Underdogs and beating the odds - the thing that makes sports so exciting

I've been doing a lot of reading lately, more out of recreation than my usual preference of non-fiction titles. But somehow, I've been sucked into the world of young adult dystopian adventure novels recently, the latest being The 5th Wave series. That got me thinking, what is it that makes these kinds of novels so engaging and addictive?

Well, the answer lies in a combination of factors. But when we turn our attention to the world of sports, then it makes it easier to appreciate this world of young adult adventure novels. For starters, the twist and turns, the action, youthful characters with extraordinary abilities etc. These ingredients all go a long way into entertaining the spectator. But there's something more.

Personally, my most memorable sporting memories have mostly been of underdogs, coming from behind, or producing the most unlikely wins. Just think of the story of Cool Runnings, or the numerous other sporting films that depict underdogs winning against all odds.

In the same way, these novels, with their depiction of unlikely heroes against all odds strike the same emotions in our human wiring, that is able to produce the same sensations of nail-biting joy and elation.

For me, when it comes to sports VS novels, the greatest sporting contest are always going to win out against fictional stories. The sheer reality and humanity of sporting contests, and most importantly, their uncertainty makes it so exciting. And when the unlikely happens, when someone or some team wins against all odds, under all adversity, then that can be one of the most inspiring events.

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