“Hoosiers” shot all the way to No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 of best sports movies, a one-of-a-kind poll from the news organization known for its rankings of college teams.
Released in 1986 and starring Gene Hackman, “Hoosiers” led the tally in results released Friday, receiving 46 votes from a 70-person global panel of sports writers and editors who work for the AP. “If you put your effort and concentration into playing to your potential, to be the best that you can be, I don’t care what the scoreboard says at the end of the game,” coach Norman Dale, Hackman’s character, says in the top-ranked movie. “In my book, we’re gonna be winners.” And in this case, they were.