Why do I like sports flicks?

Yesterday I was watching "The Greatest Game Ever Played", again. Though I had already seen the flick before, I knew what is gonna happen (that's the case with all sports flick I guess, you already know, what will be the ending). Still I was watching it with interest and was excited at every shot played by Harry or Francis (two main characters of the film). Though I don't know the rules of Golf, I never watch it on ESPN, still while watching the movie I kinda felt associated with the characters and the game. Same is the case with all the sports flick (except few).

Take example of recent release "ChakDe India", although it was based on a game I personally am not very interested in (I think that's the case with most of the people who watched the film and made it a hit). Still I rate it as the best sports flick ever made in Bollywood. I have watched this one twice already and did not loose interest while watching it for the second time. (ChakDe is one of the few movies I have seen more than once in theater)

My all time favorite Hindi film is "Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar". I have seen the last race more than 100 times by now and I always watch it with equal interest. I am as excited as I was when I watched it for the first time (I think the excitement wouldn't have been more, if I was watching it live, why? Will answer this why in later part of the post). I feel like cheering for Sanju (it was Sanju, I cheer for, not Amir Khan), I feel like telling Sanju to change gear at times. I feel more excitement than the character Ratan is.

List of my all time favorite movies include "JJWS", "Cinderella Man", "Rocky", "ChakDe", "Lagaan", "Remember the Titans" and many more, which I might not have seen yet.

Why I find these sports flick more exciting than a live match? When I am watching a live match I don't associate with the players as closely as I do while watching a movie. I know the real life players from newspapers, TV etc, but while watching a movie I virtually live with the players. I know the struggle these players have gone through before playing the game. There is always a story associated with the game, which in all cases is climax of the movie and by that time, I want the hero/s to win the game. Because till the time match starts, those players are not unknown to me, they are like my friends/neighbors, who have gone through a lot of struggle/training to reach the stage they are right now. To top it all, there is always an emotion attached, like in Cinderella Man, Russel Crowe was fighting to earn bread for his family, in JJWS, Amir was racing for revenge and pride, Lagaan match was for lives of so many families and ChakDe was again for regaining lost pride. I think these emotions make the game bigger than live matches.

I hope that even more such movies are made in future and I keep on enjoying the game as well as the movie. It's kind of combo offer, watch the movie and get to watch one very exciting tournament as bonus.