# Sports movies where the protagonists lose (Spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 8, 2013, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-movies-where-the-protagonists-lose-spoilers/657771 "2013-05-08T07:40:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-movies-where-the-protagonists-lose-spoilers/657771/61 "2013-05-09T21:01:36Z")
\*Running \*- where Michael Douglas is a marathoner who breaks some bone during the Olympic marathon and manages to finish hours later than the winner. _Requiem for a Heavyweight_ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-movies-where-the-protagonists-lose-spoilers/657771/62 "2013-05-09T23:39:37Z")
_Finding Forrester_, pretty much. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-movies-where-the-protagonists-lose-spoilers/657771/63 "2013-05-09T23:50:03Z")
_Prefontaine_ - based on the guy’s real life, but he lost his bid to win the 1972 Olympic medal for 5,000 meters, and then died in a car accident before the next Olympics in 1976. Roll credits. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-movies-where-the-protagonists-lose-spoilers/657771/64 "2013-05-10T12:13:07Z")
> [@TV\_time](#): > > \*Running \*- where Michael Douglas is a marathoner who breaks some bone during the Olympic marathon and manages to finish hours later than the winner. Swap in Simon Pegg and you’ve got _Run Fatboy Run_ – only with a sprain instead of a break, and a local marathon instead of the Olympics. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-movies-where-the-protagonists-lose-spoilers/657771/65 "2013-05-10T13:28:30Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > _Best of the Best_ had Team America lose to Korea in a martial-arts tournament, but only because Eric Roberts refused to score points by continuing to pummel his badly dazed opponent, who’d probably have died if the beatdown continued. So the Koreans get the win, but of course present their medals to our heroes. IIRC, it was the Korean-American fighter who refused to continue because the guy had killed his brother and he knew if he kept at it, he would kill the guy and he didn’t want to cross that line. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-movies-where-the-protagonists-lose-spoilers/657771/66 "2013-05-10T17:46:48Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > IIRC, it was the Korean-American fighter who refused to continue because the guy had killed his brother and he knew if he kept at it, he would kill the guy and he didn’t want to cross that line. Ah, you’re right; in hopes of atoning with a correct answer, let me mention that Tony Curtis opts to get the girl rather than win the race in _The Great Race_. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-movies-where-the-protagonists-lose-spoilers/657771/67 "2013-05-10T18:08:37Z")
How about _National Velvet_? Velvet wins the race, falls off the horse, is taken to the clinic, is discovered to be a girl, and is disqualified. She’s happy anyway because she’s proved she could win. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2013, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-movies-where-the-protagonists-lose-spoilers/657771/68 "2013-05-11T14:13:08Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Ah, you’re right; in hopes of atoning with a correct answer, let me mention that Tony Curtis opts to get the girl rather than win the race in _The Great Race_. In that case, I’ll mention _Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines_ - the American loses the London-Paris race when he stops to help the Italian, but the victorious Brit insists on calling it a draw. The American guy gets the girl, too. ---
**Author:** ![PigArcher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@PigArcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PigArcher)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2013, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-movies-where-the-protagonists-lose-spoilers/657771/69 "2013-05-11T16:48:33Z")
In _Le Mans_, Steve McQueen’s character doesn’t win, though he finishes 2nd to his teammate and beats the bad guy. ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-movies-where-the-protagonists-lose-spoilers/657771/70 "2013-05-12T08:23:50Z")
[Brian’s Song](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian%27s_Song) [The Terry Fox Story](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Terry_Fox_Story) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-movies-where-the-protagonists-lose-spoilers/657771/71 "2013-05-12T09:21:46Z")
> [@TV\_time](#): > > \*Running \*- where Michael Douglas is a marathoner who breaks some bone during the Olympic marathon and manages to finish hours later than the winner. This reminded me of _The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner_ which had essentially the opposite ending. Colin was in the lead and was clearly going to win the race but then he chose to stop rather than cross the finish line. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2013, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-movies-where-the-protagonists-lose-spoilers/657771/72 "2013-05-13T14:36:58Z")
In Pixar’s _ **Cars** _, Lightning McQueen doesn’t win the Piston Cup- bad guy Chick Hicks does. Lightning has the lead, but gives it up to help the injured “King” (voiced by Richard Petty) cross the finish line. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2013, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-movies-where-the-protagonists-lose-spoilers/657771/73 "2013-05-13T14:47:05Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > This reminded me of _The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner_ which had essentially the opposite ending. Colin was in the lead and was clearly going to win the race but then he chose to stop rather than cross the finish line. Now that’s just stoopid. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2013, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-movies-where-the-protagonists-lose-spoilers/657771/74 "2013-05-13T15:14:21Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > North Dallas Forty. A terrific Nick Nolte movie which for some inexplicable reason I’m one of the four people on Earth who like it. > > Also, Mystery, Alaska. Another under appreciated gem. I was hoping I would be the only one to recall the most excellent Mystery, Alaska. “This is a hockey town.” ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2013, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-movies-where-the-protagonists-lose-spoilers/657771/75 "2013-05-13T15:53:19Z")
I’m surprised no one has mentioned _A League of Their Own_ yet. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A\_League\_of\_Their\_Own](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_League_of_Their_Own) ---
**Author:** ![dotchan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@dotchan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dotchan)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2013, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-movies-where-the-protagonists-lose-spoilers/657771/76 "2013-05-13T16:21:05Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > IIRC, The Indians win a playoff game at the end of _Major League_ but go on to lose the Series. This seems to be a recurring theme in Japanese manga about sports as well: the series ends on some sort of elimination match against their Major Rivals, and the team manages to pull off a victory, but immediately get trounced (off “screen”, even!) in the next series by some no-name team. But then, the last major serial I actually followed all the way to the end was _Slam Dunk_, so take my assessment with a grain of salt. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2013, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-movies-where-the-protagonists-lose-spoilers/657771/77 "2013-05-13T16:53:26Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > I’m surprised no one has mentioned _A League of Their Own_ yet. > > [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A\_League\_of\_Their\_Own](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_League_of_Their_Own) Not as surprised as **Elyanna** (post #4). > [@Elyanna](#): > > A League of Their Own (well, most of the protagonists lose). ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2013, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-movies-where-the-protagonists-lose-spoilers/657771/78 "2013-05-13T17:09:44Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > Also, Mystery, Alaska. Another under appreciated gem. [Yes, it is.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16270501&postcount=22) ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2013, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-movies-where-the-protagonists-lose-spoilers/657771/79 "2013-05-13T17:57:12Z")
In **Raging Bull** wasn’t the Jake LaMotta character beaten to a bloody pulp in his final fight? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-movies-where-the-protagonists-lose-spoilers/657771.md?page=3)