Pop Culture
God, Grit, and the Gloriously Doomed: America's Undying Love Affair With the Long Shot
America claims to worship winners, but deep down it's absolutely feral for a good loser with a dream. From Rocky Balboa sweating through a Philly staircase to a corn-fed kid weeping on the American Idol stage, this country has built an entire spiritual identity around rooting for the person who probably shouldn't win. We're not just fans of the underdog — we're addicted to them, and the habit says a whole lot about who we actually are.
