Nobody Roots For Goliath: Why Does Nobody Root For Goliath?

The Story of David and Goliath:

The account of the battle between David and Goliath is told in 1 Samuel, chapter 17. Saul and the Israelites are facing the Philistines near the Valley of Elah. Twice a day for 40 days, Goliath, the champion of the Philistines, comes out between the lines and challenges the Israelites to send out a champion of their own to decide the outcome in single combat, but Saul and all the Israelites are afraid. David, bringing food for his elder brothers, hears that Saul has promised to reward any man who defeats Goliath, and accepts the challenge. Saul reluctantly agrees and offers his armor, which David declines, taking only his sling and five stones from a brook.

David and Goliath confront each other, Goliath with his armor and shield, David with his staff and sling. "The Philistine cursed David by his gods." but David replies: "This day Jehovah will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down; and I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that God saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is God’s, and he will give you into our hand."

David hurls a stone from his sling with all his might and hits Goliath in the center of his forehead, Goliath falls on his face to the ground, and David cuts off his head. The Philistines flee and are pursued by the Israelites "as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron". David puts the armor of Goliath in his own tent and takes the head to Jerusalem, and Saul sends Abner to bring the boy to him. The king asks whose son he is, and David answers, "I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite."

How does this story relate to everyone?

Our circumstances in life can be related to David’s adversity. No matter how big or small; we all have a Goliath in front of us. We all face adversity on a daily basis. Whether it is dealing with co-workers, family members, a strained relationship, paying bills, finding your next meal, looking for a job, car troubles, illness, addiction, death, or any other trouble or struggle in your life. It’s how you face these adversities that matters. What’s your Goliath today?

What do we learn from David?

David was a young and humble man. He worked hard and put God and his family first. While his older brothers were away at war, David tended his father’s sheep and worked hard taking care of them, even fighting off lions and bears to defend them. He would go back and forth from the flock to the battlefield to bring food to his brothers. For forty days, not a single man challenged Goliath, the 9-foot tall Philistine giant. What did David do when he heard the challenge of the giant? He stood up in the face of adversity with courage. He humbly volunteered to take on the giant. He had no support, not even from his own family. Nobody believed in him. He was selfless and had no regard for his own life. He only cared about the others. He was also confident in his abilities. From his past experiences, he knew he could take on anything and succeed. When the giant criticized, insulted, and threatened David, he never wavered. He conquered his Goliath. When faced with adversity, how do you respond? Do you stand up with courage and confidence like David, or do you cower in fear and wait for something to happen like the rest of the Israelites? No matter the circumstances around you, stepping up to the challenge should always be the first step. Work hard, be humble, be selfless, be courageous, be confident, and be resilient. We can all be Davids.

How does this relate to sports?

The term “nobody roots for Goliath” surrounded and has been attributed to NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain. According to ESPN journalist Hal Bock, Chamberlain was "scary, flat-out frightening... before he came along, most basketball players were mortal-sized men. Chamberlain changed that." One of his nicknames therefore became Goliath because he stood head and shoulders above everyone else since high school and entered the NBA at 7’ 1” while the rest of the league at the time was much shorter than him. He was not a “mortal man.” Throughout his entire life Chamberlain was seen as a “freak of nature, jeered at by the fans and scorned by the media.” Nobody rooted for him. Why? Because he was that much better than everyone else and it just seemed unfair. Nobody stood a chance against him. Teams had to double and triple team in order to keep a game against him competitive. He is and most likely always will be the only player to score 100 points in a single NBA game. For a time he became bigger than basketball. He became a giant, a Goliath.

Today we see the “nobody roots for Goliath” mentality on a regular basis. We see it regarding both teams and individual players. The New York Yankees in baseball. The Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots in football. The Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat in basketball. The Detroit Red Wings in hockey. Tom Brady, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Sidney Crosby. They are all Goliaths. What do they all have in common? Success. Extended success at that. They have all been labeled at some point as Goliath. They have all stood head and shoulders above the rest of the competition. Unless you’re a fan of that team or player, you don’t want to see them win on a regular basis. You simply don’t root for Goliath. People want to see the underdog win. They want to see David take down Goliath. We see ourselves in David and root for him. Goliath deserves to be taken down. People prefer seeing hard work and effort overcome talent and giftedness. We want to witness something that shouldn’t be done. We want to see the impossible. We relate with the little guy. We root for them. This is why we invest in sports. Where anything is possible and all is unpredictable. This is why: