On the subject of team formatting in sports, I couldn't help but think of the most dynamic duos in all of sports. It's easy to point out the greats such as Shaq and Kobe, Michael and Scottie, rivals of Bird and Magic, Ortiz and Manny, Brady and Moss, so on and so forth. But I also started thinking of the most clutch and memorable duos in sports entertainment, meaning primarily in film. I put together a list of my top five with one honorable mention in an effort to try and break down who you'd want to watch when it came down to the wire, or just finding a sense of happiness watching these teams be around each other. I guarantee there are many other duos more famous and loved than the one's I've listed, but I felt the need to write something since it's been a minute (and a half).
Honorable Mention: Jonathan Moxon and Charlie Tweeder (Varsity Blues)
To preface, if I were making a list of top five sports movies I would put Varsity Blues near the top of my list. Some may say I'm crazy, but I truly believe this movie was what started it all in terms of focusing on Texas high school football which brought us Friday Night Lights both on the big screen and little screen. Originally an MTV production, Varsity Blues was one of those movies where you and your boys would be at a sleepover and wait for the parents to go to bed before fast forwarding to the whipped cream scene. Forget Billy Bob puking and rallying, Lance Harbor getting his pick of the litter or coach Bud Kilmer going for his billionth district title. This flick was all about backup-turned starter QB Jonathan 'Mox' Moxon and his trusted receiver/strip club compadre Charlie Tweeder. Now since I didn't exactly get blessed with an abundance of height, I always portrayed myself as a Tweeder when playing sports: quick and scrappy. Having grown up playing peewee football together, Mox and Tweeder's friendship was much more evident than just being played out on the field. When Mox stood up to an abusive coach Kilmer at halftime of the district title game, Tweeder held his ground and refused to take the field in support of his quarterback. Now that's love, pal. Plus, if Mox hadn't given his approval for Tweeders touchdown dance, who knows what type of dark path he could've been led down throughout the rest of the movie. I mean, he did end up naked and stealing a cop car, but that's just semantics.
5. Mike Winchell and Don Billingsley (Friday Night Lights)
This seems like an appropriate segway into the story of Texas high school football which I previously mentioned. Here in Odessa, Texas at Permian High School there is shy and reserved quarterback Mike Winchell who is simply looking for a way out of Texas. Then there's Don Billingsley, fullback and local legend where anything less than a state championship wasn't enough (at least in his father's mind). The only thing Winchell should be thanking Billingsley for is his willingness to help get him laid at a party. In one of the most memorable lines from any movie ever made, "We're gonna get drunk, we're gonna get laid, and we're gonna win state but not tonight." Thank God for Billingsley, says Mike probably.
This seems like an appropriate segway into the story of Texas high school football which I previously mentioned. Here in Odessa, Texas at Permian High School there is shy and reserved quarterback Mike Winchell who is simply looking for a way out of Texas. Then there's Don Billingsley, fullback and local legend where anything less than a state championship wasn't enough (at least in his father's mind). The only thing Winchell should be thanking Billingsley for is his willingness to help get him laid at a party. In one of the most memorable lines from any movie ever made, "We're gonna get drunk, we're gonna get laid, and we're gonna win state but not tonight." Thank God for Billingsley, says Mike probably.
4. Julius Campbell and Gary Bertier (True Story) (Remember the Titans)
Forget football, forget life as a high school student, this movie was all about race relations in a tense period of time in suburban Virginia. All-American Gary Bertier was not about to let a bunch of outsiders (to put it lightly) take over his slot on defense. Like he says when introduced to coach Boone (trick plays?): "You want any of us to play for you, you reserve half the open positions for Hammond players, half the offense, half the special teams. We don't need any of your people on defense. We're already set." What Gary failed to realize, however, was Julius Campbell was also an All-American linebacker and I ask could you IMAGINE if coach Boone listened to this guy?! Surely they wouldn't achieve the perfect season they had. On a daily basis the football team was trying to make things work between black and white players but in the hallways during school hours it was even more intense, unlike anything they've seen before. Another scenario I present to you: imagine seeing a young Ryan Gosling get pushed around not only in training camp, but also the hallways of your high school? Gary and Julius just couldn't stand for it. Left side, strong side forever.
Forget football, forget life as a high school student, this movie was all about race relations in a tense period of time in suburban Virginia. All-American Gary Bertier was not about to let a bunch of outsiders (to put it lightly) take over his slot on defense. Like he says when introduced to coach Boone (trick plays?): "You want any of us to play for you, you reserve half the open positions for Hammond players, half the offense, half the special teams. We don't need any of your people on defense. We're already set." What Gary failed to realize, however, was Julius Campbell was also an All-American linebacker and I ask could you IMAGINE if coach Boone listened to this guy?! Surely they wouldn't achieve the perfect season they had. On a daily basis the football team was trying to make things work between black and white players but in the hallways during school hours it was even more intense, unlike anything they've seen before. Another scenario I present to you: imagine seeing a young Ryan Gosling get pushed around not only in training camp, but also the hallways of your high school? Gary and Julius just couldn't stand for it. Left side, strong side forever.
3. Scott Smalls and Benny Rodriguez (Sandlot)
From Smalls' first glove, to watching Benny steal home in the majors, these two were connected instantly during that fateful summer of 1962 and never looked back. Think about if you were Scott Smalls for a minute, you just moved to the valley because Dennis Leary was a big-time executive dressing up to fly across country in planes. Those were the times indeed, but one major responsibility Leary presented to Smalls was that while he was gone, he was the man of the house. While typical men of the house would work and bring home the bacon, Smalls was being a little delinquent and stealing baseballs from his trophy case. If the nine of them were easily able to scrounge 98 extra cents for a new baseball, neither Smalls nor Benny would be in the mess they found themselves in.
From Smalls' first glove, to watching Benny steal home in the majors, these two were connected instantly during that fateful summer of 1962 and never looked back. Think about if you were Scott Smalls for a minute, you just moved to the valley because Dennis Leary was a big-time executive dressing up to fly across country in planes. Those were the times indeed, but one major responsibility Leary presented to Smalls was that while he was gone, he was the man of the house. While typical men of the house would work and bring home the bacon, Smalls was being a little delinquent and stealing baseballs from his trophy case. If the nine of them were easily able to scrounge 98 extra cents for a new baseball, neither Smalls nor Benny would be in the mess they found themselves in.
2. Danny Noonan and Ty Webb (Caddyshack)
I say this to myself every single time I'm about to putt for a surprise par..."Be the ball." Had Ty Webb not been there to teach Danny Noonan the ways of the Zen Philosopher Basho...chances are he'd never be in a position to win the caddie scholarship or later participate in illegal gambling practices amongst the members at Bushwood Country Club. I think Ty could teach us all a thing or two not just about golf, but about life and especially pointing out that a flute with no holes is not a flute and a donut with no holes is a Danish. There's no question relationships form on the golf course, we see it all the time. Matches are won and lost, money is won and lost but there is simply an endless amount of wisdom which can be shared among all parties combined. Bushwood is in good hands...kind of.
1. Fulton Reed and Dean Portman (Mighty Ducks)
I knew this was coming, you knew this was coming, every single person who's seen this movie knew it was coming. Gathering from all over the country (and by that I mean greater Minneapolis, Florida, Chicago and Maine for some reason) the match made in alpha heaven brings us Fulton Reed and Dean Portman. Now both have their flaws, we all know that. In fact, I'm quite certain a lawsuit is still pending and a warrant has been served for roughly 25 years for Reed's arrest for driving a zamboni through the doors of Team USA's training center, but that all goes out the window when you pull off a 'W' at the Junior Goodwill Games against national powerhouse Iceland. Portman with some serious self-confidence issues showing up in a sleeveless Morgan Park jersey and proceeding to cheap shot each of the Minnesota pee wee champion to let him know he's there. To come full circle, there are fewer moments of pride than when Portman busts through the doors of Eden Hall Academy when presented a full scholarship to play for the school. Why he wasn't there to begin the season we may never know, but all that matters is the Bash Brothers remained true to the school, their country and most importantly...each other.
I say this to myself every single time I'm about to putt for a surprise par..."Be the ball." Had Ty Webb not been there to teach Danny Noonan the ways of the Zen Philosopher Basho...chances are he'd never be in a position to win the caddie scholarship or later participate in illegal gambling practices amongst the members at Bushwood Country Club. I think Ty could teach us all a thing or two not just about golf, but about life and especially pointing out that a flute with no holes is not a flute and a donut with no holes is a Danish. There's no question relationships form on the golf course, we see it all the time. Matches are won and lost, money is won and lost but there is simply an endless amount of wisdom which can be shared among all parties combined. Bushwood is in good hands...kind of.
1. Fulton Reed and Dean Portman (Mighty Ducks)
I knew this was coming, you knew this was coming, every single person who's seen this movie knew it was coming. Gathering from all over the country (and by that I mean greater Minneapolis, Florida, Chicago and Maine for some reason) the match made in alpha heaven brings us Fulton Reed and Dean Portman. Now both have their flaws, we all know that. In fact, I'm quite certain a lawsuit is still pending and a warrant has been served for roughly 25 years for Reed's arrest for driving a zamboni through the doors of Team USA's training center, but that all goes out the window when you pull off a 'W' at the Junior Goodwill Games against national powerhouse Iceland. Portman with some serious self-confidence issues showing up in a sleeveless Morgan Park jersey and proceeding to cheap shot each of the Minnesota pee wee champion to let him know he's there. To come full circle, there are fewer moments of pride than when Portman busts through the doors of Eden Hall Academy when presented a full scholarship to play for the school. Why he wasn't there to begin the season we may never know, but all that matters is the Bash Brothers remained true to the school, their country and most importantly...each other.
