Victory versus Defeat (guest post by Nick Prather)

Victory vs. Defeat

It is inevitable that in every competition, there will be a winner and a loser. If there is not a winner and a loser, you are probably not in a competition. 

If you have ever stood on a sideline at the end of a game, you know that there is a monumental difference between the two teams.

The first thing that you may notice is the difference in the two teams’ body language.

The winning team usually has their arms raised, much like Usain Bolt after winning a race or Tom Brady after winning the super bowl.

Also, you may notice that the winners have smiles on their faces, love and affection for their teammates, and a sense of pride.

If you were to look on the losing side, you would see a completely different story. Negative body language and negative facial expressions can be seen with ease. 

The losing teams’ players usually have their heads down, a defeated look on their eyes, and a dropped jaw in disbelief.          

 These images are prime examples of the negative body language that can be seen on the losing

sidelines. When comparing the two images with Brady, it is clear which side he is on in both situations. The image on the right depicts two Baltimore Raven players with a shocked look on their face.

The immediate differences between winners and losers are clear. But if the stakes are higher than a super bowl, like let’s say, war, the winner can change the course of history.

Major victories in the United States’ history that immediately come to mind are the revolution and the civil war.

Think about what could have happened if the colonists had not won the Revolutionary War. Would there be a United States? Would all Americans be British?

The Civil War resulted in the same kind of historical impact. Had the north not won, would slavery still be legal? Would there still be a Confederate States of America?

The point is that winning or losing can alter the way we live and life as we know it.

The same effect can be seen on a smaller scale. For example, Joe Flacco recently took his team to the Super Bowl and won. This was the final year on his contract, meaning that he would need to sign a new contract. He and the Ravens organization agreed to a six year, $120 million contract. That means he will receive $20 million a year (a gigantic step up from his $6.76 million rookie contract). The idea is that winning the super bowl suddenly made Joe Flacco worth almost $14 million more than before he was a super bowl champ.

Although victory and defeat can be so different, either result can have a strange effect on people. I will explain myself through two perfect examples.

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. The coaches told him that he was too short, and that he was not good enough to play. Despite this setback, Jordan decided to prove the coaches wrong. He went on to be drafted in the NBA. He was drafted in 1984. He didn’t get his first taste of sweet, sweet victory until 1991. He led the Chicago Bulls to an NBA championship. I would like to believe that he loved the feeling of winning so much that he was determined never to feel the pain of defeat. The next two seasons the Bulls won NBA championships. Then, after a try at baseball, Jordan returned to the NBA and led his team to three more championships in the 96’, 97’, and 98’ seasons.

The moral of the story is that after Michael Jordan had lost (being cut from his high school team); he fought hard to be the best. He went on to win a total of six championships, and never lost in the NBA finals.

The other example is LeBron James. Drafted in 2003, James had little success in Cleveland. He led his team to the NBA finals in 2007, but came up short. After several disappointing team performances, James decided to “take his talents to South Beach.” He would team up with another one of the NBA’s all-stars Dwayne Wade. In 2011, the two all-stars led their team to the finals. LeBron once more felt the anguish of losing in the championship series. Finally, in 2012, The Heat, led by LeBron, won an NBA title. So after many heart wrenching defeats, James felt the pure elation that came along with winning.

 Seen here after victory was in sight, LeBron James celebrates on the sidelines of the 2012 NBA finals.

 The differences between victory and defeat are apparent: the body language, the facial expressions, and the historical effect. But both victory and defeat can breed motivation to improve, and ultimately become victorious.