We all know the meme of high school boys being able to beat the national women's team in a sports match. Anyone who is not a moron understands that men are faster and stronger than women, so it is no surprise the boys win every time.
But there is another major difference I have observed between boys and girls playing sports. In a one sided match, the boys on the losing side will still square up their best effort until the end. When this happens in a girls' game, the losing side just gives up.
My guess to why this happens is due to epigenetics taking place. In the event of a competition, the men need to still fight on against their enemies in order to save as many of their own as possible, and even when losing they can still make a difference in the overall survival of their own side.
Women, on the other hand, would have no need for this response, as they would most likely survive as the spoils of war for the victorious opponents, unlike the men who would not be spared.
Speaking of which, I should also mention that the men in this situation would have nothing to lose by fighting, because they are probably going to die anyways. Better to fight as hard as you can if you have nothing lose. Women who would do the same would have something to lose, so it makes sense for them to shut down even trying.
When applied to less violent competitions such as sports, we are going to see these traits play out even when there is no threat of death. It is just instinct.
@houseoftolstoy With sports too men can have upsets over each other as well. One of the most entertaining things to see is a genuinely much more talented group of men (or a single man) have a streak of time of a higher will where they catch the others on the backfoot and can press themselves to victory.
I will say as well too men's nature with sports (especially team based) there are leaders that even if losing a team will rally around to put in a genuine effort to change the tide.
@houseoftolstoy Men have an understanding that there are a lot of ways that could lead to victory. One sided events can always be turned for one reason or another. There is no certainty to any objective as long as there are men are willing to work against it.
@FinalDresdonation True, sometimes a competition can be turned around. Though what I am referring to is cases where victory is not considered achievable for one side. The will to fight on, even when you see that most likely you will lose. Having victory come out in spite of those odds is indeed a feat, but I do not see that as the sole reason that men still fight on when they are on the losing side of a competition.
I see this as another critical aspect of why men's sports are more popular than women's sports. It is not just men being more capable in their physicality. They are also far more likely to bring out their best abilities for the entire game, even in a one sided match where everyone can see who will win. It is far less enjoyable to watch a match where one side stops even trying in the middle of the event.