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    Why Americans Historically Love An Underdog

    Cinderella stories and dark horses are a theme in American life — and not just in sports.
    Mar 28, 2018 3 minutes
    Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt celebrates with the Loyola Ramblers after defeating the Kansas State Wildcats during the 2018 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Philips Arena on March 24, 2018 in Atlanta. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

    The NCAA men’s basketball Final Four tips off Saturday, starting with the University of Michigan against No. 11 seed Loyola University Chicago — which earned four consecutive wins en route to becoming this season’s March Madness Cinderella story.

    According to historians Ed Ayers and Brian Balogh, Americans have long rooted for the underdog.

    Here & Now‘s Robin Young speaks with Ayers (@edward_l_ayers) and Balogh (@historyfellow), co-hosts of the podcast “BackStory,” which is produced at Virginia Humanities.

    Interview Highlights

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