There is something captivating about watching the underdog,
against all odds, pull off an unpredictable, inconceivable upset
over a heavily favored team or individual. The excitement that
builds to the moment when the clock ticks to zero, the final out is
recorded or whatever conclusion sends chills down my spine. Upsets
are what makes sports so entertaining and keeps athletics
relevant.
There is something captivating about watching the underdog, against all odds, pull off an unpredictable, inconceivable upset over a heavily favored team or individual. The excitement that builds to the moment when the clock ticks to zero, the final out is recorded or whatever conclusion sends chills down my spine. Upsets are what makes sports so entertaining and keeps athletics relevant.
Without having to look back very far, there have been a number of historic and memorable upsets that tell great stories of accomplishment and triumph.
In 1990, James “Buster” Douglas stunned the boxing world when he knocked out Mike Tyson to earn the heavyweight championship belt.
Who can forget the footage of an ecstatic Dikembe Mutombo overflowing with emotion, clenching the game ball after his Denver Nuggets, playing in its first playoff series in franchise history, swept the Seattle Supersonics in 1994.
Rulon Gardner made headlines during the 2000 Olympic Games, willing his way to a gold medal in the Greco-Roman heavyweight division, defeating three-time defending gold medalist Alexander Karelin of Russia.
Perhaps the most famous upset was orchestrated by Broadway Joe Namath after guaranteeing his New York Jets would beat Johnny Unitas and the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.
College football provides for some of the best underdog stories. Each week a top-ranked team is bitten by the upset bug.
This past weekend was no different.
After one game this season, the University of Washington held the nation’s longest losing streak at 15 games.
But a convincing win over the University of Idaho two Saturdays ago broke that streak, and Huskies faithful began to believe and hope that things were turning around.
So when new head coach Steve Sarkisian led the Huskies into Saturday’s game against his former team, the USC Trojans, where he served as offensive coordinator, there was a feeling in the air around Husky Stadium that something special might happen.
The fans had to wait 59 minutes and 57 seconds to find out what that something special was, but when place kicker Erik Folk split the uprights with a 22-yard field goal to give Washington a 16-13 victory, the place erupted with jubilation.
The sight of the fans rushing the field as time expired was inspiring. Moments like that are just a few of the many that make being a sports writer one of the greatest jobs in the world. There is so much to write about. And it makes waiting for the next big moment so much easier.
