I love to win. I imagine you do too. I don’t meet many who say, “Some of my fondest memories involve being clobbered in checkers and belted at backgammon.” You don’t hear sports fans chanting, “We’re number two! We’re number two!” We prefer to win. For one thing, it’s easier to brag when you win. Baseball great Ted Williams said, “I can’t stand it, I’m so good.” Major League Pitcher Bo Belinski said, “My only regret is that I can’t sit in the stands and watch myself pitch.” Winning is nice, but colossal losses make for great stories too.

The most astounding defeat on record in football is Cumb...