Does the Patriot's loss mean the end of American hegemony?

As for the football, I do enjoy watching, But to me it does seem a bit odd for some to be so emotionally dependent upon the outcome sports event. The extreme joy or sadness seem a bit silly. Then I remind myself: well, what else would people care about so vehemently if not sports, or tv, or celebrity of some sort? Would people start caring/thinking about more "important" (to us intellectuals) things? Would that make things better? Probably not.

Interestingly, I've known many "crazy" sports folks who otherwise are quite smart and informed people. Yet, if their team looses, it can ruin there whole week. A question a few of my friends and I have had over the years in response to such things (I'm sure we're not the only ones to think it): How many women get physically, or at least mentally, abused due to a loosing sports event?

I would say part of the whole thing has to do with the gambling aspect, which seems pretty endemic within sports. I find people, myself included, like to feel like an authority on something, anything in their lives. Just listen to sporting conversation. Besides creating a context for dialogue for various types of folks (a positive effect, especially here in NYC), mostly sports talk revolves around projecting future outcomes or rehashing previous events, hence the phrases "Monday morning quarterbacking." Gambling is a way to prove the validity of one's forecast, as well as accentuate the thrill (or misery) of the outcome. Of course, this ties into the most commonly noted and felt aspect of "fandom" (fan, short for fanatic), which is the enmeshing of ones life with something outside ourselves. Past ( as nostalgia), present (as victors or vanquished), and future (as retaining glory or struggling for it); for many, as with human relationships with dogs (I'll leave this for another time), the we-feeling of the group, family, etc. is not only necessary to function but has a centripetal affect on potential sociopathic behavior. Yes, despite the negative in the abuse of a spouse, I believe better one in the home than many in the mall...or at the Super Bowl.