Admirers of the Spartans typically praise their valor and success in war. The Battle of Thermopylae, mythologized as 300 Spartans blocking the pass of Thermopylae for three days against a force of 1 Million Persians, represents bravery against all odds. Laconophilia is love or admiration of Sparta and of the Spartan culture or constitution. The selection of Spartans as the name of a sports team is an example of this continued admiration in popular culture.