Seann William Scott and Liev Schreiber. The main... more
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BASEketball
Jenny McCarthy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Released: 1998
Directed by: David Zucker
BASEketball is a 1998 American sports comedy film by David Zucker starring South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with Dian Bachar, Robert Vaughn, Ernest Borgnine, Yasmine Bleeth, and... more
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57
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Kicking & Screaming
Will Ferrell, Robert Duvall
Released: 2005
Directed by: Jesse Dylan
Kicking & Screaming is a 2005 American comedy film directed by Jesse Dylan starring Will Ferrell and Robert Duvall. It focuses on the exploits of a boys' soccer team and their new coach.... more
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Nacho Libre
Jack Black, Ana de la Reguera
Released: 2006
Directed by: Jared Hess
Nacho Libre is a 2006 American comedy film directed by Jared Hess and written by Jared and Jerusha Hess and Mike White. It was loosely based on the story of Fray Tormenta, aka Rev. Sergio Gutiérrez... more
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Celtic Pride
Larry Bird, Deion Sanders
Released: 1996
Directed by: Tom DeCerchio
Celtic Pride is a 1996 American comedy written by Judd Apatow and Colin Quinn, and directed by Tom DeCerchio. It stars Daniel Stern and Dan Aykroyd as Mike O'Hara and Jimmy Flaherty, two passionate... more
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Major League II
Charlie Sheen, Jay Leno
Released: 1994
Directed by: David S. Ward
Major League II is a 1994 sequel to the 1989 film Major League. Major League II stars most of the same cast from the original, including Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, and Corbin Bernsen. Absent from... more
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Ladybugs
Rodney Dangerfield, Tommy Lasorda
Released: 1992
Directed by: Sidney J. Furie
Ladybugs is a sports-comedy family film released in 1992 starring Rodney Dangerfield and directed by Sidney J. Furie. Dangerfield plays a businessman who takes over a girls soccer team which the... more
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Leatherheads
George Clooney, Renée Zellweger
Released: 2008
Directed by: George Clooney
Leatherheads is a 2008 American sports comedy film from Universal Pictures directed by and starring George Clooney. The film also stars Renée Zellweger, Jonathan Pryce, and John Krasinski and focuses... more
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23
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Uncle Drew
Kyrie Irving, Lil Rel Howery
Released: 2018
Directed by: Charles Stone III
Uncle Drew is a 2018 sports comedy film directed by Charles Stone III. After losing to his longtime rival (Nick Kroll) in a street ball tournament in Harlem, Dax (Lil Rel Howery) stumbles upon the...

Uncle Drew