Super Bowl loss may cause fans more than heartache

Hey, it is survival of the fittest.

"Passionate football fans take heed: watching your team lose in the Super Bowl could be hazardous to your health.

Researchers have found that overall and circulatory death rates in Los Angeles rose significantly after a crushing defeat for the Rams in the 1980 Super Bowl. Four years later, deaths declined after the city's other team -- the Raiders -- triumphed in the U.S. football championship game.

'The emotional stress of loss and/or the intensity of a game played in a high profile rivalry such as the Super Bowl can trigger total and cardiovascular deaths,' said Dr. Robert Kloner, a professor of medicine at the University of Southern California, who presented the study at the American College of Cardiology scientific meeting in Orlando.

'In contrast, a win in a lower intensity game may actually have a favorable effect on mortality.'

Kloner said fans who get excited during sporting events and have risk factors for heart disease should consult their doctor before a big game. Drugs such as beta-blockers, aspirin or anti-anxiety drugs could help them, as could relaxation exercises, such as deep breathing, he said."

Isn't it always the case? If you want to save yourself, consult the people who are killing you.

Take heart, fools, you are not alone.

Stupid loves company and has it:

"A recent German study found viewing a stressful World Cup soccer match led to increased cardiovascular events for fans of the losing team and the U.S. researchers wanted to see if similar results would occur with a major American sporting event."

Phil Gramm was right about the "mental recession" and "a nation of whiners."

Good observation, wrong context.