Upset (competition) facts for kids
An upset is a really exciting moment in a competition, like a sports game or an election. It happens when the team or person everyone expects to win (the favorite) actually loses to someone nobody thought had a chance (the underdog). It's like a big surprise!
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What is an Upset?
An upset happens when the expected winner, often called the favorite, loses to someone who was not expected to win, known as the underdog. People often talk about upsets when they beat the odds in sports or surprise everyone in political polls. It means the result was very different from what most people thought would happen.
Upsets in Sports
In sports, an upset is when a team or athlete that is much weaker on paper beats a much stronger opponent. For example, if a small high school basketball team beats a professional team, that would be a huge upset! These moments are often remembered because they show that anything can happen in a game.
Upsets in Politics
In politics, an upset happens when a candidate who is not expected to win an election actually wins. This can happen when opinion polls, which try to guess who will win, are wrong. It means the voters chose someone different from what experts predicted.
Famous Political Upsets
One example of a political upset was in the 2016 United States presidential election. Most people expected Hillary Clinton to win, but Donald Trump won the election instead. This was a big surprise to many.
Another famous upset happened in 2018. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was a new candidate. She beat Representative Joe Crowley, who had been in Congress for a long time. Many people did not expect her to win, making it a big upset.
Why Do Upsets Happen?
Upsets can happen for many reasons. In sports, an underdog team might have a really good day, or the favorite team might not play their best. Sometimes, the underdog team has a special strategy.
In politics, an underdog candidate might connect with voters in a new way. They might talk about issues that are important to people. Sometimes, voters are unhappy with the current leaders and want a change. Upsets show that every game and every election is important until the very end!
