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Rooting for the underdog is respectable, but cheering for the
runt of the litter is downright honorable.
Every sport has a few teams that find a way to lose each year.
Even during a successful season these performance-challenged teams
manage to give away important games that could propel them to the
seemingly unattainable goal of mediocrity.
During the past decade, it was easy to be a San Francisco 49er
fan. Bulls fans and Braves fans shared winning years, and those
cheering for the Detroit Red Wings had little to worry about.
Everyone likes to win, but there is something special about
sticking to a team like Tom Hanks to his island, refusing to be
swept away by years of failure.
I should know, having been a Rams fan since 1987. During that
time the Rams once lost 17 straight games to the 49ers, despite the
superhuman efforts of Jim Everett, the greatest quarterback of all
time. Living in Northern California, their failure was nearly
enough to drive me away from my beloved horned mammals. But hope
reigns true in the heart of a believer, and those who know the pain
and suffering of following a perennial loser can take solace in the
fact that bitter years of losing make victory that much
sweeter.
Fans of teams such as the Los Angeles Lambs, the Los Angeles
Paper Clips, and the ever-lovable Chicago Cubbies have taken more
abuse than Steve Lavin on a losing streak. Their loyal followers
all deserve Purple Hearts for the pain they have suffered.
I still remember the day my dad turned from the Blue and Gold
Rams of the forgettable Tony Banks era. A Los Angeles native, he
had followed the team since Crazylegs Hirsch and before the days of
Deacon Jones and Roman Gabriel. Unfortunately, one loss (of many)
to the Niners caused my dad to lose faith. Four fumbles by Banks
(which wasn’t bad for the crisco-fingered quarterback) and a
winning performance by the Niners’ most famous signal caller,
Jim Druckenmiller, left my dad feeling betrayed.
Here was a team he had lived and died with. OK, so maybe he had
mostly died, but the point is he had given the Rams his heart and
soul.
Few can blame him for turning away to protect his sanity.
However, those of us who stuck with the team learned what it is
like to finally win, not just a game but a Super Bowl.
Unfortunately, Cubs fans are still waiting for this lesson.
Like the Rams, the 1900s was a rebuilding century for the
Cubbies. The team constantly manages to lose, and for some reason
the fans in Chicago love it. Perhaps it is the beer served in the
left-field bleachers, or perhaps it’s too many chilly Chicago
nights, but for some reason fans flock to the Friendly Confines
regardless of whether the Cubs will lose by six or 16.
“There is a certain allure to a team that is constantly
viewed as the underdogs,” freshman and Chicago native Jon
Corwin said. “And plus, they play in the greatest sports
edifice ever created, Wrigley Field.”
I still remember my first evening at Wrigley Field. It was
magical, spectacular, and one of the worst baseball games
I’ve ever seen. The Cubs gave up nine runs in the most boring
fashion imaginable, and after the third inning the fans’
attention drifted from the playing field to pouring beer on Reds
fans.
Still, for some reason, Cubs fans are respectable. I have an
85-year-old great aunt who still follows the Cubs. She may still
believe that Harry Caray is alive, but the woman has witnessed more
losses than the Kennedys.
Why would anyone cheer for a team they know is going to
lose?
“The reason I can like a team that is consistently awful
is that I know it will be all the more sweet when the Cubbies are
playing in October, which I expect to happen this coming
year,” Corwin said.
Like I said, too many cold Chicago nights.
What about the Clippers? We’ll leave the Warriors alone
for now to focus on one of the worst sports franchises of all time.
There was much excitement (and embarrassment) in this city when the
Clips beat the Lakers 118-95 early in January. Suddenly, Clipper
fans came out of the steelwork of the Staples Center. All
aboard!
One win over a struggling Lakers team and fans show up. Where
were the fans during the days of Bo Kimble and Terry Dehere? And
who remembers coach Cotton Fitzsimmons, who loved his team so much
his heart gave out during one of their famous losing streaks? Now
the team wins one game and fans pour out like the seventh inning of
a Dodgers game.
News flash to “Clippers fans:” The Team Still
Sucks!
Besides, most people claiming to be Clippers fans double as
Lakers fans. The Lakers’ constant success provides a pretty
strong anesthesia for those who endure Clips games with more
turnovers than Marie Callender’s.
No, you cannot truly love an underdog if you also root for a
champion, especially if that champion plays in the same league.
When the Lakers play the Clippers, red and blue mysteriously morphs
into purple and gold.
You’ll never see a true Cubs fan rooting for the White Sox
because, according to Corwin, they “have no history or color.
They are the second team in Chicago.”
Those who stick with the Clips for the next seven years of
famine are the ones who should enjoy the seven years of feast. Of
course, with the way the Clippers go, seven could turn into 70, and
I don’t mean 70 years of triumph.
Perhaps Corwin summed it up best when he said, “My
favorite thing about the Cubbies (or any perpetual loser) is the
feeling I get when, out of nowhere, they surprise the whole city
and actually string together a winning streak.”
Winning teams come and go. Dynasties crumble. But a perennial
loser ““ not just an underdog, but the runt of the litter
““ lives on in our hearts. There is no feeling like the
glimmer of hope that can quickly be extinguished or enhanced that
comes with rooting for one of these teams.