Underdogs and... Overwhats?

I found this insidious trait inside recently. Previously it seemed like a good thing, a noble thing. But it has a darker side.

I root for underdogs. It seems kind of like the American thing to do.

Well, except when the modern American military takes on Iraq or Afghanistan or rebels in Kosovo. But that's a totally, completely different thing. I think.

I like to root for the underdog in sports. But I realized recently I mostly root against the over.. whatever. Maybe the "fat cat?" Underdogs and fat cats? Not quite. Maybe OVERLORD. It's so much easier to root against an overlord.

Back to February -- the Super Bowl. That's when I first clued in. I wasn't rooting for the Giants. I'm a Cowboys fan (hey, maybe that's why I root for underdogs!) As a Cowboys fan I couldn't root for the Giants. But I was really, really, really rooting against the Patriots.

Why? Because they were overlords. Fat cats. Whether they were arrogant or not, I perceived they were. Whether they acted like they were "anointed" to win or not, it seemed to me that's what they thought. So I wanted the mighty to fall.

Speaking of "anointed to win." Back before Super Duper Incredible Tuesday - Tuesday - Tuesday! I was hoping there was some slight chance, some glimmer of -- hope? -- that Hillary wouldn't just role through to the nomination. She was the overlord. Barack was the underdog. Go Barack! I didn't necessarily like his policies -- I'm still not sure what they are -- but he had the chance to defeat the top dog -- hey, is that the underdog's counterpart?

But then Barack started winning. A lot. Suddenly Hillary was the underdog and he was "unstoppable." I started rooting for her. Because I liked her policies? Not really! Because I like her? Well, more like I didn't dislike her so much any more. As soon as she was the underdog I started paying close attention and decided she's not nearly as possessed of evil traits as half the country believes. Maybe she just has a few little evil foibles, some really dumb ideas, but some okay ideas, too. Sounds like most presidents to me!

My interest in the Democrats really started when all the Republicans started falling away. I kept thinking one of those guys would turn out to be interesting. Talk about the audacity of hope! It just never happened. So I thought I should cast a vote that would count. Kind of a "sour grapes" thing. Kind of a whiny, petulant, self-pitying thing, but on a very soft level. If I can't root for my team I'm going to root against the guys who are in the lead.

So I rooted against McCain. I rooted against Hillary. Then I rooted against Barack. Nobody should win!!

Come to think of it, that's exactly what I was rooting for back in the Super Bowl. I wanted them both to lose! But that couldn't happen.

That helmet catch in the final minute of the game was amazingly beautiful. I could feel okay about the underdogs winning -- even if they were the Giants. But not nearly as okay as if the Cowboys had been the ones winning!

I root against the overlords a lot. I root for the little guy a lot. Wonder if that keeps me from rushing to the front to take the top dog spot?

Peace and all that jazz

Steve

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