Those Who Come in Last are Still Olympians

I am a huge supporter of underdogs, no matter the venue. Perhaps it's because I'm a New Yorker, and we're known to root for the underdog to make the competition more interesting. Perhaps it's because I often consider myself an underdog in most things I do; I can empathize with underdogs. They too work just as hard as the favorites, yet their efforts will never merit such high honor as a gold medal, or a medal at all. Still, they should be proud of their level of skill and how far it's been able to take them. Even those who came in last at Torino are still Olympians and have achieved much more glory than many of us, or at least I, ever will.

Others seem to share my sentiment. This blog in fact profiles the underdogs, particularly those who placed no higher than last. Underdogs do in fact have success stories, like Sarah Hughes at the Salt Lake Olympics or the Korean soccer team in the last World Cup. But underdogs aren't expected to win, and they usually don't. They don't really receive much attention or empathy from people, except from me. This entry is dedicated to those who never got their time in the spotlight or achieved their goals despite all their hard work. I'm one of you, and I salute. :)

This sounds like one of those Budweiser commercials saluting "Real Men of Genius". Make no mistake, my entry here is sincere. Still, I felt compelled to mention the Budweiser commercials since I get a kick out of them. :) After all, as an underdog, you have to be able to laugh at yourself and take failure lightly. Otherwise, it's just plain depressing. Go underdogs!