Among the great passions American sports fans have, few will ever surpass our love for the underdog. We root for them, bleed with them, cry when they lose, and exalt when they triumph, especially when it´s a victory over an overwhelming favorite (think David over Goliath). It´s why we love Rocky. The Bad News Bears. Horatio Alger stories. And most memorably, the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey team. Browse any pay movie service any night, and you´re sure to find some documentary, some movie rightfully singing their praises. After all, what could be a greater story, greater theater? A bunch of college kids, all amateurs, take down what was thought to be one of the greatest teams in sports history. In the Olympics. In our backyard. Awesome stuff. College sports have enjoyed their share of fairy tales as well. Notre Dame with Rockne. Roger Staubach won the Heisman while at Navy. Hail Flutie. And college hoops have been blessed, slipping the glass slipper onto a variety of squads: Danny and the Miracles of Kansas over Oklahoma in 1988. Villanova over Patrick Ewing´s Georgetown team in 1985. And the most amazing of them all, the late Jim Valvano leading NC State over mighty Houston in 1983 (remember the unstoppable Phi Slamma Jamma?)
More recently the NCAA Men´s Tournament witnessed deep runs by a variety of lower seeded teams which captured the public´s fancy. 15th seeded St. Peters makes the Elite Eight in 2022. Sister Jean was the inspiration for 11th seeded Loyola of Chicago when it reached the Final Four in 2018. Not to mention Final Four appearances by the likes of VCU, FAU and Butler. Even Steph Curry, widely regarded as the greatest pure shooter in NBA history, was an underdog when as a senior he led #10 seed Davidson to the Elite Eight in 2008. Remarkable stories all, but guess what? In the last few years we´ve seen only traditional power squads advance to play for the title. Cinderellas are no more, vanishing like the dinosaur and the dodo bird. Gone. Poof. What happened?
Your answers are three letters, N-I-L - and one exceptionally large transfer portal.
The most recent champion, Michigan´s Wolverines, started five guys who all arrived on campus via the transfer portal. No Fab Five growing together and learning how to win - and lose - as a group. No situation like Florida in 2007, when the top six players on its team returned. No, Virginia, it´s a different era and if, say, you´re a good-to-great player at a small or even mid-size school and want to leave, you just dial up your local friendly agent and put your name out there. Highest bidder wins. Guess who has the most bucks to bid for said star´s services? Right, the big schools. And it´s not just basketball that´s seeing this change. Defending National Football Champion Indiana owes much of its recent success to the fact its coaches identified - and paid for - the best talent, allowing IU to go from perennial punching bag to king of the world in two seasons.
Wiil this trend continues? Can it continue? Doubts persist. Witness the letter penned by the administration at the University of Louisville, itself a multiple champion in men´s hoops, wherein they claim expenditures of over $20 million dollars this coming year needed to compete. Is this type of free agent spending sustainable? Of course not. But in the absence of any federal oversight/legislation, let alone any rules to govern the landscape, expect the dollars spent to rise to the heavens. While Cinderella sits at home. Alone. Again.
Makes you want to turn back the clock to before midnight, doesn´t it?