The Underdog menatlity in sports and culture

The Underdog as a Sporting Hero: Why Americans love them

I just watched "Cinderella Man" the story of Jim Braddock. Interesting movie for me because it turns out the story as was told in the film is a pretty true depiction of the man's life.

Also mildly appropriate given the state of the economy at the moment. Braddock was a prodigy in his youth, fell on some hard times during the Great Depression and after a forced break from fight came back suddenly stronger, more hungry and with his injuries mostly healed fought his way to a Heavyweight title.

If you liked "Seabiscuit" you probably like this film.

I'm a bit drawn to stuff like this, embarrassingly. I also recently watched "The Legend of Bagger Vance" which was this semi-mythical story about a former golf prodigy who finds his soul while rediscovering his golf game. The story (based on a book) use of golf and it's context is symbolic for life.

The underdog stories tend to follow a template: Young, full of promise. Dark times and loss of path. Rediscovery of self and passion for sport (their muse?). Revisiting past success.

I'm also reading "Men of Oregon" (Kenny Moore).. There is a underdog thread running through his stories of Bowerman's upbringing in rural Oregon.

I'm trying not to ramble but between the movies I've been watching, the book I've been reading a bit and, go figure, Lance's comeback in the news I started wondering aloud (well, to myself) why Americans love underdogs so much..

In a really simplistic way I think that we self-assess, as a country, as underdogs. Yeah, it sounds pretty silly given our standing as geo-political hegemon, but it hasn't been all that long from a historical perspective that the US has been *the* global power and I think that's part of it.. We were all raised with Revolutionary War history which is the basis for the collective psychology I'm positing; then the nation rose to global prominence during the twentieth century via two wars. I think we've been raised to think of our nation as hitting it's stride, stepping in between the old geo political guard (benevolently mind you), keeping peace and bring good, old prosperity to everyone because we're such *nice* underdogs.

Anyhoo. You know, along those lines, I think Lance sees himself as underdog. Well, it's not too out there of a thought, after all he historically has seen himself in that role. Now, it's all "well he can't do it because (insert reason)".. Even though the guy has won it eight times, has Trek behind him along with more resources then really anybody except for maybe Jan Ullrich when he was racing he still sees himself pinned into a corner, fighting the odds.

In a way, he's right. After all, the odds are numerically against a person repeating as TdF winner once, and the odds only get worse with each successive win.

So, I have a story up here about the greatest race I ever ran in, even though I was only eleven at the time my recollection of it today is from the perspective of an eleven year-old. It's funny to me that we self-assess early on as being advantaged in some way or the opposite.

Being an underdog is just more romantic, if you lose, no problem as long as you lost with honor you're a tragic hero.

If you win, the pot of gold is a classic story you own.. Winning as a prohibitive favorite just isn't as romantic is it?

Great bit of sportsmanship..

I can't quite remember anything like this happening since I've been watching the games..

Shawn Crawford is a man of true honor.

http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=fcef1193-59d1-40c4-8899-296d9c020708

Week of 12/14

Not such a bad off-season week.. I'm still just doing whatever I feel.. Truth be told, trying to keep swim frequency decent.. The weather started to get really, really cold by end of week.

Monday

Swim- 4x200/30.. Slow (3.08-3.13)

Bike- 50min of continous cycling to "Overcoming Dvd"

Tuesday

Swim- Mainset- 300,200,100/30sec rest (4.48,3.06, 1.28)Run- Eve around Fremont & S.L. Union, 55min


Wednesday

Run- 55min steady, Marymoor out and back


Thursday

Swim- Continous set

Bike- 55min Aero base build


Friday

Off

Saturday

Run- 30+ min in some really cold weather

Sunday-

Swim- First solid set in a long time:

pulling on both front/back ends. 300,200,100; kick 50; 4x100- (4.48, 3.06, 1.28) then (1.27-28 all)

Interesting quote regarding risk...

You may have seen it before.. I like the sentiment.

'We tend to celebrate risk only after it has led to great things, which means we rarely celebrate the risk-takers who haven't yet been rewarded for their efforts. The paradox here is that we are often unwilling to embrace ambition and originality until it is safe to do so - in short, we're unwilling to take risks ourselves." - Anon.

If it works for Lance....

Will it work for me? Ha. Looks like he's using a Kettlebell. A good core workout.. I thought it was worth having the piece up, seems that every other magazine has a nice "Lance come back workout"....

Not critical of Lance and the comeback at all, but I'm mildly curious about all the core and upper body work his coaching entourage has mapped out for him.

For me, ah, yeah the core stuff (apart from regular workouts) seems to just wear me down, reduce the effectiveness of the usual day in, day out.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2008/12/03/2008-12-03_lance_armstrong_reveals_his_killer_worko.html

Zabriskie gets even more out there..

Wow..

Friday Afternoon video: Dave Z & Cap'n America

Three weeks of workout updates..

As you can see I've been doing a crap job of logging workouts, let alone actually doing them..

It's been month since I had that fever that knocked me out for an entire week. The following week I struggled through work in a haze, and then just as Thanksgiving rolled around I felt better again..

All of the quality went right out the window and I reckon I'm back to building a base again, which is fine.. Just before the fever I was totally recovered from Canada and started thinking I'd race again.. Maybe not the best idea in retrospect because I could have hurt myself or put myself in a position to be mentally burned by the Feb/March time-frame..

As of now, I'm off work starting this Friday and I'd like to keep things going a little more consistently with all of it.. There is a possibility I might head to Tucson for a month of training or so, that would require me to leave Seattle and just lock up the place, not a bad idea.. We'll see I guess.

If I leave that means no Nordic skate, which I'm super excited about right now, I just need to whip myself into shape for that.

____________________
Week of 12/7

Monday

Bike- 40min trainer of Aero Base builder, 200w pulls for about 5min

Tuesday

Swim- Mainset- 300,200,100 (4.55, 3.12, 1.30) on 30sec

Wednesday

Swim- 4x200 on 30sec rest- 3.10-3.15

Thurs

Run- 60min easy at Greenlake

Friday-

Swim- Continous swim w/some pulling.

Bike- Time Trial Set: 3x5min at 270w avg, then 2min at threshold watts 230-240 @ 95 rpm, 2min 85, alternating 6x through about 1hr 5min total

Sat-

Off

Sunday-

Swim- Samena Outdoor swim.. BRRRRR... Mainset-pulling to start then 4x200/30sec rest. 3.06-3.12. Sloooow.

_______________________

Week of 11/30

Monday

? I have no clue what I actually did, just totally forgot to log workouts..

Tuesday

Swim- Random continous swim set...

Evening- Boot Camp class

Wedneday-
Travel Day

Swim- Easy session at SWCC

Thurs

Bike- 2+ hours in really cold mist/drizzle..

Friday-

Run- Leif Ericson, 60min steady

Swim- Easy session at Metro Y

Sat-

Bike- Another solid 2hr+ ride out in wine country.. Shanno joined and this time it was nice and dry

Sun-

Run- 41min steady through Marymoor & back.. Traveling back to Seattle today so truncated workout skeddy.

________________________

Week of 11/23

Monday

Bike- Aero Base Builder holding 200w for the pulls

Tues

Swim- Lunch time swim.. Mostly pulling really easy, still weakened.

Strength work- Boot camp class

Wed

Run- most likely easy run w/Shanno

Thurs

Bike- Big Gear Strength Dvd

Friday

Off, Travel

Sat

Run- 30min easy

Swim- 2000y various.. Mostly pulling & drills.

Sunday-

Bike- 1hr very, very easy in Yamhill County

Bike- 1 hour easy to Glacial erratic & back

Monday afternoon strange video... "Office Triathlon"

Hmm, Brits are a bit crazy I think...

Lance's Comeback in Pictures..

Great pictures from Elizabeth Kreutz..

http://www.elizabethkreutz.com/main.php

Anderson Cooper vs. Phelps ... 25y sprint..

Interesting little video clip..

http://thebiz.fancast.com/2008/11/video_anderson_cooper_races_mi.html

Seeking Product Marketing Manger gigs...

What did I do at Microsoft….I have experience in a few areas:

Digital Supply Chain, Microsoft Licensing is responsible for the volume digital deliver of Msft’s media

Microsoft Volume Licensing.. This group runs programs that encourages and enables volume licensing of its products to create an ecosystem of Msft product/services

UC Partner Marketing.. Ran a partner program that encouraged sales & deployment of the UC software via the Global System Intergrators, e.g. the really big Msft partners, otherwise known as Enterprise Partner Group.

I've been working in this capacity in the last couple of years.. as I've alluded to I have done other things, but I'm most interested in continuing on this path..

Did my MBA in '07 in Portland.. There is a post in November that details some of my experience, and of course you can look at my LinkedIn profile for more as well..

Open to relocation and I'd pretty much move myself as I don't own a home..

There you go, pass along to anyone you know or shoot me a note.

I'm not making this up: Avon to Launch Ironman Fragence Collection..

Ok, remember everything I said about brand equity and so on?

Yes, I also think licensing the Ironman name/brand to a line of fragence is a bad idea..

Either way it's been done, check it out:

http://www.gcimagazine.com/marketstrends/segments/finefragrance/30267989.html