Mike Greenberg at ESPN talks to former NFL defensive lineman Mike Golic about what its like to be a fan of a playoff team in this humorous exchange:
“Paralyzed” might be taking it a bit too far. Maybe…
But generally this is accurate and, though its heightened for the playoffs, I have to say I identify with Greenberg’s reaction.
Without the Bears on the field, Sunday was a noticeably stress free day. It could have been the alcohol. But more likely it was simply the fact that I wasn’t worried about a game. No sitting in front of the TV taking notes, worrying about whether Jay Cutler would try to do too much or how the offensive line was going to break down in the first half this time. When its over I find myself exhausted.
There’s a kind of insanity that comes over fans when watching their team. When I watch the Bears I zoom in, completely focusing on the game. Everything around me pretty much disappears. I’ve had non-fans over to watch games and more often than not you can see the look of startlement come over their faces when they see the change come over me. Or that maybe that’s because I’m screaming at the TV.
Whatever.
The point is that I love football. But sometimes being a fan is really stressful. Something about that doesn’t seem right.
Maybe I should “have a drink” more often.