– The United States men’s national team defeated Portugal 3-2 in the Americans’ first match in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

– The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in the first game of the 2002 Stanley Cup finals.

– The American army defeated the British army in the first game of the Revolutionary War to win independence.

The love is forever lasting for Cinderella. Cinderella is what this country was built on.

Being the underdog is tattooed into the history of this nation.

A “dog” is sexy, it’s trendy and it usually has the support of the populous.

At sporting events, impartial crowd members often cheer for the underdog, for “Rudy” to get his moment in the spotlight.

Every year movies are produced with the main character having to overcome some sort of obstacle – the recurring role of being the underdog.

We see hard-luck news stories of foreign countries daily – who do you side with?

In any situation, there is a favorite and there is an underdog.

The pressure is on the favorite in every situation. If the favorite wins, it was supposed to win. If it loses, it underachieved – the outcome is most likely beneficial to the underdog.

Having less money than some, less education, perhaps being of a certain descent – regardless of what characteristic/trait that makes a “dog” what it is, there are always underdogs.

We are a nation built on underdogs, that is why we support them, we love them, we are not afraid to be them.

At some point in your life you will be an underdog. Whether it is a job interview, a sporting event or the love of a certain person – there is always a favorite and an underdog.

So root for the Nets, the Hurricanes, the Expos and the longshot horse in this weekend’s Triple Crown race. Watch “Remember the Titans,” or any “worst to first” movie on a loop.

Root for the underdog.

Be the underdog … the “dog” will always have the final bite.

– A hard-luck Harvard dropout grew to become the richest person in the world.

– A professional cyclist beat cancer to win the Tour de France.

– A group of Rebels defeated the Empire and destroyed the Death Star.

Jonathan D. Chu, a senior in journalism, can be contacted at [email protected].