Underdog Sports Stories Throughout History

As a number 11 seed, the Patriots were not expected to do much in the 2006March Madness Tournament. Famous CBS college basketball announcer Billy Packer even doubted if the Patriots really belonged in the tournament.

Yet the Patriots surprised him by beating the Michigan State Spartans, the University of North Carolina Tar Heels and the Wichita State Shockers in rapid succession.The Patriots started an uproar when they beat top-seeded University of Connecticut Huskies 86-84, a team many predicted would win it all, becoming only the second double-digit seeded team to advance to the Final Four since the Louisiana State University Tigers made it in 1986. The Patriots lost to the eventual national champion Florida Gators by a score of 73-58. The Patriots ended the season with a lot to be proud of - George Mason was officially on the map in the world of college basketball.

In battling with the odds, the 2006 George Mason men’s basketball team, among many other historic teams, is truly defined as an underdog.

In 1980, the United States Olympic hockey team beat the Soviet team in what became known as the “Miracle on Ice.” The team from the U.S.S.R. was thought to be unbeatable, having won the gold medal in every Olympics since 1956.

Furthermore the Soviet team had beaten the US team soundly 10-3 in an exhibition two weeks before the game. During the Cold War, national pride was at stake for both teams. The U.S. shocked the world by winning 4-3 against the Soviets on Feb. 22, 1980. At the game’s conclusion, ABC announcer Al Michaels famously asked, “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” The story was later chronicled in the 2004 feature film Miracle.

The New York Yankees were the team of the 1950s, winning six World Series
titles that decade. At the same time, the Pittsburgh Pirates struggled, gaining only
two winning seasons in the same time period. The Yankees’ 1960 American League
pennant win came as a surprise to no one, as their roster was !lled with future Hall
of Famers such as Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle. However, when the Pirates won the 1960 National League pennant, making their first World Series since 1927, everyone was shocked. The Pirates roster was lesser known but they did have young stars and future Hall of Famers such as Roberto Clemente and Bill Mazeroski. The two teams split the first six games. With the seventh game tied at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, the Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski led off the bottom of the ninth inning. On a 1-0 pitch by Ralph Terry, Mazeroski hit a home run to win the World Series for the Pirates.

In 2007, the New England Patriots had wrapped up a perfect regular season with a record of 17-0 and were the heavy favorites to win Super Bowl XLII against the New York Giants. The Patriots were favored by 14 points and had a powerful offense spearheaded by quarterback Tom Brady and wide receiver Randy Moss.

The Giants meanwhile had won all three of their playoff games leading up to the Super Bowl on the road. The game was a low scoring affair and by the time the fourth quarter started, the Patriots held a slim 7-3 lead. After the Giants completed a long drive to take a 10-7 lead, the Patriots came back and regained the lead at 14-0 with 2:42 left in the game. The Giants did not give up though.

On a game-changing moment, it seemed the Patriots’ defense had wrapped up Giants quarterback Eli Manning for a sack, but after eluding defenders and staying on his feet, Manning launched a desperate pass to wide receiver David Tyree, who hauled in the pass and came down with the ball pushed against his helmet. On another third-and-long, Manning found wide receiver Steve Smith for a first down.

Soon after, Manning connected with wide receiver Plaxico Burress in the end zone for a touchdown. In the end, the Giants prevented the Patriots from completing a last-minute drive and the perfect season.

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The above piece was published in Mason Nation: Four Years After Final Four, a magazine released this April documenting and analyzing the university's development since the Patriots' historic run in 2006, aiming to shed light on what's connected to the Cinderella story--and additionally, what's not.

Led by senior history major and Student Media veteran Rachael Dickson, the magazine's other topics include changes in men's basketball to effects on other athletics, and from player profiles of the Final Four team to the rise of the Chesapeake residential neighborhood. Gunston and the pep band also receive shout-outs.