Has anyone intentionally toned down their fanhood in order to improve their well being/mental health?

Seems like you are talking yourself away the ledge... Personally, I don't know what I would do without fanhood

way. I put way too much of myself into things I have no control of. I was in a situation where I should have been having a great time, but I was miserable last night. It's not healthy.

Before this season I would sacrifice anything on Saturdays to see every second of every game... Even during the RR years.

Since Akron, I've been trying to just passivley consume the games (even miss quarters) in order to keep my sanity. Unfortunatley, it hasn't worked all that well.

At least we have BBall......

Just a game man. We all get pissed. But this is what we have for now. It'll get better I Hope!

I went to U of M from 07-11 so I endured "The Horror" (my first home sporting event as a student), the Oregon blowout, and all the frustrations of the RichRod era.  Not to mention the Josh Gasser bankshot buzzer beater (my last home sporting event as a student).  It got really tiring being so invested in the outcome and having my Saturday's ruined by something I have no control over.  And having the disappointment spill over into the week while worrying about the next game.

I'm still a rabid Michigan fan.  Haven't missed a single football or basketball game as a Grad Student elsewhere (thanks DVR!).  I love it when we win.  I love watching Michigan play.  I check this blog daily.  I hate to lose, but I don't let it bother me anymore.

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I can change...and the wisdom to know the difference.  Not trying to get religious, but seriously.  Hoke and the team probably feel pretty awful about losing.  I'll trust them to deal with it.  Is my anxiety or fury going to make any difference?  Nope, I'd rather just watch the Tigers and get a good night sleep.  

Go Blue.  It'll all be OK.

 

since having kids, yes.

choose to focus on the hockey team when the football team inevitably does something stupid.

like lose to a 61 s'ship team with no offense and no defense

I'm backing off a bit.  

I got way too invested in that loss yesterday.  Had trouble falling asleep and when I woke up, I realized that the nightmare was real.

I have put way too much energy in being a Michigan football fan for way too long.  I will still watch the games and go to the home games, but with way less involvement emotionally.

It's a game and I can't do anything to change the outcome. I didn't lose money on it and I don't know any of the players or coaches personally. I didn't attend UM but I was born into the culture. That being said, I'm still upset about the loss. I know I shouldn't but I'm taking it very hard. I was sulking at church this morning and it didn't help that I sit by a Penn State couple. I am still shocked by the the improbability of Penn State's win and all the wasted opportunities. I'm pissed we repeatedly ran into a brick wall on first and second down to get behind the chains. I'm pissed the refs didn't overturn that horrible spot on Gallon's catch when it was clear he had a first down. I'm furious we let a freshmen QB march down the field in 20-some seconds to tie the score. I didn't like that Hoke punted instead of seizing the win by the balls and going for it. I look forward to watching Michigan every week but this one really hurt. I've stressed myself way too much this season, and I don't need the extra stress. I might find something else to do next Saturday.

Unless I can be there in person (couple of times a year), I avoid watching games in real time on TV unless I can do it in the company of many others. (Haven't done that in a while here in Chicago ... hurts my aging ears.) Just not worth it ... there are too many other interesting things to do on a weekend. I check the score a half-hour or so after the game should be ending. Aside: I really miss those "every offensive/defensive snap" videos.

I think it's a good strategy for my mental health. May not work for everyone ... to each his/her own.

I used to, but during the Rodriguez years I developed a sociopathic ability to detach my negative emotions from reality when the team played poorly. I remember laughing through the 2008 OSU game because at that point it was just hilarious that we were so terrible. I usually do a little venting, but I try to channel it into humor instead of anger, which in turn makes losses much easier to cope with.

In many of the Carr years, they would lose some bad games early, and I'd boycott the team for a while and go bowhunting every weekend. By the time I was done, they'd have put together a nice winning streak just in time to make the OSU game seem important. Then I'd jump back in front of the TV only to have Tressel and his boys kick me in the sack. Being a fan can be hell. I think I need to start bowhunting again. Soon.

I thought I had gotten over the kind of anger, rage, unmitigated sadness, and completely pissed-offness that I was capable of in the pre-RR era when Michigan did what we did last night.  I really did. I thought that part of me was gone. Then last night happened.

I guess that's what an acid flashback feels like?

Started around '05.  Glad I did or I'd be dead now.

This thread has TWIS written all over it.

If it's ruining nights, then step away. The reason all of us got into this is because it's supposed to fun. Unfortunately, for many, it seems only to be fun when Michigan plays perfectly. However, it is quite possible to be a big fan and not let your mood be tanked by poor play or poor decisions or any of the other negative things that happen when a bunch of people play a game. I can't say I had a big smile on my face at the end of the PSU game, but I was able to turn off the game once it was over and enjoy the rest of my weekend.

I know that people make these comments regularly and typically people are quite defensive in response. I'll just surmise by saying that placing your emotional state in the hands of something so far beyond your control is unwise.

Yes. I still screamed and yelled at what an idiot Borges is and that Hoke is channeling his Lloyd Carr after that punt and it would come back to bite us in the ass. 

But I used to be depressed for a while after losses, but once the 2nd overtime came I realized I didn't really care anymore. We haven't won a B1G title since 04 and that's not changing this season. We just don't have elite coaching and I hate to admit it, but it is what it is. OSU has rolled us for a decade because they have elite coaching. 

With Llord as coach, with 5 big ten champs, 5 rose bowls and a NC, I alway believed we could be at the Rose Bowl again every year.

Since then, my expectations and fanhood and been lowered. Michigan doesn't really scare anyone anymore. Michigan football is like the toothless bumble abominable snowman from Rudolf, once a year we might get to put a star on the tree (like a Notre Dame or Suger Bowl win) but that's it.

 

 I was surprised it only ruined about an hour of my night but the Notre Dame game last year ruined my entire night. I should probably step back. I tried to pull for other teams in college sports but cant get involved even the tiniest amount. I wasn't a "fire the coach" kind of guy until Richrod unfortunately it carried over into the Hoke era.

Yes.

OP you are not alone in any way. After going to school for the RR years and the past few seasons I simply no longer live and die with michigan football. Actually I wouldn't say I lived and died with it, but now I have quiet resignation.

I've reguarly started to speculate what my fandom would have been like had I gone to an SEC school like originally planned. That's not good

Yes.

I have three bruises on my hand from hitting it hard against a wall in anger during OT.  My kids are afraid to talk to me.

Time to dial it back.

 

Noted it to my wife. I'd have been awful to be around until Weds or so about 3-5 yrs ago. I locked in on Tigers, read over absurd vitriol on this board, played Madden til 3 am and took wife+baby to brunch. I'm completely over it and eager to beat Mr Brady this afternoon and see a gem from Scherzer. To be honest, I'm prob representative of the demo D Brandon has to prevent "losing"

You have to love the game, the players, the atmosphere, the fact that college football is this precious and natural spectacle still relatively uninfluenced by corporate milquetoasts. I love Michigan and even in the worst defeats take comfort in the fact that I never wish I was anything other than a Michigan Wolverine.

I've had this conversation with my adult sons over the past few years and we all agree with the idea behind this post.  i attended u-m from 71-78 and have remained a devoted fan since that time.  i find myself feeling worse about losses as i get older and not deriving as much pleasure from the wins.  (akron and ucon were actually worse for me than psu)

i have trouble sleeping on saturdays regardless of the outcome of the game.  i have endured many donkey punches over the years but i keep returning for more.  i thought rr would bring us to a new level of glory and we know what happend-i had my doubts about the current regime and now i feel anger over what i see as a lack of progress.  people can talk about systems and lack of experience but we are simply not very good right now.

the job of the coaching staff is to prepare players and put them in a positon when they can possibly win.  our coaches are playing not to lose.  going forward, my biggest fear is how it will affect recruiting which is our only salvation at this time

I was blessed with two children during the RR years. The combination of fatherhood and on field performance definitely put things into a new perspective. I am no less of a fan, but When the clock hits 0:00, regardless of outcome, I am able to take a breath and go play with my kids.

You have to keep things in perspective and if sports, a relationship, substance a use, or anything else causes you to lose perspective on life, then it's time to step away and re calibrate.

I had to do this last year but it was more forced, unintentionally. Had a family member have surgery at Motts and that along with seeing everything/everyone else I literally thought to myself "football is not as important as you make it". Seeing that block M everywhere in a place not associated with football but real life did it. I'm glad it did. I still get jacked for games. I love wins. Losses cause distress but while I used to also get bothered for days I now pretty much am over it by the next day. Games like last night will maybe take longer but it's more a case of WTF than depression or the like. Incredulity. More than the game I find myself bothered by staff/player execution after a loss. Stupid decisions by guys making a lot of money and innocently wishing a ball wasn't dropped, punt didn't go into end zone, etc.

the last 5 years or so I have cared less and less. I still like watching the games but it doesn't ruin my week anymore. I was over last nights loss before the game had ended. I'll always root for Michigan but the landscape of college sports has changed, and so has my passion.

Yes I have conciously decided to tone down my involvement. Last night I kept waking up with the deep throw to Robinson (one with Stribling guarding him) playing in my head. This level of distress over something I have no control over is clearly unhealthy. So I have made a simple decision - I will still be involved in Michigan atheletics - but I will not watch live. I will record all games and will make a decision post-result whether I want to watch it. I hope this will lead to a more calmer association with Michigan sports.

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As in, a loss would cause me to retreat to my room and poke my voodoo dolls kinda hard core. But it seems these last few years have been disappointment after disappointment. After the second over time I just started laughing because good lord it's second overtime against a bunch of "run ons"