Who deserves to win?
Upon witnessing Ghana’s soccer victory against the U.S. on Saturday, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was better that Ghana had won. If history can be trusted, the winners of international athletic contests over a broad range of events tend to be large, rich countries. The predominance of the United States, China, and Russia in the Olympic Games is ample evidence of this. On the other hand, the more specialized World Cup appears to be one contest in which the inherent advantages of larger and richer countries are partly nullified, and where the talent and dedication of humbler countries have the opportunity to shine. Nonetheless, no African country has ever won a World Cup, and Ghana is the only African country in the finals. In light of this, perhaps Ghana’s victory over the U.S. was more meaningful to Ghanaians than the U.S.’s victory would have been for Americans. Should such a utilitarian consideration drive one’s hopes and expectations for athletic contests, or should nationalistic sympathies take precedence? When should we root for the underdogs?
-Charles
Photo by Flickr user TrumpetFlickr used under a Creative Commons Attribution license
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