Do fans take losses harder than players?

[valet]

from a purely psychological perspective, yea, probably. fans both a.) have no control over the situation in general, and b.) don’t get paid millions of dollars even if they lose.

i’m not saying it’s all roses for the players when they lose, but this is their job. i know at least personally, if my team fails on something at work (say we miss a deadline on a project or something), it isn’t the end of the world. sure, there is disappointment, but there is also a life outside of work. so i think there’s some basic mental separation that happens for the players simply due to professionalism

for a lot of fans, this is one of the things they truly care about in their personal lives. it’s a big difference. so yeah, i think fans are probably hurt a bit more. thank you for coming to my ted talk

 

[GOilers88]

Absolutely they do. Then they go on rants and slander the ever loving shit out of players they've been cheering for all season.

 

[Oneiro]

No.

These are the best hockey players in the world. Most likely, they've spent more hours at what they do than you ever have at what you do, which is why they're at the level they are at. They absolutely care more than you do.

 

[Pebble live]

I played at a pretty high level. Got into a few AHL games when I was younger.

The difference between being a fan and a player is the "control". As a player you have the ability to do everything you can to win. If you and your team do that and still lose, it's tough, but you can accept it.

As a fan you have zero control of the situation or outcome so it can actually be more difficult for some people. In my experience it was easier to lose as a player.

 

[ijuka]

I'd say yes.

The fans care about the cup and the playoffs. The players have no reason to do so - playoffs are essentially slavery for them, and they don't get paid. Most people don't enjoy working for free.

It's most efficient for the players to get eliminated as early as possible.

 

[JPeeper]

Fans will take single game losses harder, but getting eliminated from the playoffs/not making the playoffs is 100% harder on players.

 

[Jeremy Hronek]

The hardcore fan might take it harder, but I find most fans are more concerned about where they are going to eat after.

 

[superdeluxe]

After reading this site and others, I think it is safe to say that fan take losses harder than players.

Why is this?

Because you put hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars in following/supporting a team for years, you’re invested.

Edit: not saying the players don’t care, of course they do. But this is the players career, it’s a business for them. We have an emotional attachment

 

[viper0220]

Because you put hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars in following/supporting a team for years, you’re invested.

As a Flames fan, I know what you mean.

 

[LGBlues]

I think players have to be tough in that way to make it in the pros. I remember Dick Vermeil said something like he had to quit coaching when the pain of losing became worse than the joy of winning.

 

[thekernel]

No, no, big fat no.

The players never get over it. Don't get me wrong, I'm still salty about the Canucks losing in 2011, but when I read Elliott Friedman's retrospective on the team where he talks to former Canucks players, coaching staff, management etc...it haunts them.

As fans we get to go back to our regular lives, but for players, hockey is their lives.

 

[Guttersniped]

Most do, as they have nothing better to do in the summer like the star players.

Why should this man care about team losses?

Goals >>> Assists, AINEC. It's a team game, he can't do anything more. This isn't basketball.

The little Austonmaniacs should be grateful to smell his Dove deodorant on his way to the golf course with his favorite clubs.

They should just smile, and pay him!

Yes that video really convinced me that fans care more than players. Great job.

 

[Guttersniped]

Because you put hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars in following/supporting a team for years, you’re invested.

Edit: not saying the players don’t care, of course they do. But this is the players career, it’s a business for them. We have an emotional attachment

This is starting to get close to narcissism, that’s their livelihood. They care more than you about winning in the playoffs.

You spent money. Erik Karlsson lost part of his foot. Get over yourself.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Fans definitely take it worse imo.

NHL players are professionals. Playing in the games is the fun part of being a player. Most of their job is not the 60 minutes of game time. It’s working out, film, practice, etc. They lose a game they’re back to that, working towards the next game. They’re hyper competitive athletes sure, but it’s still a job, there’s always another game, and they have lives. They’re compensated (very well) to invest their time and effort, even if they lose.

It’s more upsetting when you invest your limited free time and emotion on a team that loses. Then you have to go back to your job, responsibilities, etc.

If you messed up at your job you wouldn’t lose your mind and make it worse and dwell on it. You’d just try not to make the same mistake, then you’d go home and forget about it. And then come back the next day with a blank slate, ready to work.

 

[VaporTrail]

I'd say yes because some fans have been fans of certain teams longer than some of the players have been alive and have gone through a lot of heart break...Like us Buffalo fans for example lol

 

[tny760]

unrelated but sorta related:



just food for thought, beverley is a bit of an NBA journeyman for what it's worth

i reckon journeyman types like him are probably the ones who care more and there's a lot of those in the NHL

 

[TheBeard]

Players have a certain level of respect for the game, their opponents and all of the cultures shared in the locker room. Hockey fans, particularly nowadays have no filter when it comes to being rude and obnoxious towards others. It creates intensely more animosity when fans make it personal.

 

[Guttersniped]

Fans definitely take it worse imo.

NHL players are professionals. Playing in the games is the fun part of being a player. Most of their job is not the 60 minutes of game time. It’s working out, film, practice, etc. They lose a game they’re back to that, working towards the next game. They’re hyper competitive athletes sure, but it’s still a job, there’s always another game, and they have lives. They’re compensated (very well) to invest their time and effort, even if they lose.

It’s more upsetting when you invest your limited free time and emotion on a team that loses. Then you have to go back to your job, responsibilities, etc.

If you messed up at your job you wouldn’t lose your mind and make it worse and dwell on it. You’d just try not to make the same mistake, then you’d go home and forget about it. And then come back the next day with a blank slate, ready to work.

You haven’t trained all your life to play in the NHL and then played with an injury in the NHL playoffs, so no, your “job screw up” example doesn’t really have much to do with this.

This handwaving has everything to do with fans only caring about themselves and that they like being outraged at the players who lost.

It’s the same way many fans hate when injuries get mentioned and call them “excuses”. They like everything to be simplistic.

If the players really cared, they would win for us fans. If they don’t perform well or win, they don’t care and we can be angry at them for that. That means they wronged us.

 

[Guttersniped]

I'd say yes because some fans have been fans of certain teams longer than some of the players have been alive and have gone through a lot of heart break...Like us Buffalo fans for example lol

Longtime fans can see a team win eventually.

Not all players get a chance to win the Cup and all players only get a limited number of chances to win. There are players haunted by play, missed chances, decades later. It can eat away at them. And for unlike fans, there’s no redemption arc coming with a rebuild and new stars for ex-players.

 

[dukedukowski]

When you're making 6 or 7 digits a year, losing a game is basically meaningless.

 

[Guttersniped]

When you're making 6 or 7 digits a year, losing a game is basically meaningless.

Not surprising that the guy who thinks the draft lottery is fixed has this take.

 

[dukedukowski]

Not surprising that the guy who thinks the draft lottery is fixed has this take.

And? So? It's the truth. You think these guys waste emotional energy like a high school kid? They worked their ass off to make the league and get paid big money.
Absolutely everyone here , if you made it, would feel exactly the same.
We're any of the lions or browns banished from the league when they went 0-16 or what ever? Nope. They all still took home the big NFL money. Still played or went to another team. No loyalty, no sadness.
Pro sports is about money. The owners want you coughing it up in the stands and players want to take it home and play long enough to stay home when they're done. While Al Bundy argues with the neighbors about who's better and doesn't get a dime from the team.

 

[ItWasJustified]

The players definitely take it harder, they just usually have a PR team working with them so they don't post ridiculous stupidity after they lose. It's the exact opposite for a lot that post here, they post when they are emotionally at their worst.

Definitely not true. I remember a story from Doug from Puck Podcast. He had a media pass back then and walked past the Ducks locker room after they lost against (the Kings?) in the playoffs and saw players laughing.

 

[Divine]

Yeah, the fans definitely do, and it makes sense why.

The fans spend money supporting the team, the players make a lot of money playing for the team.

When the team loses, the fans lose but the players still gain.

The Oilers fan who bought season tickets is out what...10K this season and they may not even be rich. Meanwhile, Nurse got paid 9.25M and is going to go on a vacation.

 

[Backcheckmonster3]

Fans have more loyalty to sports franchises than most of the players do, with that loyalty reflected in the widespread use of "we" when fans speak of wins & losses & trades & signings & all other sorts of team business. "Fan identification" is the term for this behavioral dysfunction. It can be cured, but sports fans are too distracted by trade rumors & box scores & off-seasons to seek help.

It´s We when the team wins and Them when they lose. We won the Cup/ they lost the Cup. When talking about "your" team.