Was 1993 the greatest year for sports movies?

As noted, not all the sports/athletic-related movies that came out in 1993 were actually good. There's a case to be made for quantity over quality, and Only the Strong is by far the worst movie on this list. As we'll see, the martial arts theme was quite prevalent in 1990s action films. Here, we focus on the Afro-Brazilian discipline of capoeira, which also incorporates music, dance, and aerobics. Lincoln High School alum Louis Stevens (Mark Dacascos) uses this to help inspire and motivate a group of unmotivated, troubled teens at his alma mater. Totally predictable and lacking life, Only the Strong is rather weak.

Some straight-to-video viewing fun. This forgotten martial arts action film is also not associated with 1991's American Kickboxer. Starring kickboxing star Dale "Apollo" Cook, the plot is quite hokey, with rival martial arts experts begrudgingly coming together to help rescue the kidnapped eight-year-old daughter of their former lover, who is uncertain which of the two men is the father of the girl. However, some decent plot twists make this somewhat of a guilty pleasure, especially for karate or martial arts fans. The full movie can be found online for those looking to kill a little time during a dull day.

Not officially a sports movie, but the plot of the picture is based on the riveting1974 book Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors, and it involves a real-life men's rugby team from Uruguay, along with friends, families and team officials, whose airplane crashes in the Andes. And thus, it chronicles the extremes the survivors of the crash take to remain alive . It's a grueling movie and can be exhausting to watch. But there's a reason it was one of the most celebrated films of 1993. It starred Ethan Hawke and was narrated by John Malkovich,

This Chuck Norris and Jonathan Brandis vehicle was released internationally in late 1992 but debuted in the United States in April 1993. A wannabe comedy-drama version of The Karate Kid, the premise is quite predictable (and Joe Piscopo is an adult antagonist). A bullied youth needing a strong father figure turns to martial arts to help gain confidence. In the case of Barry (the late Brandis), he also dreams of being Norris' sidekick. It's not one of Chuck's better film efforts, but it might be worth a look for those true fans of the action star if they haven't seen it already.

Martial arts, surfing, ninjas, and Rob Schneider. If that doesn't scream a below-average family action-comedy, then we don't know what does. Released in conjunction with a Sega video game, Surf Ninjas was trying to corner the market on what West Coast teens were into during the '90s. Specifically, the martial arts fare on television and the movies, and the surf/skater culture prominent in the U.S. None of it worked, and the movie and video game were mostly forgotten. Then again, most anything involving Rob Schneider (aside from Necessary Roughness and The Waterboy) seems destined to fail.

Airborne is perhaps best known for being one of Jack Black's earliest films. And it's certainly one of his most forgotten. Trying to build on the popularity of the surf and inline/rollerblade California culture, Airborne  had some respectable star quality — for the time — with Seth Green and the aforementioned Black. The comedy-drama tries to expand its audience beyond the West Coast by setting the story in Cincinnati, where a California teen (Shane McDermott) has trouble adapting to his new, temporary surroundings while staying with relatives. However, the movie's predictability overshadows those moments of entertainment and endearment.

Visually, Aspen Extreme is worth a watch, especially for those ski and winter sports types who appreciate the scenery as much as the physical endeavor. However, even though the Seattle Times dubbed this drama "Top Gun on the Ski Slopes," the photography remains the most entertaining part. The underachieving film stars Paul Gross and Peter Berg as buddies from Detroit, who head to Colorado to become ski instructors and compete in a prestigious tandem skiing competition. Of course, trouble and tragedy ensue within a storyline that is easy to predict. 

Legendary kickboxer Don "The Dragon" Wilson is back for more as Johnny Woo in this sequel that's even more forgettable than the initial Ring of Fire film from two years earlier. As we'll see on this list, martial arts films surged during the 1990s. And, yes, there was an audience for this type of entertainment, which became oversaturated in the wake of film success from the likes of Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Steven Seagal. In this particular case, Wilson's character tries to save his girlfriend from a nefarious underground fighting champion. 

Richard Linklater's breakthrough classic is not a sports movie, but athletics have a key place in the storyline. Randall "Pink" Floyd (Jeremy London) is the star quarterback at Lee High School but does not want to conform to the stringent social limitations put on the players by the coaching staff. The decision whether or not to sign the "commitment to his team" eats at Pink throughout the film, culminating with a "joint subcommittee meeting" on the 50-yard line of the school's football field. Meanwhile, Mitch Kramer's paddling following a little league baseball victory is one of the movie's most memorable moments.

While this sequel didn't enjoy the same initial fanfare or even the level of critical success as the 1989 original, Best of the Best, it became a cult classic with audiences through the VHS and home-movie rental market. Eric Roberts is back as martial arts standout Alex Grady. This time, he's determined to get to the bottom of his friend's death during an underground fighting match. And avenge his death while keeping his young son safe from the evil forces responsible for the situation.

While The Program didn't totally live up to the hype, it's a solid, fictional college football movie that plays on the darker side of the game — notably, the win-at-all-costs mentality of a college athlete. While James Caan plays a grizzled veteran football coach Sam Winters to semi-perfection, Craig Sheffer delivers an underrated performance as the star quarterback disgruntled by fame. Plus, Andrew Bryniarski is deliciously disturbing as a steroid-ravaged linebacker. However, the movie might be best known for its controversial and eventually deleted scene where a host of players lie in the middle of the road while cars pass alongside.

It wouldn't seem easy trying to capture the life of the legendary Bruce Lee on film. However, this dramatic biopic, starring Jason Scott Lee (no relation), does more than a serviceable job in that department. The moments in the movie that focus on Lee's relationship with Linda (Lauren Holly) present some of its highlights, along with the behind-the-scenes adversity Lee faced as an Asian-American trying to prosper in a white man's world. Jason Scott Lee, an exceptional martial artist in his own right, was highly praised for his portrayal, which remains the defining moment of his acting career.

Holly Hunter was so good as Wanda Holloway, the real-life maniacal mother who tried to advance her teenage daughter's cheerleading career by putting a hit on a team member and her mother. She won an Emmy Award for it. Beau Bridges, who played Wanda's brother-in-law hired to perform the hits, was even better — winning an Emmy and Golden Globe. In one of the best made-for-TV movies of the '90s, this black comedy is highly entertaining and well worth the time to see just how deranged people can be when trying to live vicariously through someone else.

To some, this might be considered a guilty pleasure, but Cool Runnings is actually a highly entertaining film that is an underdog picture — much like its real-life subject matter. The story of the Jamaican bobsled team, which improbably debuted at the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary, remains one of the best stories in Olympic history. This comedy, starring the late great John Candy as the team's coach, is loosely based on that story while adding the typical Hollywood flare that made it as feel-good a movie as it was a real-life story.

As ridiculous as the premise of a grade-schooler-turned major-league pitcher (following an arm injury that results in his tendons healing "a little too tight") seems, Rookie of the Year  remains one of the most popular baseball movies. Throw in the Chicago Cubs wholeheartedly taking part in the film, and there's a certain level of credibility that comes with the legacy, which adds to the goofiness. It's important not to take the movie too seriously. Meanwhile, star Thomas Ian Nicholas has managed to live off his starring role for three decades.

Based on the story of seven-year-old chess prodigy Joshua Waitzkin and adapted for the screen from the book written by the young man's father. Like the book, the movie was lauded for its authenticity and the performance of young Max Pomeranc, who never experienced career success of this kind down the road but is memorable in the title role. And, yes, chess is a sport. The thinking person's game is based on strategy and the ability to read one's opponent. There might have been more popular mainstream sports movies in 1993, but Searching for Bobby Fischer is worth reliving or checking out for the first time.

There might not be a bigger individual sports underdog than Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger — in real life or on film. The actual person has made a living telling his story to anyone who will listen. On-screen, though, it was Sean Astin's career-defining role (in another memorable film written by Angelo Pizzo) as the undersized, under-talented, wannabe Notre Dame football player. Of course, he defied the odds and naysayers to fulfill his dream of attending the prestigious university and playing football for the Fighting Irish. When it comes to sports movies, Rudy remains among the most beloved of all time.

The word "beloved' gets thrown around a lot when discussing a film that's stood up well over time and one that just about anybody can enjoy. That's The Sandlot in a nutshell. Scotty, Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez, "Ham," "Squints," and the rest of the gang delivered a funny, endearing, and entertaining summer to remember for any baseball fan who ever played ball in an open field or empty lot. Of course, it was also a movie about childhood friendships, which tends to mean the most, even well into adulthood. When it comes to sports movies, The Sandlot is among the elite.