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Eternal tropes in sport

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    Eternal tropes in sport

    Inspired by England FC doing what they do, as we all knew they would (if earlier than expected). Others?

    I don't mean "X years without winning", like the Boston Red Sox, but things that happen again and again, and yet somehow in a different way, so the producers suck us back in at the box office for yet another sequel.

    South Africa screwing up at the Cricket World Cup is a familiar one. The All Blacks managed to find five different ways to flop every four years, but now we can pretend that never happened.

    There are those who always win, of course, like Kenyan steeplechasers, but the losers are more fun.

    #2
    Eternal tropes in sport

    Until LeBron James personally willed the Cavaliers to a NBA Championship last week, post 1964 Cleveland sports teams were notorious for conjuring unlikely ways to tear defeat from the joys of victory, crushing the hearts and souls of ther fans in the process.

    There is a 30 for 30 documentary on this called Believeland that I recommend.

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      #3
      Eternal tropes in sport

      As sure as night follows day:

      Wales losing to a southern hemisphere team in the rugby. Oftentimes in agonizing fashion.

      Ireland losing at the quarter final stage in the rugby world cup.

      Scotland failing to get out of the group stages in the football.

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        #4
        Eternal tropes in sport

        In tournament football, Germany never defeat Italy. In group matches, they draw and in knockout matches, the Ialians have always triumphed.

        This trope is about to be tested at the weekend.

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          #5
          Eternal tropes in sport

          tee rex wrote:
          I don't mean "X years without winning"
          However: next year is always Liverpool's year.

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            #6
            Eternal tropes in sport

            Jimmy White playing Stephen Hendry in a snooker final.

            Greg Norman getting into a playoff in a major championship.

            The All Blacks scoring a crucial try that has even their own commentators saying "well that pass looked a BIT forward".

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              #7
              Eternal tropes in sport

              They cross the Melling Road and it's over to John Hamner.

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                #8
                Eternal tropes in sport

                The Bristow and Taylor eras in darts.

                West Indies v England 1973-1990: England sometimes getting into decent positions but then always blown away.

                Warne and McGrath blowing away England and South Africa for a decade.

                Murali rips through a side which then accuses him of chucking.

                Ed Moses beating Harald Schmid

                Navratilova beating Evert at Wimbledon

                Pete Sampras blowing through Wimbledon in the 90s

                McEnroe abusing umpires

                Federer at his peak

                Perhaps Novak beating Murray against next week.

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                  #9
                  Eternal tropes in sport

                  Liverpool never losing a penalty shoot out in a major final ... oh, bugger.

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                    #10
                    Eternal tropes in sport

                    USA winning the Ryder Cup against GB & Ireland for decades but now usually losing to Europe.

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                      #11
                      Eternal tropes in sport

                      Higuain.

                      Argentina lose to Germany (post-1986)

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                        #12
                        Eternal tropes in sport

                        Mayo won the All-Ireland Gaelic football title in 1950 and 1951. They didn't get back to the final until 1989, but since then they've failed to win the final in 1989, 1996 (after a replay), 1997, 2004, 2006, 2012 and 2013. Seven final defeats in a row.

                        Benfica have lost 8 major European finals in a row.

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                          #13
                          Eternal tropes in sport

                          Kryvbas Gripper Rih wrote: They cross the Melling Road and it's over to John Hamner.
                          I wonder how many Brits will get that without googling?

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                            #14
                            Eternal tropes in sport

                            Satchmo Distel wrote: USA winning the Ryder Cup against GB & Ireland for decades but now usually losing to Europe.
                            The sports press telling us all that this is something that we should be worried about when, in fact, I think only about 1,000 people in all of these United States care one bit.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Eternal tropes in sport

                              gérontophile wrote:
                              Originally posted by Kryvbas Gripper Rih
                              They cross the Melling Road and it's over to John Hamner.
                              I wonder how many Brits will get that without googling?
                              Brits? Loads, I'd imagine. Non-brits? Not so much.

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                                #16
                                Eternal tropes in sport

                                [strike]A plucky Brit getting through a round at Wimbledon.[/strike]

                                Gurners gurning when they see themselves on the big screen.

                                Every Olympian featured on NBC will have a 'heartbreaking' backstory.

                                Lee Westwood being 2 behind the leaders after the third round in a Major.

                                College sports star in rape scandal.

                                NFL star in assault scandal.

                                English soccer player in racism scandal.

                                Oh, and unrelated, if Michael Gove wins, he will suddenly start supporting Fulham.

                                Comment


                                  #17
                                  Eternal tropes in sport

                                  Toby Gymshorts wrote:
                                  Originally posted by gérontophile
                                  Originally posted by Kryvbas Gripper Rih
                                  They cross the Melling Road and it's over to John Hamner.
                                  I wonder how many Brits will get that without googling?
                                  Brits? Loads, I'd imagine. Non-brits? Not so much.
                                  Yeah, that was a fuckup.

                                  Comment


                                    #18
                                    Eternal tropes in sport

                                    Should be Hanmer, not Hamner.

                                    Comment


                                      #19
                                      Eternal tropes in sport

                                      Magnificent example, though.

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                                        #20
                                        Eternal tropes in sport

                                        Player mutiny at tournaments. Maybe it hasn't occurred as much as I think it has but I always expect at least one team per tournament to have a meltdown in camp. I think this was the speciality of the Dutch in the 90's and more recently the French had one in 2010. Also, I believe Ghana had one in Brazil when they refused to play unless they were paid in cash upfront and I seem to recall the bizarrel scene of a limo laden with cash driving through downtown Rio with an armed guard.

                                        It was one of those weird scenes that was so surreal that I wondered if I was imagining it.

                                        Comment


                                          #21
                                          Eternal tropes in sport

                                          I think it's a mathematical near-certainty that at any given tournament, at least one of the "favorites" and/or a recent champion will completely shit the bed and this will lead to reports of "discontent in the room" either real or imagined.

                                          Same with ice hockey. There are six "major" teams and only three medals, so three of the big teams always go away sorely disappointed.

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