Why is dominance only appreciated in hindsight?

Turning your TV on knowing who will probably win in the end. Nothing is more boring about watching a sports event then that. But don't forget to enjoy the moment, because you might only realize how special it was when you will see the images again in the future. Dominant riders are often met with criticism, scepticism or even hate, but often receive the most appreciation once they are retired. In this article we look at a few concrete examples in the sport, and how nostalgia also triggers our brain overall. Be happy when you saw hundreds of predictable Marianne Vos or Eddy Merckx wins, because you're part of the special generation that will be able to tell many sweet (side) stories about them to your children or grandchildren (to come).

The GOAT

Eddy Merckx is considered a cycling icon. A rider that features in almost every cycling history book and that is usually described by words linked to greatness and admiration. A rider who has won over 50 races for multiple years in a row. Today, we would call that 'boring' or 'predictable', back in the day, they did so. Even to the point that people expressed their frustration by violence. It was in 1975, that a spectator hit Merckx and punched his 6th Tour de France victory ambition down with him. Today, that's a phenomenon that we have seen to a lesser extend also to Mathieu van der Poel in cyclocross. The dominant Worldchampion suffered many beer showers before, while other dominant riders from previous generations also suffered (verbal) agression. This event did not only occur to individual riders, also dominant teams in the Tour de France like Team Sky have suffered upbraids.

Bitter feelings turn into sweet nostalgia

It's remarkable that the same athletes who faced backlash before, are also idolized as icons of their time today. When you watch documentaries, read books or simply share your cycling stories to your relatives, the first recalled are often those about who have dominated the era. The victories that make it into cycling documentaries are never those that have been won by 20 seconds. Instead of that, the races that have been won by margins & long solos make it to the popular episodes. People don't talk anymore about Sean Kelly's Paris-Nice victory in 1985 that he won without winning a single stage, but they do recall that Bernard Hinault won a snowy Liège-Bastogne-Liège with a long solo a few years before. Another Bernard (Thevenet) has won the Tour de France, but despite his respectable results, people still glorify more the earlier mentioned Hinault who managed to dominate both the Tour de France & the classsics. Also today, the former riders who have won the most during their professional careers are those who receive the most applause today when they are invited on cycling events today. We forget about the predictable racing but remember about the spectaclular moments, the so called peak-end rule.

Nostalgia as a drug

This approach towards icons of the past is also something that we can see as a wider event. Many people have not been the most dedicated fans to some popular artists during their youth, but when they hear their songs back again, it suddenly brings back sweet memories today, even when those years had difficult moments for them too. Just like people sing along songs that they maybe didn't like back then, now also admire riders that they didn't necessarily cheer for back in the days. This happens not because the performance changed, but because our memory did. Don't be surprised when your father or grandfather who experienced his youth in the 1960s might be a fan of both Eddy Merckx or Elvis Presley. You as his son or daughter might also feel the same when you hear about Bernard Hinault & Michael Jackson. You can already predict that Gen Z'ers might day-dream in 20 years about Tadej Pogacar & Dua Lipa too, even if they dislike them today. Extensive research by the University of Durham has shown that when people come in touch with things from the past, their brain activate autobiographical memories from the past and often shows them in a sweeter way.

Conclusion

Things and people that we see as too dominant today, can come back as our heroes in the future. People or things often only start to get appreciated when we miss them and we are naturally impacted by nostalgia. Events & celebrities are often connected to a specific period and sometimes even symbolize it. Times that we often portray as better than today through the impactful memories that we have from the past and the little struggles that might not always last as long in our brains. So when you see someone winning a race by a big solo today, don't be upset, because it might be his or her face that will cheer you up in the future.