Underdogs on the margins

Flash of lightning, roar of thunder, Underdog!

An underdog is universally recognized as a competitor with little or no chance of winning a fight or a contest. At this time of year during March Madness, those of us who follow college basketball inevitably begin rooting for a team or two deemed to be underdogs.

This year, Syracuse has made it to the Final Four as a 10-seed. Granted, Syracuse has a lot of talent, but solely because of their seeding, it would be a big upset were they to beat North Carolina this Saturday. They seem to have little chance of pulling said upset because UNC is playing so well, which confirms the Orangemen status as an underdog. Pursuing this theme, I did a bit of research and came up with the following trivia (for you stat geeks):

• Two 16-seeds have come within two points of upsetting a #1 seed, both in 1989. Georgetown hung on to win 50-49 against a Princeton squad who were 23-point underdogs. And Oklahoma fought back from a 17-point deficit to take the lead over East Tennessee State, defeating them only in the last minute and a half.
• There have been eight 15 seeds that have defeated 2 seeds (6.25%) in the first round, including this year when Middle Tennessee beat Michigan St. 90-81 (which broke my bracket).
• There have been twenty-one 14 seeds that have defeated 3 seeds in the first round, including this year when Stephen F Austin upset West Virginia 70-56 (this didn't help my picks either!).

     
To be honest, as a KU fan, I don't feel right rooting for Syracuse. I'm still bitter about losing to Syracuse in the Final in 2003. I don't want to root for them, but something about the underdog draws me in. Pyschological researchers suggest we are drawn to root for underdogs because they arouse our sense of justice and fairness. They also propose that in general, we view underdogs as putting forth more effort to overcome long odds, so we want to see that rewarded. When underdogs succeed, it gives us confidence that effort, hard work and persistence do pay off and convinces us that hope can triumph in the face of long odds and adversity.

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This was certainly the strength and beauty of the original Rocky movie. We wanted to see Balboa succeed because of his dedication, effort and determination, not to mention the long odds he was up against. Today, we see this phenomenon in the Bernie Sanders campaign and how relying on mostly small donors, he's going up against the Clinton machine and giving them a heck of a fight that not many people expected. Real or imagined, Bernie Sanders is being viewed as an underdog and that is aiding his cause and a lot of people are enjoying seeing Hillary feel the Bern.

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Watching the tournament unfold, and taking so much enjoyment from watching the upsets, we've reflected on how everyone living on the margins is an underdog. We don't all get the same start in life, nor are we on a level playing field. Here are a few examples of the underdogs that we are rooting for, while we are mindful of the words of Father Gregory Boyle who charges us not to judge the poor for how they carry their burdens, but rather to stand in awe of the burdens they do carry:

• ​A is a young man who never met his father. At the age of eight, he was being taught by his mother and step-father how to pick-pocket on the streets of San Jose. He recently confessed to me that he lies and manipulates others without evening thinking, oftentimes without even being aware of it. A is trying to become a man, accept his past, and overcome it, without letting it dictate who he is or who he can become. He's currently seeking out others that he has lied to, cheated and hurt, to apologize and make amends. We're rooting for A to overcome the odds of his upbringing and become a man of integrity.
• K is a young woman who lived in an orphanage for a year in her childhood after a teacher noticed the signs of physical abuse. Later, as a teenager, she became pregnant, got married, and dropped out of school. Recently, she was able to not only finish her high school degree, but got a scholarship to a university and has found a full-time job in her area of study. However, she's also recently become a single mother. We're rooting for K to overcome the odds of adversity and finish her college degree so that she can provide a different life for her daughter.
• J is another young woman who became pregnant as a teenager and got married young, which was as a good an excuse as any to get away from her alchoholic and abusive mother. She recently found a good full-time job and is continuing to pursue finishing her high school degree, all while being a wife and mother (to two kids now!). We're rooting for J to overcome all the responsibility she bears on her shoulders so that she can be the woman God wants her to be.

This is what serving on the margins means: rooting for these individuals and so many others, disadvantaged but beloved of God, to win the upset. The odds are stacked against them in so many overwhelming ways, but with some vision, some social support and encouragement, some practical assistance, and a very big God who can overcome all odds, we know they can do it. Many on the margins don't believe that hard work is rewarded, and hold a fatalistic view that keeps them from trying to be anything different than what the world tells them they are. But we have seen results of hard work, persistence, determination, and faith, and these folks are an encouragement to others in their community to follow in their footsteps. GO UNDERDOGS!

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