(...Of course, I'm the guy posting this. And I'll try not to mention names while practicing without a license!!)
It's amusing reading posts in the 48 hours following a loss like Thursday's because of the range of emotions and mental states you see in our fans. It's also interesting to see who posts. Some posters you almost never see EXCEPT in this situation. Others specifically avoid posting while the rest like me post right through it. Maybe the "avoid" strategy is best, but posters like me can't help ourselves.
When you say you're disappointed, well, who's not? Thursday was a helluva reality check on how ready we were to compete for a national championship. Sad, depressed, frustrated... In the aftermath, all of those are reasonable emotions IMO, and I think most fans and even objective bystanders would agree.
"Psycho" is a strong word otherwise, and I'm applying it in degrees. Some people sound more psycho than others. And no offense if this applies to you--again, I'm not naming names--but you should own who you are. Here are the mental states that I read and interpret which are hard for me to understand in this regard...
Distraught
As I'm defining it, an extreme degree of sadness or depression. Perhaps the most common of these afflictions in the real world (not on a message board) and one that some of my own circle of friends and family experience.
Mad, angry, or PO'd
Likely the most common on the internet esp. when expressed in the heat of the moment. The "avoid" strategy is Dr. zipp's completely non-professional advice for these people.
Embarrassed
A word and sentiment you see sometimes expressed that's fascinating and begs for more information. Why would you be personally embarrassed when you didn't play or coach the game? Is it purely fan empathy? Or are you one of the water cooler or assembly line guys who mouth off a little more than you maybe should to deal with a situation like Thursday's?
Vindictive
Probably the most unhealthy because it implies striking back or out at someone. Players and coaches are the most common targets, but we often see poster-on-poster "crime" in this space. If this is you, legit professional help may be the answer.
It's understood that sometimes people use one of these words incorrectly to describe themselves, e.g., they may say "mad" when they really mean "sad". That's fine. Emotions are also overlapping, and no one asks us to choose our words carefully after a loss unless you really start to go psycho.
I may be forgetting a mental state or two, and I welcome additions to the list as well as remedies for anything. A couple times I've opined the "avoid" approach is best, and maybe that's best for everyone after a loss and even during a game. But the guys running this place have a business model working against that, so I'm not making that blanket recommendation...
It's amusing reading posts in the 48 hours following a loss like Thursday's because of the range of emotions and mental states you see in our fans. It's also interesting to see who posts. Some posters you almost never see EXCEPT in this situation. Others specifically avoid posting while the rest like me post right through it. Maybe the "avoid" strategy is best, but posters like me can't help ourselves.
When you say you're disappointed, well, who's not? Thursday was a helluva reality check on how ready we were to compete for a national championship. Sad, depressed, frustrated... In the aftermath, all of those are reasonable emotions IMO, and I think most fans and even objective bystanders would agree.
"Psycho" is a strong word otherwise, and I'm applying it in degrees. Some people sound more psycho than others. And no offense if this applies to you--again, I'm not naming names--but you should own who you are. Here are the mental states that I read and interpret which are hard for me to understand in this regard...
Distraught
As I'm defining it, an extreme degree of sadness or depression. Perhaps the most common of these afflictions in the real world (not on a message board) and one that some of my own circle of friends and family experience.
Mad, angry, or PO'd
Likely the most common on the internet esp. when expressed in the heat of the moment. The "avoid" strategy is Dr. zipp's completely non-professional advice for these people.
Embarrassed
A word and sentiment you see sometimes expressed that's fascinating and begs for more information. Why would you be personally embarrassed when you didn't play or coach the game? Is it purely fan empathy? Or are you one of the water cooler or assembly line guys who mouth off a little more than you maybe should to deal with a situation like Thursday's?
Vindictive
Probably the most unhealthy because it implies striking back or out at someone. Players and coaches are the most common targets, but we often see poster-on-poster "crime" in this space. If this is you, legit professional help may be the answer.
It's understood that sometimes people use one of these words incorrectly to describe themselves, e.g., they may say "mad" when they really mean "sad". That's fine. Emotions are also overlapping, and no one asks us to choose our words carefully after a loss unless you really start to go psycho.
I may be forgetting a mental state or two, and I welcome additions to the list as well as remedies for anything. A couple times I've opined the "avoid" approach is best, and maybe that's best for everyone after a loss and even during a game. But the guys running this place have a business model working against that, so I'm not making that blanket recommendation...
