Poll: Real Life Underdogs in Sports

Results of 628 votes:

1. 1.
   

   Chris Hemsworth in Rush (2013)

    

   James Hunt Sport: Formula One (1976) By the time of Niki Lauda's fifth win of the year at the British GP, he had more than double the points of his closest challengers Jody Scheckter and James Hunt, a…
2. 2.
   

   Taron Egerton in Eddie the Eagle (2015)

    

   Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards Sport: Ski Jumping (1988 Winter Olympics) He was disadvantaged by his weight—at about 82 kg (181 lb), more than 9 kg (20 lb) heavier than the next heaviest competit…
3. 3.
   

   John Candy, Doug E. Doug, Leon, Rawle D. Lewis, and Malik Yoba in Cool Runnings (1993)

    

   Jamaican National Bobsleigh Team Sport: Bobsleigh (1988 Winter Olympics) In the freezing weather Derice, Sanka, Junior and Yul are only laughed at, since nobody can take a Jamaican bobsledding team le…
4. 4.
   

   Sean Astin in Rudy (1993)

    

   Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger Sport: College Football (1974-1976) His grades were a little low, his athletic skills were poor, and he was only half the size of the other players.
5. 5.
   

   Russell Crowe and Paul Giamatti in Cinderella Man (2005)

    

   James Braddock Sport: Boxing (1930s) The impoverished ex-prizefighter was seemingly as broken-down, beaten-up and out-of-luck as much of the rest of the American populace who had hit rock bottom.
6. 6.
   

   Chadwick Boseman in 42 (2013)

    

   Jackie Robinson Sport: Baseball (1946) Robinson and his family endure unrelenting racist hostility on and off the field, from player and fan alike.
7. 7.
   

   #26

    

   Herman Boone / Titans Sport: High School Football (1970s) The white head coach of the Titans is replaced by an African American coach from North Carolina. Tensions arise when players of different race…
8. 8.
   

   Brad Pitt in Moneyball (2011)

    

   Billy Beane Sport: Baseball (2001-2002) Billy Beane is handicapped with the lowest salary constraint in baseball. If he ever wants to win the World Series, Billy must find a competitive advantage.
9. 9.
   

   Kurt Russell in Miracle (2004)

    

   Herb Brooks / United States Ice Hockey Team Sport: Ice Hockey (1980 Winter Olympics) Herb Brooks, took a ragtag squad of college kids up against the legendary juggernaut from the Soviet Union at the O…
10. 10.
    

    Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale in The Fighter (2010)

     

    Micky 'Irish' Ward Sport: Boxing (1980s) Micky Ward is trying to live up to his older brother Dicky, who became famous for knocking out Sugar Ray Leonard. That isn't easy because Dicky, now a crack a…
11. 11.
    

    Matt Damon in Invictus (2009)

     

    South Africa Rugby Team Sport: Rugby (1995 Rugby World Cup) South Africa is hosting the 1995 Rugby World Cup, that being the only reason the Springboks are even competing in the tournament as its year…
12. 12.
    

    Mark Wahlberg in Invincible (2006)

     

    Vince Papale Sport: Football (1976) He works as a bartender and plays football with his friends. When the new coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, Dick Vermeil, announces that he will hold open tryouts f…
13. 13.
    

    Gene Hackman, Steve Hollar, David Neidorf, and Wade Schenck in Hoosiers (1986)

     

    Marvin Wood (name in the movie: Norman Dale) Sport: High School Basketball (1954) A coach with a checkered past and a local drunk train a small town high school basketball team.
14. 14.
    

    Tobey Maguire in Seabiscuit (2003)

     

    Seabiscuit Sport: Horse Racing (1930s) Seabiscuit is small at fifteen and a half hands tall with a slight limp.
15. 15.
    

    AnnaSophia Robb in Soul Surfer (2011)

     

    Bethany Hamilton Sport: Surfing (2000s) Bethany Hamilton is a champion surfer. She is attacked by a shark and loses her arm. Now she has to re-learn how to do everything with only one arm - including …
16. 16.
    

    Samuel L. Jackson, Rob Brown, Rick Gonzalez, Robert Ri'chard, Antwon Tanner, Channing Tatum, and Texas Battle in Coach Carter (2005)

     

    Ken Carter Sport: High School Basketball (1999) As much dismayed by the poor attitudes of his players as well as their dismal play performance, Carter sets about to change both.
17. 17.
    

    Seann William Scott in Goon (2011)

     

    Doug Smith Sport: Ice Hockey (1988) Labeled an outcast by his brainy family, a bouncer overcomes long odds to lead a team of under performing misfits.
18. 18.
    

    Quinton Aaron in The Blind Side (2009)

     

    Michael Oher Sport: Football (2000s) A poor, oversized and under-educated teenager is recruited by a major college football program.
19. 19.
    

    Matthew McConaughey in We Are Marshall (2006)

     

    Jack Lengyel / Marshall University's Football Team Sport: College Football (1970-1971) A plane crash claims the lives of members of the Marshall University football team. The team's new coach and his …
20. 20.
    

    Cuba Gooding Jr. and Ed Harris in Radio (2003)

     

    James 'Radio' Robert Kennedy Sport: High School Football (1976) Coach Jones of the T.L. Hanna High School protects a handicapped young man from the abuse of some of his players.
21. 21.
    

    Miles Teller in Bleed for This (2016)

     

    Vinny Pazienza Sport: Boxing (1993) Vinny Pazienza who, after a near fatal car crash which left him not knowing if he'd ever walk again, made one of sport's most incredible comebacks.
22. 22.
    

    Kevin Costner and Carlos Pratts in McFarland, USA (2015)

     

    James "Jim" White Sport: Cross-country running (1987) A struggling coach and teacher who has had to move around for different incidents in his career finally comes to one of the poorest citi…
23. 23.
    

    Shia LaBeouf and Josh Flitter in The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005)

     

    Francis Ouimet Sport: Golf (1913) A young American, Francis Ouimet, fights for a chance to participate in the U.S. Open against his idol Harry Vardon.
24. 24.
    

    The Perfect Game (2009)

     

    The Monterrey Team Sport: Baseball (1957 Little League World Series) A rag-tag, shoeless, poor group of kids from Monterrey, Mexico shocked the world when they became the first team from outside the U…
25. 25.
    

    Mitch Eakins, Josh Lucas, Austin Nichols, Kip Weeks, Damaine Radcliff, and James Olivard in Glory Road (2006)

     

    Don Haskins Sport: College Basketball (1966) Don Haskins is invited by the Texas Western Miners to be their coach. Despite the lack of budget, Haskins sees the chance to dispute the NCAA.
26. 26.
    

    Terrence Howard in Pride (2007)

     

    Jim Ellis / PDR Swim Team Sport: Swimming (1971) The determined Jim Ellis starts a swim team for troubled teens at the Philadelphia Department of Recreation.
27. 27.
    

    Madhur Mittal and Suraj Sharma in Million Dollar Arm (2014)

     

    Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel Sport: Baseball (2008) Bernstein (a sports agent) gets the bold idea of finding cricket players in India and training them to become pro baseball players in America. But t…
28. 28.
    

    Kurt Russell and Dakota Fanning in Dreamer (2005)

     

    Mariah's Storm (name in the movie: Sonador) Sport: Horce Racing (1993) Ben Crane believes that a severely injured racehorse deserves another chance to return to the racecourse.
29. 29.
    

    Diane Lane in Secretariat (2010)

     

    Penny Chenery Sport: Horse Racing (1973) Housewife and mother Penny Chenery agrees to take over her ailing father's Virginia-based Meadow Stables, despite her lack of horse-racing knowledge.
30. 30.
    

    Dennis Quaid in The Rookie (2002)

     

    Jim Morris Sport: Baseball (1999-2000) He once had aspirations to be a professional baseball player but an injury brought that to an end. The 39 year-old father somehow seems to have regained his pitc…
31. 31.
    

    Billy Bob Thornton, Lucas Black, and Lee Thompson Young in Friday Night Lights (2004)

     

    The Permian High Panthers Sport: High School Football (1988) Superstar tailback Boobie Miles suffers a career-ending injury in the first game of the season. Hope is lost among citizens in Odessa, and …
32. 32.
    

    Jesse Spencer in Swimming Upstream (2003)

     

    Tony Fingleton Sport: Swimming (1960s) Tony has always been overshadowed in his father's eyes by his brothers. Nothing Tony did was ever good enough and he is systematically ignored or belittled.
33. 33.
    

    Ice Cube and Keke Palmer in The Longshots (2008)

     

    Jasmine Plummer Sport: Pop Warner Football (2003) Becoming the first female to lead her team to the Pop Warner Super Bowl does not come without conflict.