Picture this: I’m in Hoboken, New Jersey, on October 23, 2010, visiting my friend who lives there. We are in a bar called the Wicked Wolf. If I was in a bar in Philly, I’d easily be wearing my Chase Utley shirt, with my hair in a pony tail, and comfortably sitting among hundreds of other Phillies fans. But in Hoboken, it’s Yankees/Mets country. And the other patrons in the bar are happily rooting against my beloved Fightins. You may remember this game … Ryan Howard struck out looking, sending the San Francisco Giants to the 2010 National League Championship Game.
As the crowd cheered as if the Yanks had just won the Series, I wanted to throw the table across the bar. Why? Because I was so angry I couldn’t see straight. I could feel the blood in my veins boiling. My stress level had to be through the roof. I know this is completely ridiculous. There are more important things in life than a baseball game. But in my world, there aren’t many.
[h2a]Stressing over sports is silly … I know that[/h2a]I may look sweet and innocent, but you wouldn’t recognize me while watching a Phillies or Flyers game. A Philadelphia loss will literally ruin my day. I’ve been known to throw pillows, scream at the TV, and may have even tried to punch a wall or two. A loss that really means something will fester inside me for weeks, sometimes years. It’s 2013 and that NL Championship loss still annoys me.
But I know it can’t be good for my health. Stressing out over work, money, and relationships are common, so why do I pile on more stress over a silly little sporting event?
[h2a]Misery loves company[/h2a]I know I’m not alone. Stressing out over a baseball game or any other sporting event is pretty common in today’s day and age. My Facebook feeds are flooded during Philadelphia sporting events. If we’re winning, the happiness exudes. If we’re losing, Facebook is the most depressing place in the world. If you think this is just a Philly thing … think again. I recently saw a video of a Baltimore Ravens fan, a grown 40-something-year-old man, cry, roll around on the floor, curse, and scream, in front of his wife and children, because the Ravens scored a touchdown. (I’ve never been that ridiculous… )
[h2a]It’s only a game[/h2a]One thing I definitely need to work on this year is cutting down on my stress. At work, I won’t let my perfectionist tendencies take over me when a project doesn’t go out on time. I will be better at resolving conflict in my work and personal life. And I will really, really try to not freak out because the Flyers lost their first three games of an already short season because of a stupid lockout.
It’s a work in progress.
[h2a]I’m curious, do you stress out while watching your favorite sports teams?[/h2a]
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