One of the origins of the word “underdog” – probably not the right one – comes from the world of bear baiting, a sport that was basically the Premier League for those cruel bastards living back in Tudor England. A chained up bear would be put in the middle of a “bear garden” (bear-baiting pitch) and the bloodthirsty crowd would slobber with delight as a bunch of dogs were set upon the noble beast. Sometimes the bear’s shackles would be broken and it would be allowed to run amok, charging after both dogs and humans.
Henry the Eighth and his daughter Elizabeth I were both big fans. Normally the dogs were made to attack in pairs, one dog going for the top part of the bear and the other – the “underdog” – biting away at the stomach and balls. Naturally, this would infuriate the bear, prompting it to wreak terrible vengeance, and so “underdog” became used as a term for someone or something that was expected to be defeated.
Today, we rightly recognise bear baiting as a monstrous practice fit only for syphilis-riddled 16th century kings, which means we think of the bear as the underdog. Our love of the underdog goes hand-in-hand with a resentment of the underdog’s opponent, who we want to see knocked off their high horse.
Imagine a very rich bear that slaughters dogs merely for its own pleasure and you’ve got Manchester United. They’ve dominated English football for over two decades, brutalising underdog after underdog. Which means that this season has resulted in a smug revenge party for everyone who isn’t a United supporter. Full story...
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Henry the Eighth and his daughter Elizabeth I were both big fans. Normally the dogs were made to attack in pairs, one dog going for the top part of the bear and the other – the “underdog” – biting away at the stomach and balls. Naturally, this would infuriate the bear, prompting it to wreak terrible vengeance, and so “underdog” became used as a term for someone or something that was expected to be defeated.
Today, we rightly recognise bear baiting as a monstrous practice fit only for syphilis-riddled 16th century kings, which means we think of the bear as the underdog. Our love of the underdog goes hand-in-hand with a resentment of the underdog’s opponent, who we want to see knocked off their high horse.
Imagine a very rich bear that slaughters dogs merely for its own pleasure and you’ve got Manchester United. They’ve dominated English football for over two decades, brutalising underdog after underdog. Which means that this season has resulted in a smug revenge party for everyone who isn’t a United supporter. Full story...
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- Why Chelsea's victory over Bayern Munich is not every English fan's cup of tea...
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