Popularity Contest vs. Battle of the Bands.

Folks, there is a difference.
I was at my school's Battle of the Bands tonight, and the band I was there for won second place. I was perfectly fine with that - I even guessed the first place band would be the one to win.
They were very worthy opponents. So after the attendees voted and the winners were announced, I celebrated.
But here's the thing: after the show, all the second placer's fans were complaining, claiming that Battle of the Bands was just a "popularity contest".
And when I cheered for the first place winners, all I got was a glare from the second placer fans. It would seem that tonight, winning was everything. The thing is, I was there to cheer on the second placers as well - but that didn't mean I couldn't appreciate another band's talent and applaud another's victory.
Yes, it's important to win. But in the larger scheme of life, learning to lose may be the greatest skill of all.