After the heartbreak of a devastating loss, many dejected sportsfans often ask themselves, "Why do I put myself through this?"
As it turns out, it's a question psychologists have pondered anddebated at length over the years.
To put so much time, energy, sweat and sometimes tears intowatching the rise and fall of a team's season can be baffling forthose who don't share a sports fan's passion.
"It's only a game," those people say.
Except, as the true fan knows, it's much more than that.
But what drives a person to devote so much of himself or herselfto a particular team or player? What does the sports fan really getfor his or her avid spectatorship?
A lot, actually, psychologists say.
One widespread theory suggests it fulfills a primal or tribalurge inherent in the human species.
"Some people say it's the moral equivalent of going to warwithout having to kill anyone," said Sky Kershner, with the KanawhaPastoral Counseling Center.
Meanwhile, Edward Hirt, an Indiana psychologist who has studiedthe motives behind sports fandom extensively, said fans are able toderive a sense of emotional awareness, community involvement andpersonal belonging they don't find elsewhere.
"It's like a religious experience when the team is playing," saidHirt, who works as an associate professor at the University ofIndiana.
"Feeling a part of that and not feeling isolated in the world isan important thing."
Perhaps the most essential point for Mountaineer fans to rememberthis week, as they are recovering from the devastating 57-78 FinalFour loss to Duke University Saturday night, is that the bondbetween people rooting for the same team remains strong, win orlose.
Kershner recalled the stunned silence inside Milan Puskar Stadiumtwo years ago after West Virginia University's football team lost torival University of Pittsburgh with a trip to the nationalchampionship on the line.
Kershner said he pulled out his video camera to try to capturethe eerie moment.
"There's something very community building about that, even in aterrible loss," he said.
Both Kershner and Hirt agreed being a fervent fan is a fairlyhealthy habit.
"There are a lot worse things you can be addicted to," Kershnersaid.
There is little doubt the enthusiasm fans feel for their teamscarries over into other aspects of life.
In the late '80s and early '90s, Hirt conducted a study of fansat the University of Indiana, during a time when the school'sbasketball team was nationally competitive under the tutelage ofCoach Bobby Knight.
Hirt and his colleagues put Hoosier fans through a series oftests following big wins and losses by the university.
Fans were asked to do things like demonstrate problem-solvingskills, compete in small challenges like shooting mini basketballsor darts, and try their hand at gambling.
Before performing those tasks, participants were asked to predicthow well they thought they would do.
Hirt and his co-workers found when the fan's team was doing well,he or she not only performed better at the tasks assigned but alsohad higher self-esteem beforehand.
On the flip side, after a bad loss, fans were much morepessimistic and tended to perform poorly.
Hirt said there can be a danger in letting fandom interfere toomuch in one's life, and there's a point at which it can jeopardize aperson's health, family and overall stability.
"Anytime a single part of our identity overwhelms everythingelse, you're not really enriching your life," he said.
However, Kershner maintains most people are equipped with aninternal barometer that keeps them from going overboard, althoughmany fans are prone to pushing their own limits.
Consider the case of Agnes Channel, a Buckhannon native and loyalMountaineer fan, who delayed getting treatment for heart attacksymptoms until West Virginia was able to pull out a win againstVillanova in overtime.
One social theory actually assigns terminology to the behaviorexhibited by many sports fans immediately after their teams win orlose a big game.
The phenomenon is called Basking in Reflected Glory, or BIRGing,when fans are celebrating a major victory or successful season.
The logic behind BIRGing suggests fans see the team's success astheir own personal success and derive a sense of self-worth andheightened self-esteem from it.
When BIRGing, fans are more apt to don paraphernalia with theschool or franchise's logo and colors and use the pronoun "we" whendiscussing the team's accomplishments: "We did it." "We're going allthe way."
The opposite of BIRGing is known as CORFing, which stands forCutting Off Reflected Failure. This part of the theory says fans tryto distance themselves from their teams following particularlypainful losses or when the team is playing poorly.
Fans can resort back to the "they" pronoun, sometimessubconsciously, when recapping a disappointing game or bad play."They couldn't get the shots to fall." "It wasn't their night."
The CORFing fan also refrains from talking about the team for acertain time period and puts the T-shirts and other memorabilia awaytemporarily.
Severely loyal fans don't often fall victim to CORFing, however.
Instead, Hirt suggests it's those pits of despair that make manyfans feel as if they've earned the euphoria that comes with bigvictories.
"There's something we believe as fans that you have to suffer totruly be labeled a fan and by doing so, it gives you the right toreally relish in success," Hirt said.
"There's a perverse pride in that feeling of loyalty andsuffering through the losses."
It's not likely many WVU fans are CORFing after Saturday night'sgame against the Blue Devils, as one loss does not erase a stellarseason.
BOB WOJCIESZAK/DAILY MAIL Mountaineer fans Samantha Wilcox, left,Kimberly Burdette, Samantha Webb and Jason Webb cheer on the WestVirginia University mens basketball team at Buffalo Wing Wings inSouth Charleston Saturday night.
Seth Greg and his girlfriend, Tiffany Hart, lament theMountaineers loss to the Blue Devils Saturday night.
Diana Hughes and Cary Cowgill look prayerful as they watch thegame on TV.
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