Who to Support When Your Team Loses

A common sports dilemma is who to root for once your team has been eliminated in the playoffs. Some fans believe you should root for the team that eliminated your team...the thinking that if you are going to lose, it is best to lose to the best team. Other fans are so vindictive that they won't ever root for the team that ended their team's season. I've always struggled with the correct response, but after what has happened to my Bucknell Bison over the past two months, I think I have a better opinion on it.

As many of you may know, my Bison were blown out by the eventual champs, UConn in the first round of the NCAA basketball Tournament. Prior to the game, I talked myself into thinking that they could win, so much so that I had a list of 5 legitimate reasons (or so I thought) why they could pull the upset. In the end, they got dismantled and I was left to think what could have been. Of course, though, when you get blown out, it's hard to think that anything really could have been. I don't like UConn in the slightest, so I wasn't happy to see them win, but I can tell you that it had nothing to do with the fact that they beat us.

Fast forward about two months to the NCAA Lacrosse Championship where the University of Virginia beat Maryland for the title. As I sat there and watched the clock go to zero, I couldn't help but be bitter about the result. I mean, this was the same UVA team that BU had a 10-6 fourth quarter lead on...the same team that was so close to losing if not for a HUGE Bucknell fold. We lost to UVA 12-11 in OT in the first round. We could have and should have beaten them. Then we could have and should have beaten Cornell in the second round. And in the Final Four, we should have had as good a chance as anyone else. Bottom line is that in blowing a lead and losing a tight game to the eventual champs does not make me feel any better. I am not happy that we could have won because we didn't win. There is no such as a moral victory when you should have won.

Each situation was entirely different and I think might help inform a common fan how to feel in the future. If your team is swept then it is probably ok to root for the team that beat you, long as they are not your team' most bitter rivals. However, if you lose in 7 games, then you might just want to break out the voodoo dolls and wish harm on your opponent. The wounds are probably still deep and I'm not sure anything but time will heel them.