“Hey, Sport Fans! How far is too far?”

Content Warning: Mentions of domestic violence.  

Fans of the NFL team, the Buffalo Bills, before a game Source: NFL, 2017.  

It’s pretty easy to get over-invested in things. As humans, we’re designed to be passionate and for many, supporting a sports team is a way to channel that passion.  

But, as great as it is to support your favourite team, how far is too far?  

Fans clashing with other fans is a recurring issue in sport, seeing something that has the power to bring people together, tear them apart or pit one against another.  

Fan violence and abuse is a phenomena that has been happening for decades, but how can a game cause people to get so riled up?   

The main cause is social identity. As people, we gain parts of our self from people or things we associate with – and for sports fans, the team you support is a part of that.  

For the most part, identifying parts of your self-identity through the team you support is a good thing. Enhanced self-esteem and positive comradery are both benefits that come with supporting a team, but it’s a fine line, and overstepping the line can lead to a whole host of problems.  

Things like alcohol, gambling, and toxic masculinity fuel violence in sport, as fans struggle to cope with results not going their way. 

A 2018 study conducted by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) showed a 40.7% average increase in domestic violence and 71.8% in non-domestic assaults across New South Wales on State of Origin game days. 

Similar studies done in America, the UK, and New Zealand, also showed the correlation between sporting events and spikes in assault and domestic violence, with many experts calling for sport fan culture to be reviewed.  

"I think there is such a strong sporting culture around the combination of alcohol and gambling and winning that can potentially be quite toxic in certain situations,” said the CEO of Women's Community Shelters Australia, Anabelle Daniels, as reported by ABC News.  

Advertisements that help to promote the normality of alcohol and gambling in sport, further fuel the unhealthy culture that continues to grow in aspects of sport fandom. 

This unhealthy culture has created a hurtful underlying trend of mental health issues amongst die-hard fans, with sports fan depression becoming a talking point in recent years, as studies have investigated the effects that winning or losing has.  

A study conducted by Forza Football found 67% of football fans said their favourite team’s results impacted their overall well-being, with just under half of those fans outlining anger and despair as the primary emotions felt after a loss.  

England football fans after their country's loss in the 2023 World Cup Final  

Source: Reuters, 2023.  

Despite these feelings being a natural reaction to losing, when unmanaged, they can lead to further problems, and spread into everyday life.  

Sports fan depression mirrors a lot of symptoms of actual depression and can lead to issues with alcohol, gambling, and general low self-esteem.  

How can you manage this?  

The first thing to do is put things into perspective. It’s just a game, and the world isn't going to end just because your beloved team lost. 

You may get some stick from your friends or co-workers – but that’s part of it. You’d do the same if their team lost – it’s not that deep.  

Another way to deal with a tough loss is to do something that helps take your mind off it.  

Take a stroll along the beach, head to the gym, or go for a run – any form of exercise is proven to help with stress and improve overall well-being.  

It’s impossible to avoid the headlines, memes and reactions after a big game, so detaching from social media for an hour or two also goes a long way. 

Facing your emotions is the first step towards managing them, especially when they’re negatively affecting you.  

But make sure to not do this journey alone, make time to be with family and friends so that they can uplift you. A common tendency amongst people with depression is to isolate themselves from other people.  

At the end of the day, sport really doesn’t matter.  

There are so many other things going on in the world, so getting hung up on your team losing, when you have zero control over the outcome – seems like a waste of emotional energy.  

It’s healthy to be passionate and support the things you care about, but when those things you care about start negatively affecting your life – it may be time to take a step back.