History PlayingWith / UnderDogsNeverLose

** The story is heavily meta and intentionally reveals to the Wildcats that they cannot ever lose because of this. However, rather than being elated by this, the Wildcats end up feeling immensely unhappy because for all of their weaknesses and flaws, they genuinely wanted to win on ''their own skill and talents''; finding out they've been basically guaranteed victory [[BecauseDestinySaysSo due to what is essentially the narrative deciding they must win]] makes their victories and triumphs feel hollow and undeserved.

** InAWorld where ''everyone'' is GenreSavvy, underdogs are always expected to win. But, with a heartwarming mixture of skill, teamwork, [[AwesomenessByAnalysis strategy]] and just [[RealityEnsues being generally better at the game]], the OpposingSportsTeam [[CurbStompBattle wipes the floor with the plucky Wildcats]].

* '''Straight''': The Trope High [[TheWildcats Wildcats]] are the underdog going into the big championship game against the OpposingSportsTeam, but thanks to mix of heart and luck, they pull out the win.

** It comes down to the last play, but the Wildcats player is unable to make it. Then it's revealed the other team was cheating, and the Wildcats make the second chance...then ''that'' ruling is overturned when it's revealed the other team ''wasn't'' cheating.

* '''Defied''': "[[WrongGenreSavvy You aren't the plucky underdog heroes!]] You're just one of the hopeless teams in ''our'' [[TerribleIntervieweesMontage Terrible Opponents Montage]]!"

* '''Deconstructed''': [[HardWorkHardlyWorks Why should they bother trying?]] Another team that everyone expects to lose will swoop in and claim victory, and there is nothing that you can do about it.
* '''Reconstructed''': The threat of an underdog motivates everybody to never get complacent. Alternately, all of the teams try mastering the art of gaining sympathy in the hope of winning.

* '''Deconstructed''': Why should they bother trying? Another team that everyone expects to lose will swoop in and claim victory, and there is nothing that you can do about it.
* '''Reconstructed''': The threat of an underdog motivates everybody to never get complacent.

** InAWorld where ''everyone'' is GenreSavvy, underdogs are always expected to win. But, with a heartwarming mixture of skill, teamwork, strategy and just [[RealityEnsues being generally better at the game]], the OpposingSportsTeam [[CurbStompBattle wipes the floor with the plucky Wildcats]].

** InAWorld where ''everyone'' is GenreSavvy, underdogs are always expected to win. But, with a heartwarming mixture of skill, teamwork, strategy and just [[RealityEnsues being generally better at the game]], the OpposingSportsTeam wipes the floor with the plucky Wildcats.

%%* '''Deconstructed''': ???
%%* '''Reconstructed''': ???

** Because of this trope, the sports bookies flip the table when it comes to betting - a bet on the ''favored team'' actually pays out more

* '''Conversed''': "Doesn't anyone else [[UnintentionallySympathetic feel sorry for the guys]] who practised all year only to lose to a joke team?"

* '''Justified''': Just because they're not favored in the stat line doesn't automatically mean they'll lose.

* '''Double Subverted''': ...But wait! It was revealed that the OpposingSportsTeam was [[CheatersNeverProsper cheating]], and the Wildcats get one more chance to make the play - which they do. Wildcats win!

* '''Downplayed''': The Wildcats are decent enough to reasonably expect to get into the final, but that final is against their better-funded, professionally-coached rivals who've always wiped the floor with them in the past.

'''Basic Trope''': If they're the underdog in the Big Game, they'll win.

* '''Downplayed''': ???

** InAWorld where ''everyone'' is GenreSavvy, underdogs are always expected to win. But, with a heartwarming mixture of skill, teamwork, strategy and just being generally better at the game, the OpposingSportsTeam wipes the floor with the plucky Wildcats.

* '''Double Subverted''': ...But wait! It was revealed that the OpposingSportsTeam was cheating, and the Wildcats get one more chance to make the play - which they do. Wildcats win!

** [[AnthropicPrinciple Who wants to see a movie]] about a team of plucky underdogs, who loses, just as expected?

* '''Inverted''': The pregame stat line dictates everything about Wildcats' games - if they say they're favored by 4 points, they win by exactly that amount.

* '''Parodied''': To invoke the trope, every team in the league tries to claim they're the underdogs, even the teams who have been winning for decades.

* '''Zig Zagged''': It comes down to the last play, but the Wildcats player is unable to make it. Then it's revealed the other team was cheating, and the Wildcats make the second chance...then ''that'' ruling is overturned when it's revealed the other team ''wasn't'' cheating.

* '''Enforced''': [[AnthropicPrinciple Who wants to see a movie]] about a team of plucky underdogs... who lose, just as expected?

<<|PlayingWith|>>

** InAWorld where ''everyone'' in GenreSavvy, underdogs are always expected to win. But, with a heartwarming mixture of skill, teamwork, strategy and just being generally better at the game, the OpposingSportsTeam wipes the floor with the plucky Wildcats.

* '''Subverted''': It comes DownToTheLastPlay - but the Wildcats player blows it. Wildcats lose.

** This trope makes the non underdog team the underdog

* '''Discussed''': ???
* '''Conversed''': ???

** Because of this trope, the sports bookies flip the table when it comes to betting - a bet on the ''favored team'' actually pays out more.

* '''Enforced''': "Everyone watching this sports movie will be expecting the lovable underdogs to pull off the big upset!"

* '''Invoked''': ???

* '''Defied''': ???

Back to UnderdogsNeverLose.

* '''Parodied''': To invoke the trope, every team in the league trys to claim they're the underdogs, even the teams who have been winning for decades.