Tweet

There was a time when the underdogs always had to win.  It was a tale that made you feel good about yourself.  Watching the scrappy little contenders make it big.  That day has come and gone and now it’s okay for the underdogs to lose.  Hey, they gave it their best shot but that just wasn’t good enough.  Maybe they pushed a little too hard at the end, but for whatever reason they fall just short.  We all love them anyways and they get the girl.  But you know what really bothers me about this?  The same thing happens every time.

Our underdog team usually manages to to rally within a few points.  It all comes down to our hero.  Then, one of two things happens.  Mostly we see our hero and his team celebrating at a bar, or at someones home, hoisting the trophy high and cheering.  Then comes the punchline that someone will be upset when they realize the trophy was stolen. OMG LOL motherfuckers.  The second option is to show our hero blow it, but then show him grab the trophy and run off.  LOLx2.

What the hell is this?  That joke was funny the first five times, back in 1996.  Movies are still trying to play it off today.  Our fat losers lose, but then commit a crime by stealing.  Gee, I wonder who took the trophy?  Probably the fat misfit softball team.  That’s just poor sportsmanship.  Even worse, that’s just lazy joke telling.  And what happens to the second place trophy?  If anything, these guys should be carrying several cheap pieces of plastic around.  It’d be funnier if they stole something important, something that doesn’t cost $35.  Like, steal the opposing teams van or, I don’t know, sleep with his wife.  That’s comedy right there.

So the underdogs can win and be cliche, that’s fine, we expect it.  Or they can lose and it can be funny.  But can we stop with the trophy stealing?  It’s not clever anymore.  In fact, I think that’s the new cliche.  Our battered and down-trodden lead making the best of his losing situation.  This is just lazy and tired.  You’re on notice, Hollywood sports movies and activity themed TV episodes: give it a rest, come up with a new twist.  When I witness our lovable losers swipe that cheap trophy for a lame attempt at an old joke, you know what time it is.  Boiling point time.