Rivalries And Shit-Talkers
Mike Leitao ~ 08/05/2024
Celtics vs Lakers, Red Sox vs Yankees, Red Wings vs Avalanche, these are just a few of the great sports rivalries that helped shape their respective sports into what they are today. But what makes a rivalry great? What makes two teams hatred for each other must-watch as opposed to just another game. One simple word, competitiveness. When the two teams hate each other and are both at the top of their game, it results in some of the most exciting sporting events people can watch with truly unpredictable results. And nothing is worse than a so-called “rivalry” where one team beats the other so bad and so often that you actually almost feel bad for the losing team trying to start a rivalry while getting pummeled over and over again. There are a fair share of one sided rivalries such as the Lakers vs Clippers or sometimes it’s a case of what seems like a fair rivalry when comparing overall records, but it happens to be that the teams are never both good at the same time so one team dominates and then vice-versa, like Michigan vs Ohio State. But then you get the worst type of rivalry, the one where the loser always loses and never once gets in that win column, and that is what we are currently experiencing right now with the supposed “rivalry” between the USA and Australia in swimming at the Olympics.
The two countries have had a rivalry in swimming for a solid 20 years now though America has smacked Australia around like a disobedient child. However everything changed last year when Australia finally got their win in the world championships in Japan. And how does Australia react to finally getting one over on America, not by celebrating but instead by taking the time to bash America about how great it was to not have to hear Star Spangled Banner and calling the Americans sore losers. Absolutely wild statement when America has slapped around Australia in swimming for years on end and have not once pretended like it was a rivalry. But like most things when it comes to America, another country started it and America came in to stomp them. Heading into the Olympics the media actually hyped up the rivalry between America and Australia and had the U.S. as the underdogs for gold medals (which also counting the olympics by gold medals and not total medals is another really stupid thing for another day).
Then the games started, and to Australia’s credit they put up a good fight, but at the end of the day America won once again in both gold medals and total medals for swimming. This was a relatively down year for swimming for America and they still won, which tells me we are still a long way away from Australia beating America when it counts. The audacity of Australia to lose all the time, finally win (not in the Olympics though), go and talk shit, and then when the Olympics finally come and you have a shot versus a worse than normal America team… you still lose? It’s embarrassing for Australia and further proves that this so-called “rivalry” is just an excuse for Australia to pretend to be competitive, as America continues to wipe the floor with them.
I love sports rivalries, but I hate one-sided consistent beatdowns, losers who talk shit when they finally do something after being losers forever, and losers who can’t back up their own shit talk. Australia proved that they are bums who can’t hang with America at its worst and they won’t be anywhere close to being able to hang once America gets its act together. The United States has produced the swimming GOAT at both the male and the female level, and I couldn’t tell you one swimmer from Australia’s name. Also to rub salt in the wound for Australia, they barely snuck into the quarterfinals of the men’s basketball and are currently 8.5 point underdogs to Serbia and most likely will lose without the chance to play for a medal, while America is a 27.5 point favorite and is more than likely going to win the gold. Another gold for America where Australia doesn’t even sniff the podium. Maybe if Australia spent less time playing make pretend versus America and talking unnecessary shit, and spent that time actually being productive and practicing, maybe this rivalry could grow into something. But as it stands, it’s the same old, same old. America dominates while other countries look on and bitch and moan about us when we all know they wish they could pump out the absolute units America creates.
