"Bad call! The referees screwed us! Unfair!"
The lexicon of the sore loser is
largely the same across every sport and competition that this unwanted presence
stains, but in few places is it more prevalent than in the National Football
League's biggest bouts. Unfortunately, with New Orleans's own Saints being one
of the most spiritedly supported teams in the nation, there is always the risk
of being left with a considerable share of fans who would rather attribute most
close losses to happenstance and prejudice rather than a matter of being
outplayed. However, according to a study by sports gambling site MI BETS, the Saints thankfully do not rank
at the topmost extreme of the biggest whiners, among both fans and players, in
the NFL.
The study measured the teams who
complain about their losses in the NFL the most, predominantly, though not
exclusively, fans. Reasons commonly cited for their "unfair" losses were also
listed, with the Dallas Cowboys at number one, being known for employing the
"victim mentality." The New England Patriots are close behind at number two and
have the same cited excuse. New Orleans's own Saints fans come into the list at
number three, and their most common complaint is the dredging and grieving of
old losses.
The list as a whole was compiled
from a survey spanning over 5,000 NFL mavens across the country, and their
answers formed the bulk of the data presented. One of the other survey items
was the form of venting that aggravated people the most. The largest offenders
were, as one might expect, incessantly complaining on social media, dismissing
referee rulings as poorly made or biased, and employing a victim mentality.
Anyone with a competitive spirit knows how frustrating it can be to lose a
high-strung match, even if you are not on the field, but try to be courteous to
those around you and keep yourself composed, regardless of the outcome.
