If you’re a sports fan, it’s been a high-octane year so far. The IPL has had more drama than an Ekta Kapoor soap opera (we will miss you Thala, congrats Kohli). Manchester City picked up their 10th Premier League title in a nail-biting finish with Arsenal at their heels. Luca Guadagnino’s sports-drama Challengers—starring starring Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor—has been receiving rave reviews. But if you’re looking for a hefty helping of laughs with your sports action, you might not have to wait too long. On 15 May, Netflix announced sports-comedy GOLF starring comedy legend Will Ferrell. Co-created by Ferrell alongside comedian Ramy Youssef and producer Josh Rabinowitz, the 10-episode series will chronicle the life of a fictional golf legend who will be portrayed by Ferrell. The release date for the show is yet to be announced.

In other news from the streaming giant, Adam Sandler’s incredibly successful sports comedy Happy Gilmore is set to get a long-awaited sequel. It’s been almost three decades since we saw Gilmore win the Tour Championship and make numerous friends and enemies along the way. It’s unclear how or when we’ll see him back on the greens, but it’s something nonetheless.

For all the fans who are waiting eagerly for these two projects to drop, we have a little something to tide you over. There have been tons of hilarious sports comedies over the years and here’s a list of some of our favourites.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

Will Ferrell might be immortalised as Ron Burgandy for most of us, but his portrayal of NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights might be a close second. In typical Ferrell style, a silly premise is levelled up by a ridiculously talented cast including Amy Adams, John C. Riley and Sacha Baron Cohen. The high-speed, adrenaline-packed race sequences are interspersed with comedy sequences that will make you belly laugh. And most importantly, the film teaches us why one shouldn’t stab themselves in the leg. Watch to know what we’re talking about.

Available on Prime Video

The Waterboy (1998)

Adam Sandler might be most famous for Happy Gilmore but his work in The Waterboy is nothing short of perfection either. Sandler had delivered numerous commercial hits before the release of this Frank Coraci film, butWaterboy beat them all to become the highest grossing sports comedy of all time, raking in roughly USD 19,01,91,646 and surpassing another comedy masterpiece released at the same time—Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls.

The film chronicles the life of Bobby Boucher (Adam Sandler), a bullied 30-something-year-old waterboy for the University of Louisiana Cougars who turns into an unstoppable linebacker for a rival team. It’s one of those typical films that works because of Sandler’s inherent charm and we’re all for it.

Available on Disney+ Hotstar

Caddyshack (1980)

Caddyshack is what most people would call a cult classic. It might not have received rave reviews when it first hit the theatres but it’s stood the test of time and is regarded as “arguably the funniest sports comedy of all time” by ESPN. And a large part of that credit goes to the stellar performances delivered by then up-and-coming stars, now comedy legends, Rodney Dangerfield, Chevy Chase and Bill Murray.

A film about a teenager (Michael O’Keefe) vying for a caddie scholarship, it’s a classic comedy of errors. The film lacks a definite plot, but that was how writers Brian Doyle-Murray, Harold Ramis and Douglas Kenney wanted it to be—leave it all up to improv. That’s largely evident in the screenplay but Murray, Chase and Dangerfield’s masterful acting has made it a staple in comedy history books.

Available to rent on YouTube

Nacho Libre (2006)

The Jack Black starrer Nacho Libre‘s story is so endearing, it’s easy to look past the slapstick humour and the exaggerated accents, something that most films would get panned for nowadays. A story about a frair who wrestles to raise money for the poor orphans in his monastery, Black carries this film on the back of his physical comedy and overall likability. It also helps that he’s supported by professional wrestlers who amp up the action quotient and cute kids who deliver their performances with such innocence that you can look past the glaring gaps in the film.

Available on Amazon Prime Video

Kicking & Screaming (2005)

Another Ferrell-starrer, this one digs deep into father-son relationships and showcases the intensity with which parents involve themselves in their kids’ lives. It’s about living your life vicariously through your progeny and director Jesse Dylan does it in the funniest way possible. Unlike the raucous comedies we’ve come to associate Ferrell with, this is a little more heartfelt underdog story that ends with… we don’t want to give away the ending. You have to check it out for yourself.

Available to rent on YouTube

Leatherheads (2008)

Set in the 1920s, this George Clooney and John Krasinski-starrer is equal parts sports comedy and rom-com. The screwball comedy about the initial days of professional American football takes the archetypal beat-down protagonist who just wants to go all-out one last time to snag that final victory. Directed by Clooney himself, the film is a refreshing change of pace from the usual films in this genre that rely largely on physical comedy and not witty wordplay.

Available on JioCinema

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)

If I had to pick a sport to make a comedy film, dodgeball would definitely be towards the top of that list. The sheer physicality of the game would lend itself so well to the genre. And that precisely is on full display in the Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn-starrer Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. Vaughn’s struggling but likeable character expertly contrasts Stiller’s full-of-himself fitness guru in the romp. If you’re looking for high-brow humour, this one isn’t for you. But for those who are searching for the zany comedy that you enjoyed as a school kid, Dodgeball is a safe bet.

Available to rent on YouTube