Hello Sports Fans and Movie Fans alike! We've got plenty of movies for you to choose from this month. Perhaps one of our most diverse months ever, so have some fun! Pick the movie you like best and vote. Each month's winners will be on display in November and December, where you can vote for your "Sports Lore Favorite Sports Movie of the Year."

MIRACLE (2003) – This film was just released on DVD and Video last month. The movie tells the story of the 1980 American Olympic Hockey Team and it’s triumphant defeat of the Russians.

Even though professional athletes were barred from competing in the Olympics, the former Soviet Union had a lock on all the best players in their country. This enabled Russia to maintain their hockey players' amateur status.

"Miracle" is the inspiring true story of how Herb Brooks, a former player who turned Coach, took an uneven group of U.S. College Skaters and led them to victory over the seemingly unbeatable Soviet team.

Do you believe in Miracles? (PG)
KURT RUSSELL, PATRICIA CLARKSON, NOAH EMMERICH, SEAN McCANN, KENNETH WELSH

NORTH DALLAS FORTY (1979) – Why is it that whenever the players say it's just a game, the owners say it's a business; and whenever the players say it's a business, the owners say it's just a game?

Aging and hurting ballplayer Nick Nolte finds himself at odds with management of his team, when injured players are coerced into playing while their very lives may be on the line. Considered by many critics to be the best football movie ever made. Maybe, maybe not, but good to see, nevertheless.

Based on the novel by pro-baller Peter Gent, former Dallas Cowboy. (R)
NICK NOLTE, MAC DAVIS CHARLES DURNING, BO SVENSON

RAGING BULL (1980) – Jake Lamotta did some stuff, that's for sure; and it's all here in black and white.

"Raging Bull" is so gritty it actually feels old, and looks at times like home movies or a documentary. This amazing film follows LaMotta's career and family life, rising from his humble beginnings, to be perhaps the most powerful champ ever. Unblinkingly, we see him fall, right back down, to a has-been, performing in comedy clubs, banking on his name.

Both actor DeNiro and director Scorsese capture LaMotta's rise and fall, expertly. This film has some of the most gripping boxing scenes ever captured on film.

DeNiro's performance won him the Academy Award for Best Actor, with Pesci winning Best Supporting Actor. A Must See for all. (Even my teenaged daughter, who had to study it in a high-school film class, was impressed.) (R)
ROBERT DeNIRO, CATHY MORIARITY, JOE PESCI

A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN (1992) – "A League of their Own" takes us back to simpler times. This movie follows the lives of the Georgia Peaches, one of the many ladies teams who became part of the All-American Girls Professional Sports Baseball Leagues. In 1943, these fine ladies went on the road to keep baseball alive while their male counter-parts (and husbands) were going off to war.

Probably best known for the line "There is no crying n baseball," delivered by Tom Hanks, this film is also crowded by wonderful performances by all the stars, and the supporting cast as well. (PG)
TOM HANKS, GEENA DAVIS, LORI PETTY, MADONNA, ROSIE O'DONNEL, JON LOVITZ

BLUE CRUSH (2002) – After a "near-drowning incident" three years ago while surfing competitively, Anne Marie is once again trying to work up the nerve to enter and win The Pipeline World Classic.

Distracted by her fear of a repeat accident and by having to raise her little sister since Mom abandoned them, Anne Marie is coached and encouraged by her two best friends, who are also surfers. All three are maids at a nearby posh resort.

To further complicate things enter Matt. A pro-football star quarterback, vacationing in Hawaii, whose romantic advances further, diverts Annie's attention from her training.

After hearing rumors that Matt has a maid in every town, Annie's all-Grrrl posse steps up and gets in her face: Get your head in back in the game, get over the fear, get over the guy and get your board in the water. After a chilling accident in the first round, even Matt shows up to offer encouragement.

"Blue Crush" has fantastic surfing scenes; exceptionally brilliant cinematography for a simple surfer tale. And the soundtrack rocks. (PG-13)
KATE BOSWORTH, MATTHEW DAVIS, MICHELLE RODRIGUES, SANOE LAKE, MIKA BOOREM

HOOP DREAMS (1994) – Originally meant to be a 30-minute PBS special, the filmmakers ended up spending 5 years recording the lives of William Gates and Arthur Agee. The result is a full-length, in-depth look at how sports can change lives.

This highly regarded documentary focuses on the dreams of two inner-city teens, who see a career in basketball as their way out of poverty. The film begins with a talent scout for prestigious Catholic High School, offering the two young men partial athletic scholarships. Why a private suburban high school offers scholarships to inner-city kids, who excel at basketball, but not academics, is closely examined. (Normally, that's reserved for colleges, isn't it?)

The film follows the two families' successes and failures as each young man, and their families, struggle through adversity to achieve their dream. This film won a slew of awards for best documentary in 1994. (PG-13)
WILLIAM GATES, ARTHUR AGEE

THE PRIDE OF ST. LOUIS (1952) – The life story of Jerome Herman "Dizzy" Dean.

This movie follows Dean's discovery in Arkansas, and his meteoric rise through the Texas Minor Leagues into the Majors, breaking pitching records and winning the World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals. A consummate entertainer, Dean could just have easily been found dancing in the stands or singing with the band in between innings as he could on the pitching mound.

When he is injured, his downward spiral back into the Minors is just as quick as was his rise to fame. Drinking and gambling, he looses his career and his wife.

Dean is plucked out of obscurity by wealthy baseball fan Johnny Kendall, who is sure Dean's homespun wit will make him a natural on the radio. Thus a second career in baseball, this time as a commentator, is born. (N/R)
DAN DAILY, JOANNE DRU, RICHARD CRENNA

AIRBOURNE (1993) – A mellow surfer-type dude, uprooted from his cool California beach scene, must prove himself in chilly Cincinnati.

Finding himself transplanted into the harsh Midwest for a year of living with his Aunt, Uncle, and goofy cousin, his peer-pressure survival may depend on his outrageous skateboarding and roller-blading skills.

This seems to be a favorite of the 20-somethings in the crowd, who, I suppose grew up with it's repeated showings on HBO. It escapes me; I can't figure out why they like the film so much. Then again, I wasn't a pre-teen in the 90's, so there you go. Definitely a Jr. High pick for the family. (PG)
SHANE McDERMOT, SETH GREEN, JACK BLACK, BRITTNEY POWELL, EDDIR McCLURG

FOR LOVE OF THE GAME (1999) – "Billy, this ain't your day."

Billy Chapel, aging pitcher for the Detroit Tigers is, indeed, having a bad day. It's his last game pitching after a really lousy season. The team owner/father figure to Billy has just informed him that he's selling the team and that the new owners are probably going to trade him. Plus, the woman he loves is leaving for a job in London.

In between pitches we see in flashbacks all the various moments of his life and career that brought Billy up to this point. Thing is, as he recalls each of these memories, he keeps striking out his opponents. While working on a perfect game Billy faces a decision to quit the game and follow his love to London, or accept the possible trade and carry on his Love of the Game.

Boy, am I playing this one down. There is a lot more emotional impact on the personal side than meets the eye. A good film, not just a good sports movie. (PG-13)
KEVIN COSTNER, KELLY PRESTON, JOHN C. REILLY, JENA MALONE

KINGPIN (1996) – From the Farrelly Brothers, the knuckleheads that gave us "Dumb and Dumber", "There's Something About Mary," and the newly released "Stuck on You", "Kingpin" is an outrageous comedy centered on bowling.

Once destined for greatness, a now one-handed former pro-bowler Roy Munson is in the gutter when he stumbles across Amish bowling prodigy Ishmael.

Roy convinces Ish to enter a $1 million dollar, winner-take-all Bowling Tournament in Reno, Nevada. An outrageous road trip follows which poisons all of Ish's Central Pennsylvanian Amish values, with hilarious results.

Now they must confront Big Ernie, the guy who double-crossed Roy 17 years ago, costing him his hand in a con gone wrong.

Look for Indie Troubadour Jonathan Richman crooning in a bar, he was the same guy singing in "Mary." He's always been one of my favorites, and apparently theirs too. (PG-13)
WOODEY HARRELSON, RANDY QUAID, VANESSA ANGEL, BILL MURRAY