The Replacements

"The Replacements" (2000) is the story of a team of replacement football players who not only bring success to their team but to themselves. A strike by the professional football players and coaches forces all of the team owners to hire scabs or forfeit the season. The Washington Sentinals owner Edward O'Neil (Jack Warden) calls on retired NFL coach Jimmy McGinty (Gene Hackman) to put his team together. The new team is a mix of odd characters including a Welsh Football Player, a deaf player, gangster rapper brothers and former Ohio State star player Shane Falco (Keanu Reeves). The team faces adversity from both the former players and from each other and they must learn to come together as a team. Shane finds some of his inspiration from his team mates and some from his budding romance with cheerleading captain Annabelle Farrell (Brooke Langton) who is also leading a rag-tag bunch of misfits as replacements for the professional cheerleaders. The team makes it to the final game of the season only for Shane to find out that Quarterback Eddie Martell (Brett Cullen) has crossed the picket line and will play in the final game. Martell does not believe that the replacement players can lead him to the finals and treats them badly. As a result, the team itself plays badly and is on the verge of losing the big game. Shane Falco, swallows his pride and realizes that his team needs him so he returns for the second half of the game. His dedication, devotion and motivating speech, "Pain heals, Chicks dig scars... Glory lasts for ever" sours the team on to victory.