Football is a matter of life and death

I'm slightly disturbed at football's ability to affect my mood for significant periods of time. I'm a Liverpool supporter, and on days when Liverpool play and win I tend to have a nice day -- like waking up on the right (read correct) side of the bed. But when Liverpool lose it's quite the inverse -- I'm pretty moody and irritable. This can be brought to extremes, for example, depending on the magnitude of the match. When Liverpool lost in the Champion's League final in 2007, I sobbed uncontrollably in a bar in Valencia and had to be consoled by a number of people, included concerned strangers (I swear I wasn't drunk :-|). That being said, I wouldn't change it for anything. I love it enough that I'm willing to take the rough with the smooth.

Being a Liverpool supporter, I loath Manchester United. So much so that when they lose I feel nearly as good as when Liverpool win. I bring Schadenfreude to a whole new level. And then they win, it doesn't feel terrible but it's not nice. I guess it's probably analogous to losing €20.

So as you can imagine, when Liverpool play Manchester United, the shit well and truly hits the fan. This biennial occasion came around once again last Saturday. Liverpool hadn't beaten them in over 2.5 years, so a win was long overdue. The result you ask? 60 hours later and you still can't wipe the smile off my face :D

"Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that." -- Bill Shankley