Does 2nd Place have any meaning or significance or is it really just the 1st Loser? All that effort and energy, time and dedication, just to come up short when you needed it the most. Damn. 2nd Place sucks. Nobody wants to be the Buffalo Bills.
It kinda depends IMO. Second place in a race is respectable and should be cause for celebration because even though you didn't win 1st you won 2nd as opposed to loosing 1st. It's a mind set in racing culture. In judged competitions it's very similar the outcome of ranking the top performers is more of an accolade for the top 3 positions. In those cases taking 2nd or 3rd is an affirmation that you are one of the best and can compete at the highest level of your sport.
Where your sentiment rings true, I believe is in head to head sports, that is to say sports where competitors square off against one another and the winner crowned champion. In my chosen sports, wrestling, Judo and MMA, the place of honor was 1st or 3rd (in tournaments at least). Both 1st and 3rd place finishers walked off the mat victors and felt the jubilation of winning their last match. First was obviously superior to third but the visceral feeling of having one stays with you as does the angst of having been defeated.
I know that my little response doesn't cover all competitive situations but in sports (having participated in them at a very high level for many years) I would offer that it generally holds water.
One thing that's worse than finishing second is having friends that fall over themselves congratulating you as if being second is a great accomplishment. The truth is that second is TOP LOSER!! No Cigar!! The best of the failures! Al Gore!
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Where your sentiment rings true, I believe is in head to head sports, that is to say sports where competitors square off against one another and the winner crowned champion. In my chosen sports, wrestling, Judo and MMA, the place of honor was 1st or 3rd (in tournaments at least). Both 1st and 3rd place finishers walked off the mat victors and felt the jubilation of winning their last match. First was obviously superior to third but the visceral feeling of having one stays with you as does the angst of having been defeated.
I know that my little response doesn't cover all competitive situations but in sports (having participated in them at a very high level for many years) I would offer that it generally holds water.
You make the team, ELATION!
You go and finish dead last.
SON OF A BITCH! You could have wasted no time, no effort, made no sacrifice, and incurred no expense and still finished f%$#ing last!
And all the crap you wasted, you could have been out partying!!!
"Not everything is a contest"
Exactly!!! :)