10 Films That Unveil The Dark Side Of Sports

If there is one thing that sports are known for besides the championships and memorable moments it's that it can just as easily chew you up and spit you out just as fast as they can raise you to the top.

While The Fighter primarily focuses on Dick Eklund’s younger half-brother Mickey played by Mark Wahlberg, Bale's portrayal of the troubled boxer, which won him an Academy Award, is a disturbing glimpse into fallen athletes substituting competition for crack addiction.

This sad and cruel part of the world of competitive sports is exemplified perfectly when Bale attempts to recreate his glory days when he was in the ring with some of the best in the game. 1993 Eklund watches coverage of his 1978 fight through a thick haze of crack smoke. His high allows him to hallucinate the past and attempt to relive his victory lap step over legendary fighter Sugar Ray Leonard in their infamous bout.

Eklund would go on to lose the fight and then proceeded into the world of substance abuse. He would not be seen again on TV until a 1995 documentary about crack addiction aired showing the world he had truly hit rock bottom. In sports, there always needs to be a winner and a loser. Unfortunately, some people fall harder than others.