Rooting for the Underdog

Olympics time again!

With all showy stuff of the opening ceremonies over, we’re finally on to the actual athletic competition and that’s got me thinking about some of my favorite Olympic moments:

USA beats USSR in the medal round in 1980 in Lake Placid. Surely, announcer Al Michaels had one of the all-time best summaries of a sports event when he shouted, “Do you believe in miracles?”

Derreck Redmond and his dad finish the 400 semifinal together after his injury in Barcelona 1992.

Laura Wilkinson’s unexpected gold medal in platform diving in Sydney in 2000.

Jesse Owens’ four gold medals in Berlin at the 1936 Olympics.

Are you noticing a pattern here–other than there’s a lot of American athletes on my lists? (What can I say, I pull for the home team.) There’s also another pattern: it’s the unexpected, the surprises, that are my favorites.

Sure, it’s great to watch dominate athletes like Michael Phelps wow us with sheer consistent excellence, but there’s something more compelling when the unpredicted person or team rises to the occasion.

I have to remember that truth when I’m writing. We like to pull for the underdog and we love it when someone achieves what “the experts” call unachievable.

What are your favorite Olympic moments?

6 Responses to “Rooting for the Underdog”

1. Nadia Comanechi’s perfect 10 back in - when? - the 70s sometime. For a whole week or two, I wanted to be a gymnast.

   by JennieB on August 13th, 2008 at 7:45 am
   
   

2. Being a hockey guy, the 1980 Miracle on ice. U.S. beats Russia and then goes on to win the Gold.

   by Will Bereswill on August 13th, 2008 at 10:37 am
   
   

3. Oh, another good one, JennieB! I remember it, too. I always wanted to be a gymnast, at least during the summer Olympics. The fact that I could barely do a backward roll indicates why I focused on writing.

   It was quite a game. I heard the movie that was made about it was very good, too, but I haven’t see it.

   by Sara on August 13th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
   
   

4. Sara, the movie is worthy of a watch and you don’t have to be into sports.

   by Will Bereswill on August 13th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
   
   

5. I have some favorite moments of different sports moments, but my all-time favorite Olympic moment is the Spanish archer who lit the torch at the opening of the Barcelona Games - that was too cool!

   by Kate Hathway on August 13th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
   
   

6. It’s going in my queue, Will.

   Kate, I didn’t see that opening ceremony, but it does sound cool.

   by Sara on August 13th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
   
   

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