Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Sport
Beau Dure

Are unbeaten superteams like the UConn Huskies bad for basketball?

Sarah Strong being introduced before UConn's game against St John's at Madison Square Garden
Sarah Strong and the UConn Huskies are striving toward an unbeaten season. Photograph: Federico Torres/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

A classic narrative, dating back to the classic matchup of David v Goliath, is the underdog v the favorite.

The only problem is that the underdog is an underdog for the reason. Sure, everyone loves it when a David wins, but Goliath usually swats him away with predictable ease and then pounds him into the dirt. Which leads to a problem: who, other than devoted fans of the team in question, roots for the perennial champions? Isn’t that a bit like watching Hoosiers and rooting for the big kids to beat Gene Hackman’s scrappy underdogs? Or watching Rocky IV and rooting for Drago?

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.