National existential sporting despair

[Diable Rouge]

In this regard, we must consider national failure in sports that play a pivotal role in their cultural narratives - thus, French failure to win the Tour since 1985, the ongoing Canadian drought in the Stanley Cup, and English self-sabotage in the cricket and football World Cups. Of course, American and Irish sporting insularity prevents similar stories in those countries, but does any other nation fall into the same bracket - India and hockey, perhaps?

[Kevin S]

Cricket world cup is a nice bauble, but there was more angst over the Ashes drought prior to 2005.

[Etienne]

India and cricket is the obvious one to me. I don't get the impression that India as a whole cares much about hockey. But the 1983 World Cup win, the 2007 T20 win and the success of the IPL have all had a massive impact on Indian cricketing culture. I don't know enough about the country to speculate on the broader cultural impact of them.

[Etienne]

Racial relations and the success of the national football team in France seem quite closely intertwined, in political narrative at least.

[ursus arctos]

As you note, the US tends to organi(z)e things in such a way as to avoid this, but both Olympic Men's Basketball and the Ryder Cup (especially on home soil) have provided their moments.

[Diable Rouge]

America's Cup too much of a rich man's bauble to matter unduly?

[ursus arctos]

Very niche. The New York Yacht Club cared a lot, but no one else did.

[tee rex]

Hey, our entire economy is going to be based on the Americas Cup (according to all NZ media, as of last week).

Back in 2011 it was compulsory to state that the governing party's fortunes would depend on the All Blacks winning the world cup (the election was due a month afterwards). In fact the polls didn't move before, during or after the competition. There's no evidence that the voters linked the two outcomes at all. It was just another example of this trope, always trotted out, hard to falsify or prove, so it doesn't go away. I'm sure we've all seen the articles, even books, telling us England won something in 1966 and Britain (sic) was happy under Labour, lost in 1970 and so did Labour, went through the 1970's failing to qualify and that's why the workers went on strike and didn't bury the dead, etc, etc, will this do?

There might be a few exceptions, but it's largely tosh.

[Sam]

Argentina haven't won anything above Olympic level in able-bodied men's eleven-a-side football since the 1993 Copa América.

Until the end of last year, I could have mentioned the Davis Cup here as well.

[Gerontophile]

A Scot hasn't won the World Highland Games since 2007.

[anton pulisov]

The Dutch, yet to overtake Greece and Denmark in the international football trophies stakes.

I can't imagine what will happen if Belgium wins the next World Cup.

[Amor de Cosmos]

TBH I haven't come across anyone who is remotely concerned about a Canadian team not winning the Stanley Cup. I'd very much like The Nux to win it but couldn't give a flying fig what the Habs, Oilers or anyone else above the 49th does. There's this entirely spurious narrative generated by the MSM and federal politicians that we're supposed to "get behind" whichever Canadian team is left in the playoffs. It's a total fiction. Doesn't exist. Would an Arsenal fan root for Chelsea in the CL? Of course not. So why do people imagine a Habs fan will cheer the Leafs — or vice versa.

[ursus arctos]

Quite.

But my understanding is the English MSM engages in the same nonsense.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Possibly, but I can't imagine Theresa May exhorting Britons to support Chelsea — say, in the way Our Justin encouraged us to cheer the Senators as "Canada's team."

[Hot Pepsi]

TBH I haven't come across anyone who is remotely concerned about a Canadian team not winning the Stanley Cup. I'd very much like The Nux to win it but couldn't give a flying fig what the Habs, Oilers or anyone else above the 49th does. There's this entirely spurious narrative generated by the MSM and federal politicians that we're supposed to "get behind" whichever Canadian team is left in the playoffs. It's a total fiction. Doesn't exist. Would an Arsenal fan root for Chelsea in the CL? Of course not. So why do people imagine a Habs fan will cheer the Leafs — or vice versa.

For a while there it seemed like management complacency and the Loony exchange rate was hindering all of the Canadian teams, so I can see how the national Cup drought narrative might actually matter to some fans insofar as it is symptomatic of problems all the Canadian teams, and perhaps Canada itself, faced.

But this year was a lot better for the Canadian teams and I don't think anyone would support another team to actually win the cup just out of national pride. Maybe they want to see the other Canadian teams be viable and competive, but actually win it? No fans are that magnanimous. Certainly nobody in the US would do that.

[Sits]

The gradual decline in the Australian cricket team since the successive retirements of the Waughs, Warne, McGrath, Gilchrist et al has been met not with existential angst but a greater shift of focus onto the A-League and the "regional" sports of Rugby League and Aussie Rules. See also a huge drift away from Rugby Union.

It's a highly fickle public.