Do Philly Fans Suffer From "Sports Depression?"
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- There is an upside for Philadelphia sports fans who will be watching this year's Super Bowl. No doubt they wish they had opportunity to root for an Eagles win, but at least they can enjoy Sunday night's big game knowing the birds can't possibly lose, saving them from the inevitable heartbreak that would follow.
A new CBS News poll finds nearly four out of 10 sports fans get depressed when their team loses. For fans of the Eagles, that happens all too often.
In the 50 year history of the big game, the Eagles have played in only two Super Bowls....they lost both times.
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Therapist and Eagles fan Anthony Centore takes sports fan depression quite seriously.
"I was in session with a client," Centore told CBS Sunday Morning, "and he was telling me that his hockey team had lost the night before and that, since then, he had no appetite and he felt all-around miserable and sad -- because his hockey team lost.
"At first, you know, I was asking him, 'Are you sure there isn't something else that's bothering you? Are you sure this is the thing?' But after that day, I started seeing it more often."
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Centore says generally it takes fans a few days, or weeks to recover. Some just resort to denial. He has advice for Broncos and Panthers fans watching the Super Bowl, half of whom will watch their team go down in defeat.
"One thing about these games is they're really emotionally charged," he said. "The networks do a great job of making every one of these games seem like the most important thing that has ever happened in the history of mankind. But even if your team loses, 99.9 percent of the things in your life are still unchanged, and it's going to be okay!"
That's also good advice for Eagles fans as they look forward to next season under a new coach.
