The life of boxer Tom Molineaux, the first professional black athlete of the modern era, cries out to be filmed. Born a slave in late 18th Century Virginia, ranged by his owner in bare-knuckle bouts against other slaves, won his freedom in the ring, then travelled to Regency England where he rose through the ranks of prize fighters to challenge the champion and popular favourite, Tom Cribb. Molineaux barely lost an epic but controversial bout, then lost the rematch and faded into drunken obscurity, dying penniless at the age of 34.
Buck O’Neil, or maybe Satchel Page.
But not Joe Jackson? 
Moe Berg. I can’t imagine why his life story has not been made into an overly dramatic spy thriller.
O.J. Simpson. You couldn’t make that shit up.
I’d watch a new Lou Gehrig movie.
Martina Navratilova or Diana Nyad
Hmmm… Babe Didrikson. Jim Thorpe.
I think a really neat Joe DiMaggio movie could be made fairly easily.
Feels weird to say this but I think you could already make a great Mike Tyson movie. There have been some really interesting documentaries about him.
John Elway’s career track would make an effective movie. Highly touted, draft drama, early success, failures in the Super Bowl, fairly long stretch of mediocrity, then ending his career with back-to-back championships. And the epilogue is good, too. You also have a great and underserved supporting character in Terrell Davis.
I was going to say Ty Cobb would be interesting but then Wikipedia told me one was released 20 years ago. Still, though, a new one could still be made.
Probably Robin Friday. It’d be different I reckon …
Joe Dimaggio would be an interesting one, between the streak and Marilyn and his notorious cheapness and his all around dickishness.
Curt Flood for the story of how he tried to push open the door to free agency.
Roberto Clemente for his charitable work and untimely death.
Joe Namath just because he had a fun life off the field.
Mark McGwire/Sammy Sosa for the home run chase and steroid scandal.
The problem is it’s tough to make a good narrative out of an athlete who was successful and unpleasant. Where’s the hook? If an athlete is an asshole, you either want to see him humbled or redeemed.
Ayrton Senna was frequently unpleasant and his narrative was pretty awesome.
ESPN’s 30 for 30 series did one on the rivalry and friendship between Navratilova and Chris Evert. It’s available on demand from my cable provider at the moment.
My vote goes to Ruud Gullit. Growing up in the UK in the eighties and early nineties there were hardly any sympathetic black or brown people on TV. I think Bill Cosby and John Barnes were about my only options. So Gullit because a hero to me even though I hardly ever got to watch him play.
Andre The Giant.
Ann Trason
(I’m not aware of any special drama in her life, but her athletic accomplishments are incredible)
WWE/F has released a couple of documentaries about Andre’s life: Andre the Giant: A Legendary Life and Andre the Giant: Larger Than Life. They’re not so hot on coming up with original titles. Biography also did an episode on him.
I agree. Have you read Black_Ajax?
I agree completely.
Over the years, several people have tried to make a movie about Moe Berg. Geddy Lee of Rush (who’s both a huge baseball fan and the son of Holocaust survivors) was one of the people trying to get rights to the story. But for some reason, it’s never happened.