Does the Team You Root for affect your health?

[cameroncrazie07]

Ok guys you can either run with this or shoot it down, I was at a Yankee game last night and me and my friend were having a conversation about whether the pro team you root for affects your health. I searched it on Google but nothing came up so I thought: Why not take the records of every major sports team (MLB,NFL,NBA,NHL)in the last 10 years, and also find out how many "close" games they have played in that period (MLB:1-2 run game, NFL:1-7 point game, NBA:1-3 point game, NHL: 1 point game/shootout). Now for the health part, I'm thinking that I could find out the blood pressures of fans of these teams. So first I'm gonna get the records of these teams for the last 10 years, and I'll post it. Then I'll find out how many "close" games these teams have played, and I'll post it. Now the hard part, finding out peoples blood pressure. I was hoping that you guys could lend me a hand and let me know what team(s) you root for, and your blood pressure. I wanna try to get about 7-10 people for each team which wont be easy but I might be able to do it. This isnt gonna be anything huge I just wanna see if I could find any connections. So if you are interested in helping me out just tell me, if you think this is stupid, just tell me and I'll delete it.

Ok thanks guys,

cameroncrazie07

[BBTV]

If you mean health in terms of blood pressure, sleeping, depression, etc., then I'd argue that anyone who's health is affected in those ways by sports really needs counseling. Sports is an escape from stress and/or the mundaneness (is that a word?) of life. If it's causing stress or extended anger, then there's obviously something else going on in your life that you need to deal with because you're using sports to fill too much of a void.

If you mean health in terms of weight, then I'd say yeah - there's definitely a slight correlation. Case in point - when the Phillies were going through these month-long playoff runs the last two years, I'm out for every game having some drinks and stuffing my face with disgusting food. If they sucked, I'd have been at the gym or running by the river each of those nights.

[njmeadowlanders]

Ok guys you can either run with this or shoot it down, I was at a Yankee game last night and me and my friend were having a conversation about whether the pro team you root for affects your health. I searched it on Google but nothing came up so I thought: Why not take the records of every major sports team (MLB,NFL,NBA,NHL)in the last 10 years, and also find out how many "close" games they have played in that period (MLB:1-2 run game, NFL:1-7 point game, NBA:1-3 point game, NHL: 1 point game/shootout). Now for the health part, I'm thinking that I could find out the blood pressures of fans of these teams. So first I'm gonna get the records of these teams for the last 10 years, and I'll post it. Then I'll find out how many "close" games these teams have played, and I'll post it. Now the hard part, finding out peoples blood pressure. I was hoping that you guys could lend me a hand and let me know what team(s) you root for, and your blood pressure. I wanna try to get about 7-10 people for each team which wont be easy but I might be able to do it. This isnt gonna be anything huge I just wanna see if I could find any connections. So if you are interested in helping me out just tell me, if you think this is stupid, just tell me and I'll delete it.

Ok thanks guys,

cameroncrazie07

No way you can do this. First of all, we all have different bodies, family histories, genetics, etc. What's normal for me may not be for someone else.

Second of all, we're way to small a sample size. If there was one person here who is a Golden State Warrior fan and he/she had high blood pressure, that wouldn't really tell you anything.

Thirdly, you can't possibly prove the effect that it would have on anyone. You don't know what it would be if you removed sports from the equation. You have no control groups, etc.

However, I would bet that there IS something to it, especially as a Jets and Mets fan...ESPECIALLY the Jets...

[cameroncrazie07]

If you mean health in terms of blood pressure, sleeping, depression, etc., then I'd argue that anyone who's health is affected in those ways by sports really needs counseling. Sports is an escape from stress and/or the mundaneness (is that a word?) of life. If it's causing stress or extended anger, then there's obviously something else going on in your life that you need to deal with because you're using sports to fill too much of a void.

If you mean health in terms of weight, then I'd say yeah - there's definitely a slight correlation. Case in point - when the Phillies were going through these month-long playoff runs the last two years, I'm out for every game having some drinks and stuffing my face with disgusting food. If they sucked, I'd have been at the gym or running by the river each of those nights.

ok so you think it would be better to do weights of fans instead of blood pressure because that sounds like it could work

I was just thinking blood pressure because if your team plays more close games, wouldnt it be more stressful to watch them? which would cause a higher blood pressure.... and also I searched mundaneness on google and it came up on dictionary.com so im guessing its a word haha

[njmeadowlanders]

If you mean health in terms of blood pressure, sleeping, depression, etc., then I'd argue that anyone who's health is affected in those ways by sports really needs counseling. Sports is an escape from stress and/or the mundaneness (is that a word?) of life. If it's causing stress or extended anger, then there's obviously something else going on in your life that you need to deal with because you're using sports to fill too much of a void.

If you mean health in terms of weight, then I'd say yeah - there's definitely a slight correlation. Case in point - when the Phillies were going through these month-long playoff runs the last two years, I'm out for every game having some drinks and stuffing my face with disgusting food. If they sucked, I'd have been at the gym or running by the river each of those nights.

Bingo. I mean I'm just as pissed off as the next guy after a tough loss and I'm just as elated as the next guy after a big win.

But that doesn't mean it ruins my life when they lose or make it all better when they win. If it were the former, my life would've been completely ruined as a child.

That being said, I'm sure it does have an effect on you physically in some way or another if you're that big a fan. I mean, it's not like stress from a job, or financial problems, or family issues, or real problems that actually matter. But there has to be some physiological effect.

You just could never in a million years figure it out by a poll of us.

[cameroncrazie07]

Ok guys you can either run with this or shoot it down, I was at a Yankee game last night and me and my friend were having a conversation about whether the pro team you root for affects your health. I searched it on Google but nothing came up so I thought: Why not take the records of every major sports team (MLB,NFL,NBA,NHL)in the last 10 years, and also find out how many "close" games they have played in that period (MLB:1-2 run game, NFL:1-7 point game, NBA:1-3 point game, NHL: 1 point game/shootout). Now for the health part, I'm thinking that I could find out the blood pressures of fans of these teams. So first I'm gonna get the records of these teams for the last 10 years, and I'll post it. Then I'll find out how many "close" games these teams have played, and I'll post it. Now the hard part, finding out peoples blood pressure. I was hoping that you guys could lend me a hand and let me know what team(s) you root for, and your blood pressure. I wanna try to get about 7-10 people for each team which wont be easy but I might be able to do it. This isnt gonna be anything huge I just wanna see if I could find any connections. So if you are interested in helping me out just tell me, if you think this is stupid, just tell me and I'll delete it.

Ok thanks guys,

cameroncrazie07

No way you can do this. First of all, we all have different bodies, family histories, genetics, etc. What's normal for me may not be for someone else.

Second of all, we're way to small a sample size. If there was one person here who is a Golden State Warrior fan and he/she had high blood pressure, that wouldn't really tell you anything.

Thirdly, you can't possibly prove the effect that it would have on anyone. You don't know what it would be if you removed sports from the equation. You have no control groups, etc.

However, I would bet that there IS something to it, especially as a Jets and Mets fan...ESPECIALLY the Jets...

ok well as was stated how about we use weight? bringbackthevet suggested that and I agree.And im sure that we could find people that don't watch any sports. we all have friends, and im sure some of them dont watch sports. or we could just use the average weight of americans over the last 10 years

[njmeadowlanders]

ok so you think it would be better to do weights of fans instead of blood pressure because that sounds like it could work

I was just thinking blood pressure because if your team plays more close games, wouldnt it be more stressful to watch them? which would cause a higher blood pressure.... and also I searched mundaneness on google and it came up on dictionary.com so im guessing its a word haha

Again, no real links to whom you're a fan of. So many other variables play into ones weight. And again, I'm 231 lbs (but 6'7"...very little fat I might add) but if I weren't a sports fan, or if I rooted for the Devils rather than the Rangers, how could you possibly think I'd weigh more/less.

Fans come in all shapes and sizes from all backgrounds.

Perhaps you could find those "most obese states" stat and hypothetize the fattest fanbases or something, but even then you'd have to expand your scope beyond the 17 people that might reply here.

[cameroncrazie07]

ok well how about this: do you guys think that it has any affect on our health just because we root for a certain team?

[cameroncrazie07]

check this out

http://www.myoptumhealth.com/portal/Information/item/Can+Being+a+Sports+Fan+Affect+Your+Heal?archiveChannel=Home%2FArticle&clicked=true

[cameroncrazie07]

ok so you think it would be better to do weights of fans instead of blood pressure because that sounds like it could work

I was just thinking blood pressure because if your team plays more close games, wouldnt it be more stressful to watch them? which would cause a higher blood pressure.... and also I searched mundaneness on google and it came up on dictionary.com so im guessing its a word haha

Again, no real links to whom you're a fan of. So many other variables play into ones weight. And again, I'm 231 lbs (but 6'7"...very little fat I might add) but if I weren't a sports fan, or if I rooted for the Devils rather than the Rangers, how could you possibly think I'd weigh more/less.

Fans come in all shapes and sizes from all backgrounds.

Perhaps you could find those "most obese states" stat and hypothetize the fattest fanbases or something, but even then you'd have to expand your scope beyond the 17 people that might reply here.

yeah youve got a point haha i dont think id be able to find enough people to make it legit anyway

[njmeadowlanders]

ok well how about this: do you guys think that it has any affect on our health just because we root for a certain team?

I agree that for at least "above-average" fans you're probably on to something. I definitely think I'm somewhat affected because they're such a big part of my life, just wouldn't know how or know any different. I'm just saying you can't draw any conclusions based off such small samples or flawed methods of going about getting your data.

[BBTV]

Ok guys you can either run with this or shoot it down, I was at a Yankee game last night and me and my friend were having a conversation about whether the pro team you root for affects your health. I searched it on Google but nothing came up so I thought: Why not take the records of every major sports team (MLB,NFL,NBA,NHL)in the last 10 years, and also find out how many "close" games they have played in that period (MLB:1-2 run game, NFL:1-7 point game, NBA:1-3 point game, NHL: 1 point game/shootout). Now for the health part, I'm thinking that I could find out the blood pressures of fans of these teams. So first I'm gonna get the records of these teams for the last 10 years, and I'll post it. Then I'll find out how many "close" games these teams have played, and I'll post it. Now the hard part, finding out peoples blood pressure. I was hoping that you guys could lend me a hand and let me know what team(s) you root for, and your blood pressure. I wanna try to get about 7-10 people for each team which wont be easy but I might be able to do it. This isnt gonna be anything huge I just wanna see if I could find any connections. So if you are interested in helping me out just tell me, if you think this is stupid, just tell me and I'll delete it.

Ok thanks guys,

cameroncrazie07

No way you can do this. First of all, we all have different bodies, family histories, genetics, etc. What's normal for me may not be for someone else.

Second of all, we're way to small a sample size. If there was one person here who is a Golden State Warrior fan and he/she had high blood pressure, that wouldn't really tell you anything.

Thirdly, you can't possibly prove the effect that it would have on anyone. You don't know what it would be if you removed sports from the equation. You have no control groups, etc.

However, I would bet that there IS something to it, especially as a Jets and Mets fan...ESPECIALLY the Jets...

ok well as was stated how about we use weight? bringbackthevet suggested that and I agree.And im sure that we could find people that don't watch any sports. we all have friends, and im sure some of them dont watch sports. or we could just use the average weight of americans over the last 10 years

I wasn't suggesting using weight. Like meadowlanders said, people are just too different physically. If you could magically take the same person, clone them 8 times and make each clone a fan of a different team, then yeah - weight would be a good study. Do people gain weight because they celebrate more when their team wins? Do they gain weight because they're eating away their sorrows when their team loses? But if you took me and say Tank (not picking on him, just an example of a board member with a contrasting physical state than me), you're not going to get good results because of our lifestyle and pre-existing health issues.

[cameroncrazie07]

yeah i understand i was just trying to draw a conclusion for example, im a Yankee and Duke fan (yeah i know frontrunner) but I think that because those teams win more than others, maybe im more healthy that say a cubs fan because theyve gone through so much heartbreak over the years

[infrared41]

yeah i understand i was just trying to draw a conclusion for example, im a Yankee and Duke fan (yeah i know frontrunner) but I think that because those teams win more than others, maybe im more healthy that say a cubs fan because theyve gone through so much heartbreak over the years

No offense, but that's just stupid. If anything I think your question says more about you than it does about the subjects of your "study." My guess is you may take sports too seriously. "Heartbreak" with regard to sports needs to be kept in context and perspective. Words like "heartbreak" or "misery" etc. are both overstated and overused when it comes to sports. It's not real "heartbreak" or "misery." "Heartbreak" or "misery" in the context of a game isn't the same as the heartbreak of losing a loved one etc. If your team loses on Sunday and you're still worried about it on Wednesday then you have a problem. Call me crazy but I think the vast majority of sports fans have no trouble keeping the fate of their teams in the proper perspective. If they feel any "heartbreak" at all then it's mild and doesn't last very long.

On the idea of sports actually affecting your health; I may be wrong about this but I seem to recall my girlfriend, who is an RN and teaches nursing at a local college, telling me that blood pressure isn't affected much, if at all, by short bouts of anger, stress, etc. In other words, getting pissed over a game isn't going to raise your blood pressure for any extended amount of time. As a few others have already stated, if your physical health is affected by your favorite team then you clearly have major mental health issues.

[gingerbreadmann]

I think this is a valid idea and I love that you have the desire to actually try to find out whether it's true or not. That said, and I think you know this, asking people for blood pressure isn't the right way to go about it.

If anyone has the book Soccernomics (called Why England Lose in Britain), Chapter 11: "A Fan's Suicide Notes" is all about this stuff. I haven't read it in a while, but it talks about the effect of soccer on suicides, and is a really good read (as is the whole book). I think you should start there.

And even though it is kind of irrelevant, I happen to have had my blood pressure taken on Monday. It is 110/70.

[Milo Meningocele]

But if you took me and say Tank (not picking on him, just an example of a board member with a contrasting physical state than me)

Funny, Tank was the one I immediately thought of, but only because he's going to have a coronary over the Mets one day.

[Saintsfan]

As a scientific test, there would be no way of isolating what effect your favourite sporting team would have on your health. I think its probably a bit of a stretch to imagine that following your favourite team is that big a deal to really effect your health?

[charger77]

As a scientific test, there would be no way of isolating what effect your favourite sporting team would have on your health. I think its probably a bit of a stretch to imagine that following your favourite team is that big a deal to really effect your health?

I don't know there are a lot of wack jobs out there.

[wildwing64]

If anything, being an Anaheim Ducks fan and living 8 time zones in front of them has affected my body clock.

Of course, I don't watch every single game they play, especially because most of their home games (and to an extent, some of their road games) start at 3am GMT. I only ever watch games that start earlier, with 1am being the latest that I'll start. I've been lucky in the past few years that there have been some starting as early as 8 or 9pm.

[Lights Out]

Call me crazy but I think the vast majority of sports fans have no trouble keeping the fate of their teams in the proper perspective. If they feel any "heartbreak" at all then it's mild and doesn't last very long.

Tell that to Clipper Nation, our heartbreak has been going non-stop for 40 years!