Cin·der·el·la 
P Pronunciation Key (s
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n.
- One that unexpectedly achieves recognition or success after a period of obscurity and neglect.
Ok, they beat Michigan State- must have gotten lucky, I thought. They couldn't be that good, I thought, after they beat UNC. Then they beat Witchita State (WHO!??) and still, I thought they were a decent team, but didn't have talent.
Now they beat UCONN, and I'm forced to admit it. They are good.
George Mason was a runt, a nobody, sort of like the kid that always gets picked last for dodgeball--because no one knows him and the few that do, know he sucks.
Now George Mason is the new hotness. And anyone who goes there or who picked them is feeling really good right now.
This got me thinking about how seemingly crappy, small brands can still be players in the big picture. Whether you like it or not, George Mason has reinvented itself as a real basketball team, just as Target went from being another K-mart to a trendy/design-focused store where you "expect more and pay less." Similarly, New Balance was all-but forgotten by everyone except hardcore runners until they started using grassroots efforts to become the brand they are today, with a focus on function and appealing to the average person.
On an even smaller scale, a local cinderella web hosting company--Tranquil Hosting--can find a niche and do a pretty nice job of hosting websites and offering personal service, something that the big boys might not do such a good job of.
I guess the moral of the story is that sometimes cinderellas can can challenge the big boys. In sports and in the business world.