With everyone gripped by the World Cup right now, it seems like a perfect time to lean into some of the best sports shows around. This is also an especially well-timed return for Ted Lasso, which will be returning from its long hiatus for a much-anticipated new season. That show can reconnect fans with their love of soccer once again, but there are plenty of shows that deal with different sports and nail what makes them special
Some of these shows hit the classic underdog sports story of those never-quit heroes we can’t help but love. Others dive into the absurdity of some of these sports and the big personalities. There are even shows that tell true sports stories to entertaining effect. So when you’re waiting for the next match, check out these perfect sports shows that can make anyone a die-hard fan.
Ted Lasso
Ted Lasso melded a hilarious fish-out-of-water story with the sports genre to make a wildly entertaining comedy. Jason Sudeikis gets his best role to date as the titular American football coach who is unexpectedly hired to come to England to coach a soccer club in the Premier League. Despite being unqualified for the job, Ted gives it his best shot and betters the team in unexpected ways.
While the premise is silly and sets up a lot of wonderful jokes, the real surprise about Ted Lasso is how heartwarming it is. Ted’s compassion and kindness have a major impact on the team, transforming the coldest, most self-centered, and most insecure people into better versions of themselves. It is filled with laughs but also puts a smile on your face.
Stick
One of the newer sports shows around shares a lot of similarities with Ted Lasso, despite taking place within a very different sports world. Stick stars Owen Wilson as a former golf pro who crashes out following a personal tragedy. Years later, he discovers a young golf prodigy and begins mentoring him while also discovering his own possible path of redemption.
The Apple TV+ series examines how these athletes that the world can put on pedestals are very human with their own damages. Wilson’s Pryce Cahill is hurt and makes a lot of mistakes in his journey, but his heart is also in the right place. It is a funny, charming, and engaging journey to see if this man can really put his life back together.
Welcome to Wrexham
Alongside Ted Lasso, Welcome to Wrexham was one of the shows that helped boost American interest in soccer. It helped that the interest was tied to two beloved Hollywood stars. The reality series follows Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac as they team up to buy a struggling Welsh football club.
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While it is very entertaining seeing these two stars diving into this world and taking this ridiculous risk, the Hulu show wisely doesn’t put the focus just on the famous owners. The show explores the lives of the players and members of the club, as well as the community of fans who put so much passion into cheering them on. Seeing the journey that the team takes makes for a sports story right out of fiction.
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty
There are a lot of entertaining and insightful sports docuseries like Welcome to Wrexham, but Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty is a rare show that tells a true sports story. John C. Reilly stars as Jerry Bass, the larger-than-life owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, who began to shape the team into a sports dynasty in the 1980s with the arrival of Magic Johnson.
The show billed itself as a dramatization, though that didn’t save it from scandal, as many former players and sports historians refuted the depictions. However, there is no denying that it makes for a wild and entertaining odyssey, with a strong cast to tell the tale, including Jason Segel, Adrien Brody, and Jason Clarke. Winning Time was cancelled after two seasons, but the series is still worth watching.
Eastbound and Down
The sports world is known for breeding some big personalities, and Eastbound and Down really leans into that with the character of Kenny Powers. Danny McBride plays Kenny, a former baseball pitcher whose brief fame in the sport went to his head and never left. Despite his destructive behavior ruining any career he had, Kenny still acts like he’s the most important person in any room.
The dark comedy is an outrageous and hilarious ride along with Kenny as he continues to chase infamy while destroying lives around him. McBride is at his best in the vulgar, self-centered lead role, and the show is packed with cameos and guest stars that range from Don Johnson to Matthew McConaughey to Will Ferrell.
The League
One of the best things about the World Cup coverage has been seeing all of the fans from around the world coming together to cheer on their favorite teams. That’s why it is important to single out one sports show that is all about the fans. The League is a terrific comedy that follows a group of friends in a fantasy football league and their wildly competitive nature.
It is a wonderful look at sports fans, from the elation of the wins to the frustrations and devastation of losses. More than that, it is a terrific examination of adult friendship with these men who are such big parts of each other’s lives and care so much about each other but also love messing with each other.
Shoresy
As passionate as fans can be for their favorite teams, it doesn’t match the passion of those out there playing the game. Shoresy is a show that celebrates a man who might be the most passionate athlete of all time, as Jared Keeso plays a relentless and dedicated Canadian hockey player who strives to make his minor league team the best.
The Letterkenny spinoff maintains much of the rapid-fire humor of that series, including Shoresy’s hilarious insults and chirps. However, it is also a love letter to hockey and the people who play it. There is far more heart than you’d expect from a show this vulgar, but it works surprisingly well.
Friday Night Lights
Often called the best sports show of all time, Friday Night Lights is an emotional, exhilarating, and profound look at a community based around sports. The series takes place in a small Texas town where high school football is the most important thing there is. Kyle Chandler plays Coach Taylor, a dedicated leader who knows the importance of winning but also wants to shape the young players beyond the football field.
Friday Night Lights is filled with great characters and a wonderful ensemble that includes future stars like Jesse Plemons and Michael B. Jordan. It is an uplifting look at the dedication and heart so many people put into winning these games and how they can take that same approach to life.
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