Agita has already developed among New York Jets fans over the injury to their quarterback and over the way Washington raided four of its regulars from last season.
Now it becomes truly unhealthy. All football fans are hereby put on notice that their once-a-week passion can be bad for their hearts.
The latest warning about stress and big games came out of Vienna over the weekend during a convention of the European Society of Cardiology. One expert noted that Swiss soccer fans had a sudden surge in heart attacks during last year's World Cup.
Since American football can be just as exciting as world-level soccer, stateside fans should also be careful about their health now that the NFL season is beginning. This word to the wise was delivered by Dr. Eugene Katz, of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois in Switzerland, during the convention. He and his colleagues said there was a 60 percent increase in the number of cardiac arrests occurring outside hospitals during last year's World Cup, compared with those in 2001.
Since Switzerland did not even qualify for the World Cup, one can only imagine how Swiss hearts would have reacted to an overtime game involving their national team.
NFL fans, however, do not need national pride to reach their own high levels of anxiety. Loyalty to their team becomes inflamed during night games, like the one on Thursday, when fans have had time to ingest copious amounts of alcohol.
"I've certainly seen examples after heartbreaking losses, particularly among susceptible people," said Dr. James H. O'Keefe Jr., director of preventive cardiology at the Mid America Heart Institute, in Kansas City, Mo. He added, "You can reduce that by being in better shape."
Doctors suggest that fans lay off alcohol, tobacco and coffee and eat light and healthy meals before games. Try telling that to an American football fan who is loaded up with a six-pack, chips and cheese.
For that matter, try telling that to American corporations that spend millions of dollars to induce Americans to load up on salt, sugar, alcohol and caffeine. Nobody ever got rich selling 30-second Super Bowl commercials for salads.
American cardiologists have long connected sports anxiety and cardiac stress, said Dr. Morris Weiss of Louisville, Ky., a lanky former high school basketball player who answers to the nickname Moose.
"We've had some teams at Louisville that we called the Cardiac Cards, he said, referring to the university's nickname, the Cardinals.
"It starts with getting to your seat in the nosebleed section," Weiss added. "By the time you climb a few ramps, you're already out of breath. I tell my patients to arrive early, try to get a disability parking space, take their time, take their nitroglycerine.
"But sometimes they tell me, `Moose, I don't think Pitino's going to be able to beat U.K. this year, and my wife is telling me to stay home,'" he added.
"I tell them to chill out at home."
Total avoidance is impossible for fans tempted to turn on the television set.
In an article published in the British Medical Journal last year, five British researchers (Douglas Carroll, Shah Ebrahim, Kate Tilling, John Macleod and George Davey Smith) found a 25 percent increase in acute myocardial infarctions on the day of and the two days after England's loss to Argentina in a shootout during the World Cup in 1998.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and