We all love a good underdog story. There’s a reason the NFL keeps bringing out Joe Namath and his 14-point underdog New York Jets every year. (This year more than others.) It’s the same reason college basketball fans look back fondly on 1983 and 1985, the same reason we enjoy Leeds United’s 1-0 FA Cup win over Manchester United and Reading’s replay upset at Anfield. It’s in the Bible, for God’s sake. If David could beat Goliath, them maybe with a little hard work and a little faith, any team can come from nowhere and pull off a string of glorious upsets that will one day be a major motion picture with Gene Hackman. Or at least Anthony LaPaglia.
One day, we’ll have our grand underdog story again in a major football final. Just not right now. The stars have all aligned once again to give us another all-Goliath final.
It happened last May in Rome, when Spanish champions Barcelona met English champions Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League Final.
It happened in Melbourne last September, when the St. Kilda Saints and Geelong Cats, quite clearly the two best clubs in the AFL all season, gave us an epic Grand Final.
And it will happen again in Miami, when Indianapolis Colts, clearly the best team in the AFC, meet the New Orleans Saints, clearly the best team in the NFC, in Super Bowl XLIV.
Don’t think for a moment that these aren’t the two best teams in the NFL, either. There were no worthy challengers in the AFC, and whatever argument the Minnesota Vikings had vanished in a haze of fumbles and turnovers. Back in November, when these teams were both 8-0 and we absurdly spoke of runs at history, there was plenty of talk that Colts v. Saints would be the best possible matchup, the game we wanted to see.
And you know what? We do want this. For all our big talk about Hoosiers and Joe Namath guarantees and Bloody Hell! Wimbledon beat Liverpool!, there’s something just as appealing in seeing the two best teams battle it out to determine who will be champion. Yes, we as fans have our allegiances to teams that ultimately fell by the wayside on this path, but we’re also fans of these football games, and what could be more compelling to us as fans than #1 v. #2 for all the marbles?
We will still dream of the improbable and revel in the glories of past upsets, but if we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll tell you we want to see two Goliaths battle it out, too. The spectacle is just as grand, and ultimately, it makes us appreciate the underdog stories just that much more. Besides, if upsets happened all the time, wouldn’t they start to smell a little funny?
1 response so far ↓
1 FitnessOver50 // Jan 25, 2010 at 2:49 pm
I had really hoped the Vikings would make it to the Super Bowl. Big disappointment.
However, life goes on and I am looking forward to watching the game.
Two good teams and it should be a great time.