UNITED STATES—This might sound odd, but I think I finally understand what so many people mean when they say sports can be depressing. I used to think it was just a way for people to not want to be bothered with others, but that is not the case. I was watching my Alma matter play college football over the weekend, and the game was an absolute blowout. It was so difficult and depressing to watch, at half-time I decided that was it I was done.
Was I potentially being a sore loser? Maybe, but then again it could have been me just not wanting to see one of my teams be utterly massacred on the football field with no chance in the world of being able to recover or win the game. Now, was my entire day completely ruined by the loss? No, but I would say for a good 3-4 hours my mood was soured a bit America.
I guess when you’re heavily invested in a sports team them losing can completely change your mood for the day. When they’re high, you’re high, when they’re low, you’re low; it is like a roller coaster of emotions you experience, and I cannot think of any leisure activity that can create this level of frustration more than sports. Rather it’s a youngster, middle schooler, high school student, college student or professional player, the emotion remains the same.
It also doesn’t help when you engage with people who feel the same way as you. You’ve heard the saying negative energy attracts negative energy? Yes that holds true in the sports arena also. I mean just look at the most recent Monday Night Football game between the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers. Whew, that game was an utter mess. I was rooting for the Lions, and so much to the point that I wanted to watch, but didn’t because I didn’t want to jinx their chances.
The Lions were in the driver seat most of the game, but Aaron Rodgers and those Packers kept clawing at their opponent and some very questionable and ridiculous calls changed the game as we know it. Yeah, it left me quite livid America. This is what I mean about sports being depressing or perhaps a better word would be emotional. When you care about your team, you’re emotionally tied to their success and failure, which can unexpectedly impact your mental state at times.
When they win you’re on cloud nine and I think that feeling is short-lived. However, if your team loses, your emotional state tends to be negative, and lingers far longer than I think it should. Maybe a few hours, but you should not be an emotional mess for an entire week. So what have I done to change things: remind myself that it’s just a football game and in most situations that game does not line my pockets. While fun and entertaining to watch, there are way more series things transpiring in the world than my favorite team losing a game.
