By Andie Hagemann
Are you ready for some football? Before the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs take the field on Sunday for the NFL’s 2022 season finale, binge five of our favorite football moments from Disney. From animated appearances by superstar athletes to heartwarming and inspiring true stories, we’ve assembled the ultimate watchlist for your viewing pleasure.
Goofy: How to Play Football—Available to Stream on Disney+
Do you need to brush up on your football knowledge? Look no further because Goofy has you covered! In this animated short from 1944, Goofy (voiced by Disney Legend Pinto Colvig) teaches viewers how to play football rather goofily. Goofy plays all the positions on both teams, demonstrating the sport with varying results, including having problems with the head coach and the goal post. Sports broadcasting pioneer Frank Bull narrates the short, adding his signature reporting style and football expertise.
Remember the Titans—Available to Stream on Disney+
In 1971, high school football is everything to the city of Alexandria, Virginia. When the local school board integrates an all-Black school with an all-white school, two very different football coaches and their teams are put to the test. Denzel Washington plays Herman Boone, a young Black coach hired as the new head football coach of T.C. Williams High replacing longtime coach Bill Yoast (Will Patton). As the pair learn how to work together, they find they have much more than football in common. The coaches team up to mold a group of angry, unfocused boys into a dynamic, winning team, and responsible young men. The film also stars Donald Faison, Wood Harris, Ryan Hurst, Ethan Suplee, Hayden Panettiere, Ryan Gosling, Kip Pardue, Nicole Ari Parker, Kate Bosworth, Craig Kirkwood, and Earl Poitier.
The Simpsons (Season 16, Episode 8)—Available to Stream on Disney+
In the episode titled, “Homer and Ned’s Hail Mary Pass,” Ned Flanders (voiced by Harry Shearer) films a video of Homer Simpson (voiced by Dan Castellaneta) dancing— which goes viral on the Internet. Impressed by the sensational dance moves, top athletes Tom Brady, LeBron James, Michelle Kwan, Yao Ming, and Warren Sapp enlist Homer’s help to create celebration dances for them. Meanwhile, Ned is so outraged by Homer’s celebrity that he makes his own movie. Brady, James, Kwan, Yao, and Sapp all guest star in the episode as themselves.
Invincible—Available to Stream on Disney+
Based on a true story, the film follows Vince Papale (Mark Wahlberg), a 30-year-old substitute teacher and bartender who is down on his luck in both his personal and professional life. However, when the Philadelphia Eagles’ new head coach Dick Vermeil (Greg Kinnear) announces that he will hold open tryouts for the team, Papale reluctantly decides to chase a lifelong dream. The film also stars Elizabeth Banks, Michael Rispoli, Kevin Conway, Kirk Acevedo, Dov Davidoff, Michael Kelly, Turron Kofi Alleyne, and Nicoye Banks.
Family Guy (Season 4, Episode 20)—Sunday, February 12, at 10:30 a.m. ET/PT on FX and Available to Stream on Hulu
From one improbable professional football player to another, the episode titled “Patriot Games” follows Peter Griffin (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) and his unlikely journey to the NFL. Peter meets NFL quarterback Tom Brady at his high school reunion and impresses the star with a football-like run to the washroom, tackling everyone in his path. Brady then recruits Peter to play for the New England Patriots, but Peter soon realizes that being a professional athlete is a lot harder than it looks. The episode features the voices of guest stars Brady, Troy Brown, Bob Costas, Carol Channing, and Jay Leno as themselves, along with series regulars MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Seth Green, Mila Kunis, and Patrick Warburton. This episode is intended for mature audiences only.