What Upsets Teach Us

Upsets are the lifeblood of sports. They provide an aura of unpredictability to the games we watch and are the reason we (at least I) keep coming back for more. The idea that we may see something we’ve never seen before is a powerful draw and keeps our attention riveted to the games. The Giants’ upset of the Patriots in last night’s Super Bowl just reiterated that thought for me. But more importantly, I think what the Giants pulled off last night can be seen in a larger context. Sports are very often a metaphor for life and never is this truer than when upsets occur. There are lessons inherent in the art of the upset that apply to us in the world at large. They show us that winning is not a given, it is a goal. We live in an age where a sense of entitlement now pervades our society. Many people think they are supposed to win in life because they were born into it. In some cases, they were never exposed to losing and don’t know how to react to it when it happens. But upsets teach us that it is no one’s birthright to win. You have to work hard to win and the best and brightest don’t always drink from the golden cup because that’s not how life works. I think people are attracted to sports and the underdog because it shows them that anything is possible and that no one has a patent on winning. It has to be worked toward as a goal and earned. It should never be assumed or taken for granted. There’s a reason why sports fans dislike the Cowboys, Yankees, Celtics and Montreal Canadiens so much. It is because those fan bases believe they are destined to win every year. Now in my case, I am a Cowboys fan but do not believe my team is entitled to a championship every year. It’s some of my fellow Cowboys fans who do and give the rest of us a bad name. But I know the other side of the coin as well being a Red Sox fan. I see the same arrogance in Yankees fans that others see in the Cowboys so I understand this paradox very well. Upsets suck when they happen to your team as I found out three weeks ago when the Giants defeated the Cowboys. But eventually you get over it and realize that the team just wasn’t good enough that day and didn’t earn it. There are no guarantees in sports and, by extension, life. Upsets show us that. They show us the possibilities of what could happen no matter how small the odds. The Giants last night proved that to be true. That’s why I admire what they did even though they are one of the Cowboys biggest rivals. I sensed Patriots fans starting to get arrogant about their team in the last few years and that’s why I’m happy the Giants won the game. It showed that no one has an exclusive on winning. I hope in the days and weeks to come people can learn a lesson from this “Giant” upset. I hope they see that feeling entitled doesn’t make you destined to come out on top. We all need to understand that if you don’t stay ahead of the game of life, it might just reach out and humble you when you least expect it. That is the best thing we can take away from an upset of this magnitude. Hopefully we can and will.