11/21/24
January 26, 2002
A Selected History of the Underdog.: "God overcomes all odds. Creates world in seven days. Later moves on to fast food industry." My favorite among the bunch is the Washington Generals win over the Globetrotters. Who would have thunk it? I didn't think there was any way to stop the ol' hide-the-ball-inside-the-jersey-while-a-teammate-chases-someone-with-a-bucket-full-of-confetti offense. (BTW, I think both the Eagles and Pats have a chance at the upset.)
I also have to go with the U.S. hockey team's victory over the U.S.S.R. It's hard for people who didn't see it to realize how big an upset it was. The Russians were thought of not as humans, but as robots that couldn't be beat. Douglas over Tyson was also huge for me.
posted by justgary at 02:39 PM on January 26, 2002
Maybe it's because I'm not a betting man, but I've never had the same affinity for the underdog that seems to run through the American psyche. My contention is that there's obviously a reason they're the underdog, so they're probably due for failure. Of course, I'm a Redskins fan - but we didn't. used. to. be. the. underdog. Argh.
posted by owillis at 04:51 PM on January 27, 2002
Here is ESPN's top ten upsets in sports history. I have to admit that it's hard to top the 1980 U.S. Hockey team victory over the U.S.S.R. But how about putting Duke's win over UNLV (1991) in the top ten? On a Globetrotters note, I hear that they're breaking attendance records this year. I thought the Globetrotters definitely passed their prime (Wilt Chamberlain, Curly Neal, Meadowlark Lemon) and that the current NBA situation made them obsolete. I guess not. On their site, the owner Mannie Jackson claims that their recent success “represents a return to classic American values.” By that, I think he means pulling the opponents' shorts down while they're not looking.