Fan anxiety "Fanxiety" watching the Cyclones

Bader

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Jul 25, 2007
7,570
4,658
113
Ankeny
Sports are supposed to be an escape, to be entertaining! As I've gotten older the people that spend their whole time in and around the stadium ******** and upset confuse me to no end. Go find something else that makes you happy.

Also, yes, my Apple Watch is super helpful and lets me know I have an elevated heart-rate during a basketball game.
 

Pope

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Feb 7, 2015
10,480
23,787
113
I'm horrible when it comes to in game anxiety. I probably won't watch the West Virginia game live this weekend. I'll just watch it if we win.

I've come to the conclusion that my joy of winning is far exceeded by my hatred of losing. It's a curse.

When my Clones lose, I feel waves of anger and depression. When they win, I don't really experience a rush of joy. Instead, it's more like an immense sense of relief. It sucks.

I need professional help.
 
  • Funny
Reactions: fsanford

LarryISU

Well-Known Member
Feb 10, 2013
2,300
3,189
113
Omaha
We watched the first half of Baylor away from home. Then we drove home. At home I started reading the game thread. It said Baylor marched right down the field and took the lead. But then it said ISU marched right back and got a TD to go back ahead. So then I decided we had a chance and so I tuned in and watched the rest. That actually worked out quite well. In general, if a game is too close, I find it best to not watch, then check out the final outcome and if we won, then I go into my Library (YTTV) and watch us win.
 

fsanford

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Dec 22, 2007
8,620
7,364
113
Los Angeles
I record games. I think if ISU ever wins a conference title in football what anxiety I have would drop.

Have had LA Kings season tickets for 34 years
I was much more into games before they won the cup. Games were agonizing. For those hockey fans here watching playoff hockey is by far the most guy wrenching sports experience you can have. After they won 1 then another, games are much more relaxing. And it's a good thing cuz Kings always lose in the first round these days
 
Last edited:

Yaz

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Jun 29, 2018
1,620
2,584
113
When we played Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl in 2021, I couldn't take watching the game anymore. I left my family who were in the basement watching, went up and got winter clothes on, grabbed my ear buds and tuned into John and Eric and got nearly 3 miles in snowshoeing in the dark. I was a half a mile away from home when we won. LOLOLOL
 

CychiatricWard

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Sep 27, 2017
3,490
4,231
113
35
Des Moines
I'm horrible when it comes to in game anxiety. I probably won't watch the West Virginia game live this weekend. I'll just watch it if we win.

I've come to the conclusion that my joy of winning is far exceeded by my hatred of losing. It's a curse.

When my Clones lose, I feel waves of anger and depression. When they win, I don't really experience a rush of joy. Instead, it's more like an immense sense of relief. It sucks.

I need professional help.
All the greats, coaches and players alike, say the joy of winning is far outweighed by the hatred/sadness/whatever of losing. It’s human nature, too, to focus on the negatives way more than the positives.
 

IceCyIce

Well-Known Member
Aug 17, 2009
2,630
1,642
113
Grimes
I get it - When I'm at the games I don't have quite the anxiety and blood pressure is lower. Listening to it on radio worse than being at the game. Waching it on TV it's like Francon 7-8.

Now watching ISU Vs. West Virginia basketball on TV is Francon 100 for me. I don't watch that live any longer.
 
  • Like
Reactions: fsanford

NWICY

Well-Known Member
Sep 2, 2012
35,232
31,348
113
Try to watch most games live or listen to them on the radio. If I miss a big fb or bb win I might rewatch it, but usually don't.
Heck the nervousness of watching the game is part of the fun.
 

1UNI2ISU

Well-Known Member
Jan 30, 2013
8,986
12,093
113
Waterloo
I've actually kind of mellowed over the years. Used to be my entire life and well being when UNI or Iowa State were playing.

Didn't sleep for 3 days after the A&M debacle in the tournament in '16 and then broke a remote control in half after UNI lost to Bradley in the MVC final in '19. Kind of realized that there was a breaking point there. Also, in hindsight, 17 year old me had a full on meltdown after the Michigan State game in '00.

Still get crazy anxious when I'm watching but I like to think I handle it better now. My daughter is also old enough to have a buddy to watch games with now and we have a whole lot more fun cheering than I ever did when I was miserable watching.

Still absolutely HATE losing but it's not lingering for hours/days anymore.
 

jsb

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Mar 7, 2008
33,287
39,276
113
I'm horrible when it comes to in game anxiety. I probably won't watch the West Virginia game live this weekend. I'll just watch it if we win.

I've come to the conclusion that my joy of winning is far exceeded by my hatred of losing. It's a curse.

When my Clones lose, I feel waves of anger and depression. When they win, I don't really experience a rush of joy. Instead, it's more like an immense sense of relief. It sucks.

I need professional help.

I think my joy of winning/hatred of losing is about equal.

I've made it a point over the last several years to really try and enjoy the wins. And I've tried to let go of some of the hatred of losing. I tend to come in more sad than mad on the losses (all bets are off if I think the officials are the cause).

Honestly, the COVID football and basketball seasons helped with this. I enjoyed the hell out of the 2020 football season. I even didn't mind the empty stadiums and appreciated the benefits of them (i.e. parking has never been better). And I was very easily able to complete ignore/block out the 2021 basketball season. To this day, it's like that debacle never happened.
 
  • Like
Reactions: pourcyne

Goclones1727

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Mar 23, 2006
882
1,212
93
Has definitely gotten better with age, but I've definitely lost numerous hours of sleep after some of our classic nut-cup losses in the past.
 

pourcyne

Well-Known Member
Feb 19, 2011
9,638
12,555
113
Anybody else have issues with "fanxiety"? Have you find any ways to help reduce nervousness and anxiety with Cyclone games? I struggle to just sit back and enjoy the games at times. This year could be a special season and it can be difficult to just enjoy the ride.

If I think it's going to be close, I try to do something else, pin the live score to my phone's start-up page and then periodically check to see if I can bear to watch the stunning conclusion as well as the entire game without ads. ESPN and YouTube TV aid and abet me in this endeavor.

Pretty much ever since my heart stopped beating when UNI and Chemical Ali beat Kansas at the Dance (2010), I have not been able to risk the angst. o_O

 

Cyhig

Well-Known Member
Nov 29, 2017
3,248
6,789
113
It's perfectly normal to have "fanxiety" before and during a game. But I think there is a fine line of being a fanatic vs having the outcome of the game (particularly if the team lost) affect your behavior to those around you.
 

acoustimac

Well-Known Member
Jan 8, 2009
9,205
10,723
113
Lamoni, IA
The ups and downs (way too many downs or nut kicks) caused me to have anxiety when watching on tv. Being there live is different because you can release your pent up frustrations or anger with the rest of the crowd. Usually I record the game and start watching 30-40 min after it starts. Weird I know. Basketball isn’t as bad as football. For me I think trust is the issue. I rarely trust one of our football teams to do their thing without shooting themselves in the foot 2-3 times (or more) a game. Ya just know that nut kick is coming.
 

State2015

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Aug 26, 2016
1,389
3,007
113
I always place a decent ML bet against the cyclones for football games. That way I’m bummed if we lose but at least there’s a silver lining of some cash. Works best when we’re favorites since the loss stings more but the payout is more.

2021 was a great year for my gambling book
 

Lyon309Cy

Well-Known Member
Sep 5, 2010
294
326
63
I have mellowed some, but still spend an unhealthy amount of time preoccupied thinking about the next big upcoming game, in fb and mbb, and for wbb tourney games. It's so much a part of my identity, and about the only time I don't keep my emotions locked up. But I have mellowed.
I was a rabid StL baseball fan for a stretch, I was at the clinching W.S. game in 06 and remember afterwards how strange and vaguely empty it felt to actually win a title, and again after the Chiefs won. I care less about them now than I ever have.
I have a sneaking suspicion it would be similar if ISU ever made it to the top. The climb, the struggle and all the adversity are what drive my investment. I have general fanxiety about whether they will max out their potential and sometimes more specifically that one play or sequence could end their season. It helps to have trust in the coaches.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: RagingCloner

CySmurf

Well-Known Member
Jul 14, 2011
4,810
6,430
113
My Dad passed away this Summer. We had spent quite a bit of time in the hospital with him leading up to that. My brothers and I are helping Mom through it by spending more time with her now that Dad is gone. Long story, short...Football, basketball, whether it's the Cyclones or my favorite pro teams...they're a great escape for a few hours to forget about your struggles with life, work...whatever. I've learned to just enjoy the escape for awhile...knowing win or lose, there will be more games down the road to enjoy the escape.