Champion
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
For the 1949 motion picture see: Champion (1949 movie)
A champion is one who has repeatedly come out first among contestants in a challenge or other test, one who is outstandingly skilled in their field. Olympic Gold Medalists, for example, are champions in this sense. In sports, a champion is the athlete or team in first place at the end of a season of competition (and, if applicable, any associated playoffs). It is for this reason that such competitions are often called championships.
In a broader sense, nearly any sort of competition can be considered a championship, and the victor of it a champion. Thus, there are championships for many non-sporting competitions: spelling bees, wargames, dog breeding, etc.
It is also possible to champion a cause. The career of consumer's advocate Ralph Nader, who has made himself a champion for the causes of safety and environmental standards, is a good example of this. In an ideological sense, encompassing religion, a champion may be an evangelist, a visionary advocate who clears the field for the triumph of the idea. Or the champion may merely make a strong case for a new corporate division to a resistant board of directors. Such a champion may take on responsibility for publicizing the project and garnering funding. Such a champion is beyond a simple promoter.
The original meaning of the word partakes of both these senses: in the Feudal Era, knights were expected to be champions of both prowess in combat and of causes, the latter most commonly being either patriotic, romantic or religious in nature. This reaches its most literal in a trial by combat, in which each combatant champions the cause of one side of the trial.
Other Uses in Modern Culture
- Champion is a title awarded by the American Kennel Club in recognition of a dog that closely matches its breed standard. The title is earned by competition in the show ring. Blue ribbon purebred dogs that have won such first-prize at A.K.C. dog shows are certified "Champions" and receive the honorific prefix "Ch." before their name, the canine equivalent of "Hon.".
- Several movies have been titled Champion. The road to becoming more than just a winning fighter, a true champion, is the running theme of the Rocky movies of Sylvester Stallone.
- Champion the Wonder Horse was a children's TV series broadcast in the 1950s.
- Champion has often been adopted as a brand-name, most famously for a brand of spark plugs, and the name is also that of a brand of jockstrap.
- "Champions" is the name used for Superhero genre Role-Playing Games played using the Hero System.
- Champion is a hardcore, straight edge band with a positive message on Bridge 9 Records
