• Silver screen, gold medalists: Olympians pick top sports films

    Warner Bros. Pictures; Sarika Dani, NBC News

    Left, Hilary Swank in "Million Dollar Baby"; right, boxing gold medal baby Claressa Shields, 17.

    By Sarika Dani and Ian Sager

    The London Games are winding down, and it's a long time until the 2014 Winter Olympics. But you don't have to wait that long to experience the thrill of victory again — there are plenty of inspiring and entertaining sports moments to be enjoyed through the magic of the movies. We asked Olympians from many disciplines to reveal their favorite sports films; here are the ones they put on their personal podiums.

    Claressa Shields, boxing

    The 17-year-old who won the first U.S. gold medal in women’s Olympic boxing names “Ali,” starring Will Smith as Muhammad Ali, and “Million Dollar Baby,” which won Hilary Swank a Best Actress Oscar as a boxer who beats the odds, among her favorite sports films. “They both have something to do with boxing and they are both good stories,” she told TODAY.com.

    Jamie Gray, shooting

    “‘Miracle’ is such an inspiration,” Gray told TODAY.com, referring to the 2004 film about the U.S. men's hockey team's remarkable gold medal win over the heavily favored Soviet team in the 1980 Winter Olympics. “I always watch before matches,” she added, but confessed that at the London Games, “I fell asleep.” (No harm done; Gray is bringing home the gold in the women's 50m rifle, 3 positions.)

    NBC, MGM

    Pole vaulter Jenn Suhr loves "Rocky IV."

    Jenn Suhr, track & field

    Suhr is a pole vaulter, so it's a bit of a surprise that her favorite sports film is a boxing movie: "Rocky IV." Why? “Because of the fight between Rocky and Ivan Drago!” she exclaimed. “Plus, our training center in Rochester, New York is called the Meat Cooler," she added. "It’s a big metal and steel building. It reminds us of the scenes from the movie.”

    Serena Williams, tennis

    The tennis superstar was one of the two Olympians TODAY.com spoke to whose favorite sports film is a comedy (the other was swimmer Matt Grevers, who chose "Cool Runnings," the John Candy film about a Jamaican Olympic bobsledding team). "Easy, it’s 'Talladega Nights'!" Williams said. For motivation, Williams turns to the inspiring (and fully trademarked) words of NASCAR legend Ricky Bobby, played by Will Ferrell: "If you ain’t first, you’re last."

    NBC, Buena Vista Pictures

    Aly Raisman, gymnastics

    Chalk up another vote for "Miracle": "It’s really inspiring and the captain of the team is from my hometown in Massachusetts.” So, does the multiple medal winner watch before every competition? "No, I’ve just watched it before so I like it a lot," she told TODAY.com. "I think it's a good movie."

    Marlen Esparza, boxing

    "Remember the Titans," the fact-inspired 2000 drama starring Denzel Washington as a football coach struggling with racial tensions on his team, is "super motivational," the Texas-born boxer told TODAY.com. In fact, she's lost count of how many times she's watched it; she lets it play "every time it comes on."

    NBC, Paramount Pictures

    Hurdler Dawn Harper credits Samuel L. Jackson as "Coach Carter" as a model for perseverance.

    Dawn Harper, track & field

    The silver medalist in the women's 100m hurdles chooses "Coach Carter," the 2005 Samuel L. Jackson drama, based on the true story of a high school basketball coach who benched his undefeated team for their low academic grades, and motivated them to success in the classroom as well as on the court. "It's about the perseverance," Harper told TODAY.com.

    Dremiel Byers, wrestling

    The Newark, N.J.-born grappler's instant choice was "Vision Quest," a 1985 drama starring Matthew Modine as a high school wrestler searching for meaning in his life. "Come on, I'm a wrestler," he told TODAY.com. But then he thought for a moment and added: "Actually, this is hard for me. I'm stuck between 'Vision Quest' and 'Prefontaine' (the 1997 story of long-distance runner Steve Prefontaine, played by Jared Leto). "But I'm a wrestler, so I'd have to say 'Vision Quest.'"

    Courtesy of Producers Distribution

    Silver medalist Leo Manzano (right) was fascinated by a documentary about Brazilian Formula One racer Ayrton Senna (left).

    Leo Manzano, track & field

    Manzano was fast enough to win the U.S. silver in the men's 1500 meters, so it's natural that he chose a film about speed: "Senna," a critically acclaimed British documentary about Brazilian Formula One race car driver Ayrton Senna. "I didn't know anything about F1," Manzano confessed. "Then (I) watched this movie and fell in love with it."

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  • Athletes reveal their post-Olympic pig-out plans

    Christophe Karaba / EPA

    Silver medalist Dawn Harper will stick her finger in some grease, she said, to fulfill her need for junk food.

    By Ian Sager and Sarika Dani

    For four long years, they have resisted the siren call of the greasy hamburger and the enticing whispers of the milkshake. 

    Now that their competition in London is done, several U.S. Olympians are done fighting the urge to break their strict diets. Bring on the fries, pizza and steak, and let 100-meter hurdles silver medalist Dawn Harper show the way.

    “I want something bad,’’ Harper told TODAY.com. “I will find grease and dip my finger into it.’’

    Clive Rose / Getty Images

    Gold medal-winning swimmer Matt Grevers celebrated his Olympic run with a run to McDonald's.

    When Harper finally returns to her home in East St. Louis in late September at the end of the international track season, she wants her family to pretend it’s late November.

    “This is really bad,’’ she said. “I told my family I want a Thanksgiving meal prepared, with all the fixings.”

    Before she gets to her turkey feast, Harper will have to settle for something frozen in London. She plans on having some Pinkberry, “since there’s no Cold Stone.’’

    Swimmer Matt Grevers had something similar in mind after he finished his competition with a gold medal in the 100-meter backstroke and a silver in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay.

    “I went to McDonald’s and had a vanilla milkshake,’’ he said. “It was delicious.”

    Ronald Martinez / Getty Images

    Gymnast John Orozco had a feast that "destroyed" his stomach after competition was over.

    When these finely-tuned athletes are ready to stop counting calories, their bodies aren’t always ready for the shock of a cholesterol tidal wave.

    “I had pizza, chicken nuggets from McDonald’s, and I had a big cookie,’’ gymnast John Orozco told TODAY.com. “That was it for me. After that my stomach was destroyed.”

    The 19-year-old from the Bronx was on a diet of protein, lean meats and salad leading up to the games, where he did not earn a medal in the individual or team competition.

    “Maybe that (diet) didn’t work for me,’’ he said. “I was too weak.”

    Watch video: Olympians reveal nicknames from serious to silly 

    Gregory Bull / AP

    Aly Raisman's post-games guilty pleasure is pizza, while teammate Gabby Douglas is going to hit up a Mongolian grill.

    The guilty pleasures of Orozco’s gold medal-winning counterparts on the women’s gymnastics team run the gamut from pizza (Aly Raisman) to a Mongolian grill (Gabby Douglas), while U.S. shooter Jamie Gray made a special order after winning the gold in the 50-meter rifle three-position.

    “I’m a healthy eater, normally,’’ Gray said. “[After competing] I went to the USA House and had a nice rare steak. It was awesome. They didn’t have it in the buffet so the chef made it and brought it out himself.’’

    Not all athletes go completely off the wagon. “[I want] a giant slice of gluten-free pizza!’’ said pole vault gold medalist Jenn Suhr. “I follow a gluten-free diet, but I can’t wait for some good pizza.’’

    Food cravings are also a reminder of home for the Americans thousands of miles across the pond. Mexican-born distance runner Leo Manzano, who became the first American to medal in the 1,500-meter race since 1968 when he took silver, is craving some of his mother’s flour tortillas at home in Austin, Texas.

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    “Flour tortillas are not as good for you, but they taste better,” he said.

    Fellow Austin resident Michael Tinsley, who won the silver medal in the 400 hurdles, has his own hometown agenda.

    “I really want to have a burger from Mighty Fine,’’ Tinsley said. “They have the best burgers in Austin. They’re big and juicy and neatly made!”

    Some Olympians aren't craving food, but company: Suhr said her first order of business when she gets home will be going to the babysitter to pick up her dog, a Great Pyrenees named Tundra, and her cat, Morris.

    petside.com

    Missy Franklin smooches her pooch, Ruger. The two Skyped while she was in London.

    Swimmer Nathan Adrian is also waiting to see his dogs, a pair of pound puppies named Boo (after the character in "Monster’s Inc.") and Sully. Adrian said he has been Skyping with his family but since you can’t Skype pets, he has missed his dogs.

    Don’t tell teenage swimming phenom Missy Franklin that you can’t Skype with pets. Franklin pined for her 9-year-old, 110-pound Alaskan Malamute named Ruger so much that she had a Skype session in London with the canine simply sitting in front of the camera. When she gets home to Centennial, Colo., she plans to “cuddle my dog for like 20 days straight.’’ 

    Finally, if there aren’t any pets or burgers waiting for them at home, Olympians could always blow off steam the old-fashioned way, like Grevers plans on doing.

    “I want to stay out late and socialize,” he said.

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