It is October once again and we are back in World Series panic! It’s bad when you’re team doesn’t make the Series or the playoffs (umm, METS) but is it worse if your team makes it and loses? I can’t decide! The disappointment is so real and no matter what, you take it personally.
Not sure how many of you are baseball or sports fans, but I’ve got to say the energy and excitement that I feel when watching baseball is intense. Of course I also get excited for General Hospital, Grey’s Anatomy, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and So You Think You Can Dance BUT baseball brings an entirely different thrill! It’s a mix of anticipation, hope, fear, passion and the fact that it’s actually a live event, taking place exactly as I’m watching, makes it even better.
I have however heard a few sad stories about men having heart attacks while watching sports. And I somehow remember growing up and thinking my uncle (who was a crazy baseball fan and still is) might literally pass out on the living room floor if he didn’t stop screaming at the TV. Interestingly, I read a story in the NY Times citing that researchers discovered cardiac emergencies more than tripled for men and nearly doubled for women on days that the German soccer team played versus other times of the year. But the risk was highest for those already suffering from some kind of heart disease.
On the flip side, I read another article that says how watching sports can actually help with cognitive processes in your brain. For example, if a radio broadcaster says, “Lebron James dribbles across mid-court. Slashes into the lane, crosses over to his right hand, and posterizes Lamar Odom!", basketball fans are able to visualize and interpret that much more quickly than someone who doesn’t watch any sports. Scientists at the University of Chicago claim that familiarity with sports lingo and the physical movements that go along with it increase activity in the left dorsal premotor cortex of our brain. Sounds good to me!
So, hoping that you ladies are not suffering from any kind of heart disease, I strongly encourage giving this week’s World Series a try. If nothing else, you’ll exercise your brain and fill your already spirited minds with a little more knowledge about baseball. Oh, but root for the Yankees. For me.
- Elaine La Personerie - www.winkpr.com
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