Who doesn't love an underdog ? Rocky ? Rudy ? Stet ? Who is your favorite underdog of all time ?
NATIONAL UNDERDOG DAY
National Underdog Day recognizes that America loves its underdogs. Each year on the third Friday in December, we cheer on the teams and individuals who are statistically expected to lose in competition.
In sporting events, people tend to rally around the person or team that is not favored to win. An underdog is a person or team in competition most likely expected to lose. This expectation can be based on statistical data, opinion or overall standings. When the underdog wins, we call it an upset.
The first recorded uses of the term occurred in the second half of the nineteenth century; its initial meaning was “the beaten dog in a fight.”
Also known as a Cinderella story, the underdog has long piqued Americans’ interest. Whether in a sporting event, business, education or arts, when success is a long shot and a struggle as well, Americans root and cheer for the underdog.
We also love books and movies about the underdog. The Rocky film franchise tells of an underdog that the crowd quickly wants to see win. Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger became a real-life underdog when he walked on to the University of Notre Dame football field in 1974.
Not all underdogs are athletes, though. Some come in the form of scientists or authors. Or, calculus students as portrayed in the movie Stand and Deliver. One of the modern time’s most beloved authors went from underdog to success as if by magic. Before receiving a nod from Bloombury to publish her first book Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, J.K. Rowling was a broke, single mom.
Used in a sentence: Ideally, I'd like for UGA to never, ever be an underdog, but to always play like one.
