Why do we want to hate the teams that win all the time?  The Yankees, the Patriots, the Blackhawks.  Are we jealous? Well, yes but what we are looking for is the self-esteem boost that comes from backing a winner.  (Mariners-are you listening?)

If you're a sports fan you know it feels good when your team wins, and that's confirmed by a new study pinpointing exactly how it affects us.
University of Alabama researchers found some fans of a college football team that wins a big game experience a boost in self-esteem that lasts at least two days after the event. That's quite a boost!
On the other hands, fans of the losing team won't necessarily suffer a loss in their self-esteem following the game, though they may see a decrease in their mood. (Mariners-are you listening?)
According to EurekAlert, Study authors say on one hand, just feeling connected to others while watching the game helps sustain self-esteem. On the other hand, fans of the losing team, sharing the pain of loss, may have protected them from losing self-esteem.
Interestingly, students who didn't watch the game at all experienced a drop in self-esteem drop by feeling they were completely left out.

 

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