Left field
The Reuters global sports blog
Sports villains need apply
Steve Nash’s swollen right eye. Tim Clark finally tasting victory. The Montreal Canadiens’ continued Cinderella playoff run. Dallas Braden simply being perfect.
The past five days have been a microcosm to why sports are so compelling. It is the dramatic stories that draw fans in, the underdog prevailing against insurmountable odds, that has viewers sitting alone and screaming in ecstasy at the television just as loud as fans in attendance.
But without Tim Duncan’s elbow, Clark’s eight second place finishes, Stanley Cup favourites Washington and Pittsburgh, or the Tampa Bay Rays vaunted offense, these stories would have been quickly forgotten.
Just like any good fairy-tale, the hero needs a villain. David needs a Goliath. But unlike the stories we tell children, sometimes in sports the Wicked Witch of the West pries the ruby slippers away from Dorothy. Heck, the New York Yankees, aka the Evil Empire, have captured 27 championships.
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Resident Left Field Expert
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