But what happens after a loss? You know, besides occasionally swearing at my television and maybe punching a pillow. Might there be some unintended changes to my behavior based on a loss or, worse, an entire losing season? An NPR story provided some interesting insights and it turns out, yes, there are notable consequences for fans of losing sports teams.
Researchers analyzed the eating behavior of fans immediately after NFL wins and losses in cities with NFL teams. Somewhat unsurprisingly, fans ate worse (more calories & more saturated fat) after a loss. Totally surprisingly, fans actually ate better than they normally would (less calories & less saturated fat) after a win. In the most football crazed cities (Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia), the results were even more dramatic: a loss lead to an 28% increase in saturated fat consumption; a win led to a 16% decrease in saturated fat consumption. Even memories of past victories & old defeats led to the same eating behavior.
Interestingly, fans become more future oriented after a win (leading to better behaviors) and more present oriented after a loss (leading to behaviors that had a short term pay off but negative consequences in the longer term). On a more dire note, the study found that consequences go even further than basic overeating. Sports losses (especially football loses) increased chances of heart attacks, domestic violence, & traffic fatalities.
The recurring lesson is that we are more susceptible to outside influences than we'd like to think. We are not always very aware of our behavior, and in those moments we can be nudged towards atypical behavior by external events.
What's the parallel to personal finance? In our financial lives (and every sphere of our lives), we have some habitual behaviors that are triggered by outside events over which we have little or no control, and we're likely not cognizant of these habits. We might shop for new clothing or electronics when we have a particularly bad day. Some people gamble when they are anxious. Others might run up a credit card balance during if they're going through a rough patch. Even keeping up with the Jones is driven by external factors: when our peers & neighbors flaunt a big purchase, it's natural to feel the urge to similarly flaunt (or make) one of your own.
My wife and I are no different. Now that Mrs. Done by Forty is leaving for Peru on Tuesday, we both are feeling bunch of negative emotions: stress & depression, mostly. One of the bad ways we're dealing with this is by completely ignoring the restaurant & date night budget. Since returning from my hike, we've made just about every night a "date night". And a lot of lunches have turned into "date lunches", too. Okay, fine, we've had some breakfasts out & had doughnuts ordered in as well. Basically, every meal is now a date & an excuse to spend money eating out together, "this one last time".
Like most bad habits, there is some small upside that lures us back to the behavior over & over again. I like not having to think about or prepare our meals. Not having to do dishes is a nice perk. But the food isn't that healthy and there's a sinking, awful feeling when I think about what our end of month budget is going to look like. Naturally, just to complete the cycle of bad behavior, I haven't tracked our spending in weeks so I have no clear idea how over budget we are. I've decided, for now, to just wait until Mrs. Done by Forty leaves, because I don't want our last days to be burdened with the sad realization that we've destroyed our budget. Due to the negative feelings associated with our coming time apart, we are now completely present oriented, just like the NPR study stated people typically are after an NFL loss. We're thinking short term. Anything that sounds good right now is the thing we want to do. We'll deal with the future tomorrow. Or not.
So, what's the lesson? What can we do to make better decisions when we're faced with somewhat negative situations that are outside of our control? The research indicates that when people are reminded of the things that are most important in their lives (family, friends, enjoyable hobbies) the net impacts of a defeat are lessened. If sports fans thought about the things that were truly important after their team lost, they ate better & avoided the other negative impacts from the defeat. So after the Steelers lose tonight, I'll have to remind myself to write a little, call a buddy, and kiss my wife goodnight.
Thanks for reading, as always, & here we go, Steelers.
*Photo is from Daveynin from Flickr Creative Commons.
I think this is applicable not only to your favorite sports team losing, or a personal separation, but also to other stress inducing events, such as a large stock market fall. Some people even go so far as to take their own lives after a market fall. Personally, I try to put things into perspective. I don't care much if a local sports team loses or wins. I don't care much of the market falls, because I know it has always come back. I have never been separated from my wife for longer than a couple weeks, and I know we both love each other, so time away means we will be even happier when we are back together.
ReplyDeleteA stock market dip is a great example: people do all kinds of things they normally wouldn't when they see huge potential losses hit their portfolio. (All the way from panicked selling to, as you noted, suicides. There were a rash of well publicized suicides from high ranking corporate executives back in 2008.)
DeleteYou said it better than I: putting things in proper perspective is the right response when bad things happen, as they inevitably do.
I just watch my Packers play like crap and drop a close one to the Bengals, so I feel your pain. The analysis about emotions was definitely interesting. I like to think fantasy football helps blunt some of those negative feelings. More often than not, it is a bright point in my football week if GB happens to not do so well in real life.
ReplyDeleteI have that game recorded and will watch it later this week. At least it ended up being close, & there's no shame to losing to the Bengals this year. They're a personal foul away from being 3-0 this year. And I have a feeling the Packers will be in the playoff mix again this year.
DeleteFantasy football can definitely provide a boost but there have been seasons where my fantasy team is as bad as any NFL team...risk reward. :)
That's an interesting study! I kind of know how you feel though. I'm running into major travel complications getting home from Seattle to LA and because I had to stay an extra night in a hotel (and btw if I REALLY wanted to friends 30 minutes away offered a futon), I was going to treat myself to a nice dinner. Same reason. I ended up with a sandwich from a grocery store, but not taking up the offer from friends because I just wanted peace and quiet and a good night's sleep. I think the key is to catch yourself as early as possible and regroup.
ReplyDeleteHi Tonya,
DeleteI can imagine that's pretty stressful, as the last thing you want during travel are last minute complications. Kudos for going with the sandwich...I'm going to tally up our restaurant spending in a few days and I'll ask myself, "Why didn't I do the smart thing like Tonya and just get a sammie?"
That's excellent advice on regrouping. We're all bound to slip up from time to time and the best we can do is catch it, and try to gather ourselves to start again.
Best of luck getting home.
It's completely natural to say "to hell with it" when things aren't going your way. But we also need to be a lot smarter than that. Just because one thing in our lives isn't going as planned doesn't mean we should let everything else fall apart. That's why I like to automate my finances and investing as much as possible. To some degree I want the system I put in place to keep me in check so that I don't go ruining things for myself on account of a bad day or experience.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great strategy, and one I hadn't considered. Automation is a fantastic defense against the quirks of human behavior.
DeleteEven though I am not a football fan I can understand with the study. I think it relates to everything in life though. For example, if I've had a bad day at work I am more likely to get take out for supper for the convenience. But if I've had a good day I am more likely to put in the time and effort to cook my own dinner and clean up the mess. It's funny how situations like these and all of the outside influences can reallly screw up a budget.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Alexa. A tough day at work is a trigger for me as well: the last thing i want to do after a workday like that is prepare a meal. For me, bad external events can lead to lazy financial behavior. We're seeing that truth in action right now but like Tonya said, it's best for us to regroup at this point.
DeleteI hadn't heard those results at all, but I can't say I'm surprised. I'm also not surprised by the findings that focusing on the important things in life can diminish the effect. When the Pats lost the Super Bowl in 2008, I pretty much felt like my life had fallen apart. When we lost in 2012, we were 1 month away from the birth of our first son and while the loss definitely hurt, it was very much kept in perspective.
ReplyDeleteHi Matt,
DeleteThose are two great examples, considering how similar the circumstances were (same teams, even). It's rare that we get a chance to measure our growth like that. My guess is that, now that you have your son, a football loss, even a big one, won't sting as much as it did in 2008.
That's a really interesting study! It makes sense, though (at least with the eating... the domestic violence and traffic incidences are horrible) - whenever I'm feeling down, I try to mask it with some sort of comfort food (or before, comfort shopping). I think once there's awareness, though, that people can make a more conscious effort - so hopefully more people will read that study and become more aware! The Chargers game was also pretty disappointing - so close!! I hope your wife has a safe trip to Peru!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Anna!
DeleteI agree that the domestic violence & traffic fatality information is kind of disturbing. I debated not including it but I thought it was telling when seeing how far the poor behavior can reach after something as trivial as a football game. It puts some context around what we might do after really traumatic events.
On a lighter note, the Chargers have already lost a couple heartbreakers, but I think they'll settle in and start winning the close ones soon enough. It's tough transitioning to a new coach so there are some early season errors usually.
My Giants are 0-3 so that means that they will probably win the Superbowl...they are notoriously slow starters! One thing I find odd is that after a sports win like a superbowl/world series/championship...there are a lot of fans that run amok smashing windows, looting, etc that after a win, police in riot gear are called. I don't get it! I see your point about negative situations normally bring out bad habits though...that is something that happens often.
ReplyDeleteWhat an excellent counterpoint. You don't see crowds looting or setting couches on fire in the street after a loss. The study conveniently left out that contrary negative behavior that's associated with a big win.
DeleteI agree that your Giants have had some incredible turnarounds after slow starts. But I refuse to say anything positive about the G Men after what Eli & Nicks did to my poor fantasy team yesterday.
I like the research aspect of the article very much, although I don't find it surprising.
ReplyDeleteWhat I do find surprising is the absolute devotion that individuals display towards sporting teams. I've never really understood the phenomenon. I can't wrap my mind around the fact that individuals are willing to go to extreme lengths to support a team full of players they will never meet. Then, if this mystery team happens to throw fewer balls through a hoop or similar target, life is suddenly not worth living. Strange.
Rant aside, great correlation to PF and short term thinking syndrome.
Hi Jacob,
DeleteSports are an interesting phenomenon, but I find that type of personal investment in others to be pretty common. Why do we care about the views of politicians, spend money to see some singer or actor perform, bemoan the cancellation of our favorite television program, or, you know, spend countless hours of our lives reading about what some blogger thinks. :) We all make payments of time and money to invest & participate in the lives of others. Obviously taking it to an extreme is where we can get into real trouble.
But I think caring about a sports team from our city or the university we attended, driving to a film festival to see the debut of a director we like...this sort of shared experience is the stuff of life and, in part, how we derive our social identities. (Sorry to wax poetic, but I will fiercely defend my illogical love of sports. :)
Your point is well taken. We all have activities to enjoy, and one is not inherently better than the next. BUT, sports seem to draw out the greatest devotion - often to a near unhealthy extent.
DeleteI find it especially difficult to swallow the notion that an individual can or should find an identity in an external event (especially one in which they play no real part, and which matters very little in the grand scheme of life).
Getting philosophic now, so it's time to quit. As you so rightly said - all things in moderation!
Agreed, moderation is key. The common ground I usually find with people who don't like sports are the Olympics. The social bonds I refer to are usually best (& most commonly) felt in that context.
DeleteFunny story about getting angry at your football team: My brother's co-worker was at home, cussing out the Vikings for losing, and the cops showed up at the door - apparently someone had reported a domestic situation. :-) He explained that he had been watching the game, and there was that look of "OH, I totally understand your behavior now" from the police. Very funny. :-) I may be wrong, but I totally understand you guys blowing the date budget - sometimes it's worth it, DB40.
ReplyDeleteThat is too funny! I love that the police were able to understand immediately.
DeleteI agree that it's okay (or maybe even good) to blow the budget sometimes. Just dropped my wife off at the airport and the last thing on my mind is how much we spent on restaurants.
I wonder how the study measured the differences in saturated fat consumption, etc.
ReplyDeleteMy boyfriend just left to go on tour for a month. He's back for two weeks at the end of October then on the road again for another month. We spent pretty much all of last week doing nothing but eating out and hitting up happy hours. Though since he left I haven't spent a penny more than what I needed for groceries and I'm getting so much done on my blog! Sunny side to every situation.
That's a great perspective and thanks for sharing that detail about being apart. It's good to know it's not that uncommon!
DeleteThanks for stopping by the blog & commenting. I'm adding you into the reader now. :)
my emotions used to be very tied to the fate of my favorite sports teams.. i existed in this state for years and years... eventually, after years of ineptitude from my local Football and Hockey teams.. i learned to let it go :)
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how after a team loses enough, that there's a real benefit: healthier perspective & emotions. The catch is that they have to lose consistently, for years, for you to move on.
DeleteI had that same experience with the Pirates. I was 12, I think, the last time they had a winning season (back with Bobby Bo, Barry Bonds, & Andy Van Slyke). After about the 15th straight losing season I thought, man, why am I putting myself through this, and just turned my back on baseball entirely. Now, of course, they look great...but I'm like a battered spouse at this point. Good as they look, I can't trust them again.
I had suffered through many years of bad Miami Dolphins teams, this is the first year I can really enjoy it. I have Direct TV like you but cancelled NFL ticket as I think it wasn't worth it, Now I might have to reconsider.
ReplyDeleteI'm still on the fence on whether the Sunday Ticket is worth the price, but we were lucky enough to negotiate it for free this year. We'll see what happens next year.
DeleteYour Dolphins look great right now. I'm still slightly skeptical about the QB position but maybe Tannehill can keep it up.
I'm a Chicago native and a big Bears fan. I'm sorry the Steelers aren't doing so hot, but they played the Bears pretty well. They had way more offense, but their turnovers killed them.
ReplyDeleteLike you, football games often turn into big cuss fests. Thinking about it now though, it's pretty stupid, isn't it? Even though I realize this, it won't stop me from yelling at the TV the next time Cutler throws a stupid interception.
"We're thinking short term."
This is a great point and something I've been thinking a lot about lately. Humans just aren't wired to think long term. I think I know why, but that is a topic for a future post...
Hi Mr. 1500,
DeleteThe Steelers ended up playing the Bears tougher than I thought they would. I especially liked how the offense responded in the second half, minus the turnovers. But that can be fixed. I was happy to see them produce yards & points against a very good Bears defense.
I'm looking forward to your post on short term thinking. I love articles on the psychological aspects of personal finance.
That's really interesting how our behaviour changes like this such as eating more and spending more when we're feeling emotional, angry or fed up. How long is your wife in Peru for? Am I right in thinking that it's for a few months? Definitely enjoy the time before she leaves, like you say you can worry about the budget afterwards and next month will be a better month for spending I'm sure. Family and loved ones are really important.
ReplyDeleteHi there, Hayley! My wife is in Peru until February, so it'll be a pretty long stretch. Though I'll get to visit in November, so that'll be a nice way to break up the time apart.
DeleteWe definitely enjoyed our last few weeks together. No regrets on the extra spending. :)
The first paragraph made me cry, you former yinzer, you. I bleed black and gold, I just wish I weren't having to prove it so much this season. Like you've said though, even though it was a loss I think it's the best game we've played yet! Things were even looking hopeful before half-time! Tomlin's GOT to work on that clock management. Those studies are absolutely insane, but kind of make sense, particularly when I think about my fiance. :P And I think couch burning is more due to drunkenness rather than long-term effects of cheering for a winning team.
ReplyDeleteI hope you and your wife get through the Peru thing as well as you possibly can. (I mean with the missing each other...no doubts about your relationship.) I think I missed it...why is she going? Whatever the reason, it's an interesting place; I'm sure she'll come back with great stories to talk about for years.
I completely agree about the Steelers. They looked really good last week: they just turned the ball over too many times. Clean that up and they'll win some games.
DeleteAs for the couch burning, I'm not sure it's just the drunkenness just yet. Why don't the drunk fans burn anything after a big loss?
My wife's getting her PhD and has to go abroad to get the data for her dissertation. I think we'll be okay, though I'd be lying if I said this wasn't a particularly tough week. Still, I'm leaving to visit her mid November for a couple weeks, so that'll be cool and I'm sure it'll get here soon enough. Thanks for the encouragement!
Here's to a better game against the Vikings. (Psst. Don't tell anyone, but the Steelers are going to win tomorrow.)
Sorry, but I'm going to tell everyone. (The best odds we could get, really, right?) Kind of upset that the gameday revenue is being diverted to...England? When they were talking about Ireland it made a little more sense with Rooney's ambassadorship, but I truly don't understand why we're playing a game over there that could be stimulating the economy of the city where the taxpayers pay for things like the stadium and additional seating. (Not even sure if this would have been a home game...my whole rant may be invalid.)
DeleteTrue point about the couch burning. I'll have to rethink my thesis.
That's a very cool reason to go to Peru. And super exciting that you'll get to visit her while she's there! Hopefully the time apart will fly by and the time together will feel like years!
This one counts as a home game for the Vikings, and the league typically does that for a team that's having trouble selling out its home games (like the Jaguars). The league tries to give these fans a break, by only making them pay for 7 home games instead of 8. I generally think it's a win-win but agree that if taxpayers have skin in the game, so to speak, it makes things more complicated.
DeleteThanks for the well wishes!
I'm a huge Vikings fan so I totally get this. My only saving grace is that my Fantasy Football team is undefeated. Its just so depressing to watch them lose week after week.
ReplyDeleteHi there ND Chic! I'm glad you stopped by the blog. You, as a Viking fan, know better than anyone how we're feeling these days. At least your fantasy team is there as a silver lining.
DeleteI actually think Minnesota has some really good pieces; they just have the same problem they've had for years: inconsistent QB play. I thought Ponder might've turned the corner last year heading into the playoffs, but now I'm thinking that Cassel might be worth a shot.
Anyway, I'd wish you luck tomorrow but unfortunately, I can't. I wish you another loss. :)
My son while he was in high school said his life would go as the Penguins played. If the Penguins lost he would have a bad week. A win put him on top of the world! He was/is a bright guy. It affects a lot of people.
ReplyDeleteHi Maggie - I used to be as up and down with the Penguins as your son, but there are just too many hockey games in a season to ride that roller coaster.
DeleteI agree: this sort of thing is pretty common...