11 Sports Movies Where the Good Guys Should Have Lost (Screenrant)

"While the heroes securing the victory in the finale is almost always a heartwarming & inspiring moment, it's also become extremely predictable after decades of sports dramas resulting in the same pleasing outcome. Giving the protagonists a final winning moment is far from being the only way to craft endings that stick with audiences throughout the years. Many movies where the villain wins illustrate this perfectly - sometimes, a film's core message can only be driven home with a final tragic loss. The gravity of winning or losing the last competitive moment is even more magnified in sports films, where the movie's lasting impact is often hinged on the final outcome. Apart from avoiding a predictable ending, not giving the good guys the win in the third act opens the doors for more nuanced storytelling in the last scenes that viewers see. For those interested in alternative endings for some of their favorite films, here are sports movies where the good guys should have lost." - cbr.com