Sports history is filled with magical moments. Times when the impossible became possible, like when Leicester City were 5000-1 to win the Premier League in 2016. Yet they didn’t just win it – they dominated the league, finishing ten points ahead of second-place Arsenal. That moment when the title was confirmed, people who had never even heard of Leicester a few months before were fans of the club, celebrating with them.
In Euro 2004, Greece conquered the European Championship, collecting fans along the way with their unshakable tactics and tenacity. Twelve years later, Iceland stole the show at Euro 2016. While they didn’t lift the trophy, their Viking clap and fearless performances against bigger nations showed that passion and belief could conquer just about any opponent.
These moments were not necessarily about winning the game but about the unexpected win against the odds.
We are hardwired to root for the underdog and love a good upset. This is as much about entertainment and life as it is sport. Nothing beats watching a team defy expectations.
When the Impossible Happened
Leicester’s Premier League win ranks as one of sport’s greatest fairy tales that will be spoken about for generations. That a football team that was almost relegated the year before was able to dominate the league with an attack spearheaded by a former non-league striker in Jamie Vardy is the stuff of legend. Vardy had his own moment of the impossible, breaking the record for scoring in consecutive games. Supporting him, Riyad Mahrez put opposition defenders to the sword with N’Golo Kante behind him, ready to stop anybody trying to mount an attack.
Sports history is littered with unforgettable moments that, in that instant, gave everybody watching a reason to believe in their team and in themselves. When Buster Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson, he defeated the man people believed to be invincible. The Miracle on Ice was when an amateur American side beat the Russian professionals. Suddenly, everything was possible.
Often these moments take us by surprise. In other cases, you could sense something special building from the first whistle. With Denmark’s Euro 92 triumph as last-minute replacements and Greece’s 2004 conquest, fans sensed from the opening matches they were witnessing something special.
Why We Love the Underdog
We love it when an underdog wins. We also love it when they simply refuse to quit. Rocky Balboa lost to Apollo Creed on points, but he went the distance when nobody thought he would. Much like Iceland in Euro 2016, he defied the expectations and made a believer out of those watching.
We feel the emotion of these moments as if we are directly part of it. We relate to the struggle and find parallels between what we are watching and what we are experiencing in daily life.
Humans are pattern-seeking creatures, yet watching an unexpected win produces a dopamine rush unlike any other. We tell stories of the underdogs triumphing over adversity, and with each telling the story changes slightly, carving itself an unshakable legacy.
Pleasant Surprises Beyond Sport
Our pre-determined love of surprises is not restricted to sports results. We love films that carry a rookie spirit with them. Reality television succeeds where many others have failed because it thrives on shock and unexpected results or eliminations. That same feeling extends into our personal lives, too. That love of getting that job you didn’t think you stood a chance for or acing a test that you were convinced you had failed.
All these moments share the same emotional core. They carry a weight that pulls us in. Whether it’s a last-minute winner, a big win through Casinos.com’s top casino bonus recommendation, or finally beating a game level just as you had were ready to give up, these moments take our breath away. They exceed our expectations and leave us feeling inspired.
The Science of Surprise
Our brains reward unexpected positive results because historically, that meant survival. Finding food while foraging or a place to shelter when in need or peril – in life-or-death situations, a sudden positive was something to be celebrated. So, our brains evolved to release a chemical reward to keep us alert to the possibility of such surprises. While these moments are now rarely about survival, our brain still responds in the same way it did for our ancestors.
As humans, we are driven by story. Everything we do has a narrative base, because that’s how we think. The underdog is the perfect story structure. You have the inciting incident – the big game begins. You have the struggle – the match itself. Finally, you have the resolution – the underdog emerging victorious.
Sharing these unexpected moments with others such as the crowd at a game develops community spirit and strengthens social bonds. Those you-should-have-been-there moments are retold with such gusto and received so eagerly by the gathered crowd that they become part of the group’s shared identity.
The Magic of Possibility
At their core, these moments remind us that nothing in life is scripted. There are no certainties, and on their day, anybody can achieve greatness whether they are the favourites or not. The magic of possibility lies in the simple truth that any story can change in an instant.
It is a cliché saying that dreams can come true, but Leicester, Buster Douglas and those determined amateurs on ice prove it. The greatest part of all of this is that the greatest victory or the next history-making moment could happen at any time.
