Cinderella (sports)

In American and Canadian sports, a Cinderella or "Cinderella Story" refers to a team or player who advances much further in a tournament than expected. Cinderellas tend to gain much media and fan attention as they move closer to the championship game at the end of the tournament. The term comes from the ending of the fairy tale Cinderella, and it implies unexpected success after a period of obscurity. The usage was popularized by Bill Murray in the 1980 hit movie Caddyshack where he pretends as the announcer to his own golf fantasy: "Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. A former greenskeeper, now, about to become the Masters champion." Murray is said to have improvised the scene in one take from two lines of stage direction. This movie quote has been named to AFI's Top 100, one of only a few that are sports related.

Referring somewhat inaccurately to the plot details of the classic Cinderella story, the media will debate whether the given "Cinderella" team or player will "turn into a pumpkin", i.e. to fail to win the prize, and to then return to its former obscurity. It was the carriage that turned into a pumpkin at midnight, not Cinderella herself. Another popular term is "strike midnight" when a Cinderella team does finally get beaten.

Prior to the widespread use of "Cinderella" in this way, the more common term for unexpected and dramatic success was "Miracle", as in the "Miracle Braves" of 1914, the "Miracle of Coogan's Bluff" in 1951, the "Miracle Mets" of 1969, and the "Miracle on Ice" in 1980.

In the United Kingdom, by contrast, a Cinderella team is one which usually underachieves (for example England in the Euro 2008), or is overshadowed by more successful neighbours (for example, Tranmere Rovers and Everton by Liverpool). This refers to the early part of the Cinderella fairy tale, where the heroine is downtrodden. A U.S.-style Cinderella team would be a surprise package or surprise packet, and their success would be termed a fairy-tale run.

A related concept is the giant-killer, which refers to a lesser competitor who defeats a favorite. The name reflects such stories as David and Goliath, and Jack the Giant-Killer.

Most Cinderellas send one strong message: a team or a player that hasn't had a good regular season can atone for the struggles with brilliance in a short period of time.

Examples of North American "Cinderellas"

Many teams are considered "Cinderella teams" when they seemingly overachieve. For example, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the Arizona Cardinals went all the way to their respective leagues' championships in 2008 only to "turn into a pumpkin" at the end. This list is largely confined to "Cinderella teams" that won championships.

Ice hockey

• United States men's national ice hockey team (1980) – The American team, consisting entirely of amateur and collegiate players, won the Olympic gold medal. Along the way, they defeated the Soviet Union, considered the best hockey team in the world at the time, by a score of 4-3 in a medal round game, an event known as the Miracle on Ice and widely considered to be the greatest U.S. sports achievement of the 20th century.

Baseball

• New York Giants (1954) – The then-New York Giants swept the 111-win Cleveland Indians in the 1954 World Series in one of the greatest World Series upsets in baseball history.
• New York Mets (1969) – The Mets won their first ever World Series title after beating the heavily favored 109-win Baltimore Orioles in the 1969 World Series; previously, the Mets had finished either last or next-to-last in the National League every year.
• Anaheim Angels (2002) – The Angels won their first World championship in their 41-year history. The Halos finished the regular season in second place in the American League West standings to the Oakland Athletics, making the playoffs as the American League wild card qualifier. Nevertheless, they put together a magical postseason run, upsetting the mighty New York Yankees in the ALDS, the Minnesota Twins in the ALCS to win the American League pennant, and going the distance against the San Francisco Giants in the World Series to clinch the title.
• Florida Marlins (2003) – The Marlins used a strong second half to win the World Series, after upsets against the San Francisco Giants, the Chicago Cubs, and the New York Yankees. The NLCS was especially memorable for the Marlins' rally and another Cubs collapse.

College baseball

• Fresno State (2008) – In one of the more improbable Cinderella stories in American sports history, the Bulldogs surmounted a daunting array of obstacles on their way to the NCAA title:
  • Fresno State had never won an NCAA championship in any men's sport going into the 2008 tournament.
  • The Bulldogs entered the Western Athletic Conference tournament at 33-27; they would likely not have made the NCAA tournament without winning the WAC tournament, which they did.
  • They were the #4 seed in their regional. Since only four teams play in each of 16 regionals, this is the equivalent of a team seeded #13 or lower in the NCAA basketball tournament. No #4 seed had ever advanced to the College World Series. By contrast, no #13 or lower seed has ever made the "Elite 8" of the men's basketball tournament, which is arguably equivalent to the eight-team College World Series.
  • Six times in the NCAA tournament, including three times in the College World Series, they faced elimination with a loss. They won all six times.
  • They won a total of 10 tournament games against six different teams ranked in the top 20. ESPN pointed out that in terms of the NCAA basketball tournament, Fresno State's run would be equivalent to a 13 seed beating a 4 seed in the first round, a 5 seed in the second round, a top seed in the Sweet 16, a second seed in the Elite 8, another top seed in the Final Four, and still another 2 seed for the championship.

American football

• 1968 New York Jets - the AFL Jets beat the heavily favored NFL champions the Baltimore Colts.
• 1999 St. Louis Rams - After ten consecutive losing seasons the Rams lost starting quarterback Trent Green in the preseason; a previous unknown Kurt Warner took over and won Super Bowl XXXIV, with Warner picking up the NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP in the process.
• 2001 New England Patriots - The Patriots lost star quarterback Drew Bledsoe in week 2; previously unknown Tom Brady came in and led the Patriots to victory in Super Bowl XXXVI over the 14-point favorite St. Louis Rams.
• 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers - After years as one of the laughing stocks in football, including 14 consecutive losing seasons, the Buccaneers defeat the Oakland Raiders 48-21 in Super Bowl XXXVII. This team is often considered the NFL's equivalant of the Miracle Mets in baseball.
• 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers- The Steelers become the first 6th seeded playoff team to win a Super Bowl, defeating the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL by a score of 21-10.
• 2006 Chicago Rush - Despite putting together a 7-9 record in the regular season, the Rush managed to make the 2006 AFL playoffs as the fifth seed in the American Conference. The Rush would go on an improbable run, defeating #4 Nashville, #1 (and defending champion) Colorado, and #2 San Jose to reach ArenaBowl XX, where they defeated National Conference champion Orlando to become the first sports team with a losing regular-season record to win a championship since the 1937-38 Chicago Blackhawks.
• 2007 New York Giants - In the playoffs the Giants stunned the top seeded Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers in the third coldest game in NFL history. Then in Super Bowl XLII the New York Giants overcame extreme odds by defeating the previously undefeated 18-0 New England Patriots, 17–14. They became the first NFC wild card team to win a Super Bowl.

College football

• Georgia Southern University Eagles (1985) — in only their fourth year of playing football, won the NCAA Division I Football Championship.
• Northwestern Wildcats (1995) — after years as one of the perennial laughingstocks of college football, won the Big Ten title
• Boise State Broncos (2006) — finished unbeaten after using several trick plays to shock favored Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl
• Wake Forest Demon Deacons (2006) — won Atlantic Coast Conference title after being picked by media to finish last in their division, and after losing their starting quarterback, starting running back, and starting left offensive tackle to injuries

Basketball

• Milan (Indiana) High School (1954)
  See also: Hoosiers
• Wichita Southeast High basketball team defeated Wichita South in the 1995 substate final to advance to state. South had previously won state in 1991, 1993, and 1994.
• Villanova becomes the lowest seed (#8) to win the NCAA Championship after beating the defending champion Georgetown in the 1985 NCAA Tournament final. Furthermore, Villanova missed only one field goal the entire second half in that game.
• North Carolina State University Wolfpack defeated heavily favored Houston Cougars 54-52 to win the 1983 NCAA Men's Tournament.
• In the 1975 NBA Finals, the 48-34 Golden State Warriors were able to sweep the powerhouse Washington Bullets, who went 60-22 in that season.
• In the 1977 NBA Finals, the Portland Trail Blazers, led by Bill Walton, came through the playoffs in their first appearance and beat the highly favored Julius Erving-led Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers won the first two games, but the Blazers stormed back to win 4 straight games en route to their first (and as of present, their only) NBA championship.

Football (soccer)

• Denmark (Euro 1992 champions) – Denmark won the tournament, having only qualified as replacement team for Yugoslavia, who were disqualified because of international sanctions during Yugoslav wars.
• Greece (Euro 2004 champions) – Greece were underdogs who were heavily favoured to go out in the first round, yet they went on to win the final.
• Iraq (2007 Asian Cup champions) – Iraq's unexpected run to the crown was widely viewed as either a respite or a beacon of hope for a country torn by war and divided by bitter ethnic and religious feuds.
• Once Caldas (Copa Libertadores 2004) – After taking out giants Vélez Sársfield, Santos, and São Paulo, they went on to the finals against defending champions Boca Juniors, after a 0-0 tie in the first leg at La Bombonera, they went on to a 1-1 draw in the second leg, and shockingly winning 2-0 the penalty shoutout.

Examples of Cinderellas that did not win the championship

These Cinderellas made it to the finals in their respective leagues.

Ice Hockey

• Vancouver Canucks (Both Stanley Cup Finals appearances, in 1982 and 1994) - In 1982, despite having a losing record in the regular season, the Canucks made it to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time, sweeping the Calgary Flames, and then defeating the Los Angeles Kings, and the Chicago Blackhawks, each in 5 games, before being swept by the New York Islanders in the finals. In 1994, the Canucks entered the playoffs at the #7 seed in the newly-renamed Western Conference. They rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to upset Calgary. They followed that series with 5-game series wins over the Dallas Stars and the Toronto Maple Leafs. In the finals against the New York Rangers, who won the Presidents' Trophy during the season, they once again rallied after being down 3-1, but the rally was unsuccessful; they lost Game 7, which gave the Rangers their first Stanley Cup in 54 years.
• Minnesota North Stars (1991 Stanley Cup Finals) - Despite a losing record in the regular season, the North Stars made it to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in franchise history. They knocked off the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues (the top two teams in the NHL during the regular season) in six games each and the defending Stanley Cup Champion Edmonton Oilers in five games. The team fought hard against the eventual champion Pittsburgh Penguins, led by Mario Lemieux. They won two out of the first three contests before being obliterated 8-0 in Game 6 of the best-of-seven series.
• Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (2003 Stanley Cup Finals) - The Mighty Ducks entered the playoffs at the #7 seed and surprised many by sweeping the defending Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings, who were the #2 seed. They followed that series with a 6-game series win over the #1 seed Dallas Stars. In the Western Conference Finals, they easily beat the #6 seed Minnesota Wild in a 4-game sweep to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. There they met the Eastern Conference Champion New Jersey Devils who beat the Ducks in 7 games. Both teams won every home game played, but the Devils had Home Ice and thus had the strong advantage going into Game 7 where they won the Cup.
• Edmonton Oilers (2006 Stanley Cup Finals) - The Oilers entered the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the 8th seed in the Western Conference. They upset the Detroit Red Wings, the San Jose Sharks, and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, In the finals, they faced the Carolina Hurricanes and rallied from 3-1 series deficit to even the series, before losing Game 7.

Basketball

• New York Knicks (1999 NBA Finals) - The Knicks became the only 8th seed team to make it to the NBA Finals, before losing to the eventual champions the San Antonio Spurs, 4 games to 1.
• George Mason University — In 2006, the Patriots became the first true "mid-major" team in over a quarter-century to advance to the Final Four of the NCAA Men's Tournament before losing to the eventual national champion Florida Gators.
• LSU's 1985-86 team is tied for the lowest-seeded team (#11) to ever make the Final Four (with George Mason's 2005–2006 team).

American Football

• Columbus Destroyers (2007 AFL season) - Entered the Arena Football League Playoffs 7-9 and made Arena Bowl XXII
• Michigan Wolverines (college) - Michigan climbed the rankings to #2 before losing to Ohio State in the last regular season game, and then lost to USC in the Rose Bowl to finish #8 in the nation.
• Arizona Cardinals (Super Bowl XLIII) - A traditionally poor performer since the 1940s, the Cardinals finished the regular season at 9-7 to reach the playoffs. They were underdogs in each of their post-season appearances, but kept winning, and survived to reach the Super Bowl. They held the lead with less than three minutes to play, but finally lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

College Football

• Northwestern Wildcats (1995) — after years as one of the perennial laughingstocks of college football, won the Big Ten title. In the 1996 Rose Bowl, the Wildcats lost to the USC Trojans, 41-32. It was the first bowl game for the Wildcats since the 1949 Rose Bowl.

Baseball

• New York Giants (1951 World Series) - Following their "Miracle at Coogan's Bluff" playoff win over the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Giants' dream season ended when they lost the World Series to the New York Yankees in six games.
• Detroit Tigers (2006 World Series)- Went from losing 119 games in 2003 to the American League pennant in 2006. Lead by Rookie of the Year Justin Verlander and Veteran starting pitcher Kenny Rogers. They also beat the Yankees in the ALDS before sweeping the Oakland Athletics in four games in the ALCS. Magglio Ordonez hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth to send the Tigers to the World Sereies, where they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals.
• Tampa Bay Rays (2008 World Series) - Went from a 66-96 record in 2007 to a 97-65 record in 2008 in route to beating the White Sox and Red Sox for the AL Pennant before losing to the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. Before this, the Rays had never had a winning season, losing at least 90 games in every season of their 10-year franchise history.

Football (soccer)

• South Korea (2002 World Cup 4th place) - South Korea became the first Asian team to reach the final four of the world cup. The South Koreans, who were ranked by FIFA at #40 at the time, advanced by upsetting some very high ranked teams; #5 Portugal, #6 Italy, and #8 Spain before losing to Germany in the semi-final and to Turkey in the third-place play-off.
• Barnsley - In the 2007-8 FA Cup Barnsley made the Semi-finals of the tournament after knocking out both Liverpool and Chelsea, two of the top 4 teams in English Football, in the last 2 rounds.

References

• http://people.howstuffworks.com/march-madness5.htm
• http://www.gazette.uwo.ca/2004/March/26/sports2.asp

See also

• Underdog (competition)
• Dark horse
• Upset