Super Bowl Syndromes: Psychologist Finds Two Major Psychological Difficulties Arising During Super Bowl Season

Most husbands love football and most wives hate it -- that's where the trouble starts. According to a Los Angeles psychologist: "Those disinterested folks who have to put up with 'Super Bowl Madness' this weekend better learn 'Super Bowl Etiquette', that is, what not to do on Sunday while the game is on; tips for football spouses to help them keep their sanity and relationships intact during the Super Bowl."

(PRWEB) February 3, 2005 -- Most husbands love football and most wives hate it -- that's where the trouble starts.

According to a Los Angeles psychologist: "Those disinterested folks who have to put up with 'Super Bowl Madness' this weekend better learn 'Super Bowl Etiquette', that is, what not to do on Sunday while the game is on; tips for football spouses to help them keep their sanity and relationships intact during the Super Bowl."
    
Here are a few activities that can break up a marriage if attempted while the Super Bowl is in progress:
-- Household chores or anything that requires running noisy electric appliances -- do them all on Saturday.
-- Balancing the checkbook or any activity remotely related to finance or money matters.
-- Activity with the children -- send the kids to a long double feature on Sunday afternoon.
-- Conversations beginning with "You never talk to me..."; "Isn't football too violent..."; or "How many points did you say the team gets for a touchdown?"
-- Any jealous remarks relating to the physical characteristics o the cheerleaders during the half-time festivities.

Robert R. Butterworth, Ph.D., a Los Angeles psychologist who studies psychological behavior related to contemporary trends, finds two major psychological difficulties arise during the Super Bowl season.

Super Bowl Guilt Syndrome
For a male, not liking football automatically classifies him as a wimp or an individual deficient in his level of testosterone. These males usually hide out and pretend they are not home so their buddies who are obsessed with the Super Bowl will not force them to participate.
    
Males who feel guilty because football fails to turn them on are not less masculine because they don't like football.
    
According to Butterworth, however, "They are 'wimps' because they don't have the guts to admit that they hate it."
    
Most women do not have this problem because they are better adjusted when it comes to the sport of football: "They are not afraid to admit that they hate it," said Butterworth.

Super Bowl Spouse Syndrome
Being married to a Super Bowl fanatic does not mean that one is obliged to watch the game, let alone understand and pretend to enjoy it.
    
"Marriage vows that say that a mate has to love, honor and cherish make no mention of sitting through a Super Bowl game. Standard marriage vows were written well before the beginning of the Super Bowl phenomenon or they would have been amended," said Butterworth.
    
Butterworth tells Super Bowl spouses: "Super Bowl Sunday presents a unique opportunity for football haters to visit places that are normally crowded on the weekend. There are no lines at Disneyland this Sunday."
    
If all else fails and anger and stress levels start to escalate during the game, Butterworth advises purchasing an inexpensive football and pounding on it with a baseball bat.
    
"You'll feel better afterwards and the cost of a damaged football is a lot cheaper than the cost of a visit to the 'shrink'."

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