SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
Summer on the Silver Screen
WHILE SPRING may still seem a distant dream to Midwesterners defrosting from the subzero temperatures of a polar vortex, major league pitchers and catchers begin to report to camps in Arizona and Florida on Feb. 11. And just in time for the return of baseball, two of the sport's best movies are now available on SI TV.
This season marks the 100th anniversary of the Black Sox scandal, which led to lifetime bans for the eight White Sox who threw the World Series to the Reds. Eight Men Out (1988), directed by John Sayles, focuses on the compromised players and stars John Cusack, Charlie Sheen and Clifton James.
The Natural (1984), based on the novel by Bernard Malamud, features Robert Redford as Roy Hobbs (above), a mysterious, aging player with seemingly divine talent. The film, directed by Barry Levinson, offers timeless lessons about what it means to succeed (or fail) in America.
BEYOND THE ARENA
For a light and funny take on sports news, tune in to The Will Leitch Show, which begins its second season this month. From figure skater Tara Lipinski to MSNBC's Chris Hayes to NASCAR's Dale Earnhardt Jr. (below), Leitch interviews athletes and entertainers—and makes them play silly games.
HOW TO WATCH
For classic sports movies and TV shows, plus Crossover TV and other compelling original programming, go to SI.TV
