Ever inspiring things like awesome annual Halloween costumes, fictional sports teams have long proven to impact the zeitgeist in a palpable way. Some movies and television shows have created sports teams that audiences want to root for almost as much as the real squads out there.
Some so iconic they even inspired real teams to utilize their playcalling, and in other cases, assume their likeness. With honorable mention paid to both Blue Mountain State, a show that would like to remind readers the party is at the goathouse and to the deliberately-unnamed Russell Crowe-led Saturday gamers in Mystery, Alaska, these teams stood out the most.
Flint Tropics (Semi-Pro)
In his string of consecutive years releasing quotable sports comedies, professional funnyman Will Ferrell never ceased to give it his all.
With no disrespect to the Lions he coached in Kicking & Screaming, the most skillful and personality-filled team Ferrell helmed was easily Semi-Pro's Flint Tropics. Jackie Moon and the bunch headline the surprisingly quite authentic portrayal of the days leading up to the ABA/NBA crossover.
Dillion High Panthers (Friday Night Lights)
A team one loves to root for both on the silver and the small screen. The Panthers of Friday Night Lights fame shined in both the film and television versions.
Whether it was Billy Bob Thornton or - most iconically associated with the role - Kyle Chandler taking the reigns as Coach Taylor, Dillion High's fighting Panthers consistently entertained with gripping dramatics both on and off the field.
Average Joe’s (Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story)
As swagged out as Globo Gym was, the Average Joe's had the superior heart - therefore proving themselves worthy of the 'true underdog' subtitular designation.
On an episode of Justin Long's "Life is Short" podcast, the aforementioned actor assigned much credit for the film's timelessness to co-star Vince Vaughn's straight-laced and grounded comedic approach. Such, Long and Vaughn agreed, made him equally believable as the leader of a ragtag group who commandeers them toward pulling off the unthinkable.
West Canaan Coyotes (Varsity Blues)
Before either iteration of Friday Night Lights made their dent, an even sexier Texas high school sports drama solidified the genre as must-watch entertainment.
Highlighted by a peak-fame James Van Der Beek (Dawsons's Creek) as the back-up quarterback thrown into the spotlight, the film culminates in a "There Goes My Hero" by Foo Fighters needle-drop that has yet to be matched; not even by The Other Guys' "aim for the bushes" sequence.
The Giants (Little Giants)
In a 64-team, bracket-form fictional team ranking, the eponymous Giants of Little Giants fame - led by their coach Danny O'Shea, played by the sorely-missed-in-the-biz, Rick Moranis - would easily make it far on memorable play-calling alone.
Who could forget The Annexation of Puerto Rico? No one, especially considering its usage in an actual NFL game on Dec. 18, 2011, between the Carolina Panthers and the Houston Texans.
Tree Hill Ravens (One Tree Hill)
No matter how far the show's principal characters went in life, or the extremes the plots traveled to, somehow One Tree Hill always found ways back to its roots: the trials and tribulations at the center of Ravens Basketball.
Kicking off with the rivalry between half-brother star basketball players playing on the same team for the first time, the show's Scott Brother leads would see their camaraderie eventually soar. So too would their ability to push Tree Hill Ravens' merch, even beyond the show's original run.
The Ducks (The Mighty Ducks Trilogy)
Not once, not twice, but thrice did The Mighty Ducks endear themselves to sports movie fans everywhere. And a fourth slap shot is on the way.
Regardless of who scored the most important goals, the team as a whole always ended up as the standout. No single player or personnel member ever grew bigger than the team, as evidenced by protagonist-turned-pro-hockey-hopeful Coach Gordon Bombay's journey from center-of-attention to role-player capacity by the time D3 skated into theaters.
Springfield Nuclear Plant Softball Team (The Simpsons)
Whether using old players or MLB All-Star replacement ringers, Springfield's Nuclear Power Plant softball team was destined for victory.
Despite the adversity established by ruthlessly-rotated dugout-shuffles such as Mr. Burns' on-brand reign of power hunger, the team - who at its peak, included Don Mattingly, Steve Sax, Wade Boggs, Ozzie Smith, Jose Canseco, Ken Griffey Jr., Darryl Strawberry, Mike Scioscia, and Roger Clemens - would ultimately be saved by the formerly unjustly-benched, and aptly-named Homer.
Toon Squad (Space Jam)
Forget the Bulls. Forget the Wizards. Forget the Tar Heels. When you think of Michael Jordan-led superteams, you think Toon Squad.
Bugs Bunny and co. served His Airness's strengths quite well while also demonstrating skills of their own. LeBron James' long-awaited sequel is sure to be something, but to this day there is nothing quite like watching Jordan play a full game of elite-caliber basketball without cursing his teammates out. Perhaps a testament to just how in sync they were as a cohesive unit.
Milwaukee Beers (BASEketball)
Perhaps the most underrated and misunderstood satires of the 21st century, BASEketball resonates even more today as a commentary on fans' exponentially-rising need to level up their sports entertainment consumption.
The collaboration of David Zucker (Airplane!, The Naked Gun) and Trey Parker and Matt Stone (South Park) helped dole out a makeshift sport still played at recess and block parties today. All thanks to the film's Milwaukee Beer trio, the all-time kings of the psych-out.
