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2004 Super Bowl magnifies underdog obsession
By Jay Corn
Recently, the sports world has seen its theories and internally-constructed logic shattered by what can best be described as a flash-in-the-pan phenomena.
Things aren't supposed to work like this you see, not anymore anyway. In fact, billions - yes billions - of dollars have been spent in order to tip the scales of parity in one direction or another.
Across the sporting spectrum, we have seen repeated examples of owners attempting to buy their clubs a championship. Sometimes their efforts prove successful; sometimes they turn out laughably bad. While it does only make sense that owners of teams who spend the most on payroll should theoretically have that investment reflected in the standings, we have seen distinctly opposite results as of late.
While it's true that teams like the Yankees, Red Wings and Lakers all have had their share of traditional success, they find themselves sharing the big stage's spotlight with smaller market competition more and more.
What we have been seeing is not new, nor is it unfamiliar. The emergence of the underdog in post-season competition has historically padded the pockets of bookies nationwide, and that padding may get a little thicker after this Sunday's Super Bowl.
Once again we find the biggest game of a sporting season played by a Panthers team that absolutely nobody picked to be there. The same cannot be said of their competition however, an ironic comparison we'll get to shortly.
The Carolina Panthers will be following in a long line of underdog footsteps when they step out onto the field to play the New England Patriots this Sunday.
Most recently, the Florida Marlins added their footprints to that path last October, defeating the mighty Yankees on their way to a World Series victory. The Yankees spent $153 million on player salary last year, heading the list of highest payrolls, while the Marlins spent a comparatively paltry $49 million (the sixth lowest in the majors). It is the quintessential example of how a gap of spending and resources can be so wide between competitors, and still the underdog comes away victorious. Despite having to overcome a lack of quality left-handed relief pitching and facing must-win situations in an area of the South Bronx that has been known to swallow teams whole, the Marlins once again gave credence to everyone's favorite David and Goliath analogy.
The Carolina Panthers have a similar story. On one side of this Super Bowl coin, you have the Patriots, a team rich in history, one who will be vying for its second championship in three years. The Patriots enjoy the unconditional love so often associated with Boston fans, as well as fan support through much of the Northeast.
On the flip side, there are the Panthers. This is a team that has been in existence for only nine years, and now finds itself on the brink of football excellence. Residing in the shadow of college basketball and NASCAR., the two favorite sports of many Carolinians, this football program has evolved in the ideal mold for an expansion franchise.
Say what you will about the impressive progression, this team still bears tell-tale signs of an underdog, and on paper, there are plenty of reasons why Vegas odds predict an eight point Patriots win.
While the Patriots enjoy the seemingly unlimited financial backing of the Kraft Cheese Co., the only two players on the Panthers' roster that even come close to high priced talent are runningback Stephen Davis (making just under $3 million this season) and N.C. State alum Julius Peppers (earning a team high $3 million and change).
A defensive back named Ricky Manning Jr. was thrust into a starting line-up due to injury and came up with three interceptions thrown by Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles, sending them home for the season in the same way they did the Rams and Cowboys.
They've played well away from home, in the cold and fought through injury problems, which are three traditionally common traits shared by underdogs. Rather than rely on premiere names, and the premiere salaries that accompany those names, the Panthers have instead stuck to a formula of consistent running, effective passing and defensively punishing their competition. They are classified as a small market team, with a small market threat, making this particular Super Bowl all the more interesting.
The term underdog itself is an American product. Webster's Dictionary puts the age of the word underdog at about 220 years, coinciding exactly with the fighting of the Revolutionary War. All historians would agree that for the better part of the Revolution, the Americans were the decided underdogs.
It's funny that the word underdog is so often associated with sports. I find it aptly applies to many areas of normal, everyday life. I think everyone is an underdog in one form or another, whether it be the likelihood of passing a test or the likelihood of getting that girl who's way out of your league to go out with you. I'm sure everyone could think of an example when they thought the odds of succeeding at a given task were slim to none.
The point is that underdogs are fun to root for because almost everyone likes to see a surprise ending. So when you're placing your bets this week, whether they are financial or friendly, remember the long list of underdog success stories.
For the first time in recent memory, I'm predicting a genuinely close game. I only caution you to vest your rooting interests cautiously because this Panther team has the potential to make this Super Bowl Sunday an interesting one indeed.
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