Who would you rather see win: Dynasty or Underdog?
Winning a championship is the hardest thing to do in any sport. Whether it be team sports or individual sports, there is always a plethora of high level competition to conquer before winning the ultimate prize. That is why it is rare to see individuals or teams dominate in their respective sports. However, when it does happen, it’s a special sight, especially for those who support that team or athlete. But if you despise them, then it can be incredibly annoying to see the team you hate constantly winning.
So this begs the question. What would you prefer in team sports? Dynasties or underdogs?
I ask this because it is both the Stanley Cup and NBA Finals right now. In the Stanley Cup final you have the Pittsburgh Penguins playing the Nashville Predators, while in the NBA Finals the Golden State Warriors are playing the Cleveland Cavaliers.
On the NBA side, the Warriors are shaping into a dynasty while the Cavaliers and LeBron James have proved to be a perennial contender. In the NHL, with a cup victory this year, the Penguins could very well earn dynasty status, alongside the Chicago Blackhawks who won three cups between 2010 and 2015.
For me however, I prefer to see underdogs win. Or at least have different teams win every year. Just look at the cup final. I would much rather see the Predators win. Why? Well aside from my love for P.K Subban, I like it when new teams win. I love seeing something I’ve never seen before. It’s why I was so excited when the L.A Kings won the cup in 2012 and 2014. They had never done it before and their win made the league that much more interesting.
Another example is the NFL. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots have won five Super Bowls this millennium. Every single year they are a contender. However, when teams like Seattle or New Orleans manage to squeak into the finals and win, the league is better off for it because it makes the league more competitive. More high level teams means more interest for the respective leagues.
Case in point: NASCAR. Now you’re probably laughing but yes, NASCAR has had a problem for a while now because the same drivers keep winning. Back when I was a kid, you had multiple drivers that could win championships. There was Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Sr., Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Dale Jarrett, the list goes on and on.
Then at some point I stopped watching the sport completely. That’s because Jimmy Johnson started winning the championship every year. In fact, he won five in a row and since that streak, has won two more. After his five year streak, someone new won and I started watching again, but week after week, it’s always the same five drivers contending for the win.
Far from interesting, just very predictable.
This questions also reminds me of this year’s INDY 500. With two laps to go it was a battle between Takuma Sato and Helio Castroneves. Castroneves came into the race with three INDY 500 wins under his belt, Sato with none. While Castroneves could have made history with his fourth win, I was on my feet rooting for Sato because seeing someone get their first win on such a big stage would have been incredibly fun.
Thankfully, Sato won and my wishes were fulfilled. But if Castroneves had won, it would have just been a predictable race with a predictable winner.
This is why I would rather have new teams and underdog teams win championships. Sports should not have a script and when dynasties are constantly winning, the predictability of it all takes the fun out of it.
Sports are a lot more fun when you don’t know who is going to win or you’re surprised by who wins. Otherwise, you might as well watch wrestling where everything IS scripted.
