Everyone loves a Cinderella story. Whether it be the 1983 NC State Men’s basketball team that upset a University of Houston team led by two future Hall of Famers, or the 1980 United States men’s hockey team that inspired an entire nation when they shocked the Soviets, there is something about an underdog story that is tough to resist. Perhaps part of our nature dictates this desire to see the dynasties tumble on behalf of the teams that never had a chance. It makes sense that we root for underdogs, after all, we are a country that was built on the backs of underdogs.
From the beginning, as a country we have had the odds against us. The revolutionary war was hardly a fair fight, a set of 13 states that somehow managed to come together had to find a way to hold off against King George and Britain, who had the most powerful navy in the entire world. But by some act of God, we managed to hold off the royal scum.
However, does the appeal of being an underdog make being an absolute powerhouse any less admirable? Coaching great John Wooden would certainly argue this, in a span of 12 years, his UCLA Bruins brought home 12 National Championships, and obtained a winning streak of 88 games. Wooden has said time and time again that he liked going into every game as a heavy favorite, when you establish a culture of excellence, there is no need to be an underdog. While every team wanted to conclude the Bruin’s reign of dominance, John Wooden liked that target, and it was all the more reason to keep on winning.
The same can be said about the New York Yankees, there 27 World Series Rings and 40 American League Pennants utterly trump those of any other organization in baseball. This success makes them the most hated team in baseball, and bearing the New England Patriots, the most despised team in all off American sports. Any time they lose, the baseball community rejoices. In 2004, they were up 3-0 in the AL Championship Series against their rival the Boston Red Sox,and had another World Series bid all but locked up. It had been 86 years since the Red Sox had won the World Series and it seemed as if Boston fans would have to wait another year. The Red Sox somehow managed to come back and win the series, making it the first time in MLB history a team came back from down 0-3 to win a 7 game series. The Red Sox would go on the snap the 86 year old curse and win the World Series. This title certainly meant something extra to the Red Sox given the impossible odds the had to overcome, but it does not make up for the fact that the Yankees still have won 19 more World Series than them.
Here at Air Academy we have experienced both sides of the spectrum. We certainly have had our fair share of dynasties. Our band has now won 6 straight State Championships and the tradition of excellence bred into our band is as engraved into Air Academy as the concrete halls we walk through. The men’s soccer team and girl’s cross country team have held similar positions in their respective spheres. The soccer team went into the 2013 and 2014 State Championships as heavy favorites. They fell short on their first try, falling short of completing an already amazing season. The second try, the title would not elude the undefeated Kadets as they put the cap on a championship run two years in the making.This past October, our Kadet cross country team went into the State Meet as the odds on favorite to run their way to Air Academy’s first team cross country title.
Our men’s basketball team did not have the luxury of being a top team entering last year’s state tournament, but this did not seem to matter. The Kadets marched their way through two number one seeds and eventually struck down the previously undefeated Longmont High en route to becoming a true Cinderella story.
So is it better to be an underdog or an accomplished dynasty? I guess it depends on who you ask. While no one can deny the glamour of disproving everyone that counted you out, there is something to be said about continual greatness. Sometimes we forget just how hard greatness is to cultivate nowadays, and it’s even harder when there are a league full of underdogs aiming to diminish such greatness.