Underdogs.
On January 10th, the Auburn Tigers completed their perfect season by winning college football’s National Championship. They beat the Oregon Ducks, who also had an undefeated regular season, in a hotly contested game that came down to the wire. The Tigers held up the trophy… but they weren’t the only perfect team.
The Horned Frogs of TCU (Texas Christian University) also finished the year without a loss, yet they had no chance of competing for the National Championship. Unlike other sports that have a playoff system, college football determines its champion through subjective rankings and computer calculations. Because TCU plays in a “smaller” conference and a “weaker” schedule – both of which the school has no control over – they never get ranked high enough to end up competing for the trophy. Perfection isn’t even enough because they never had a chance in the first place.
I feel like I’ve heard this before.
There are millions of people in this country who unfortunately won’t succeed. They will do everything within their power, follow all of the rules and still won’t achieve their goals. When it comes to TCU and similar schools, the debate for “equality” is heard across the country. Analysts on ESPN are quick to speak up for the “little guy” and fans express their sympathy through Tweets, texts and Facebook statuses.
It seems that people whose challenges are far more serious than a football game can’t seem to get the same kind of media attention or support from the general public. The cries of inequality often fall on deaf ears and the neglect that these people face have real consequences on our society. Obviously the solution to this problem isn’t as easy as a playoff system, but just like TCU needs people to stand up for them, millions of less fortunate people need us even more.
Everyone deserves a chance to hold up the trophy.
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