Losing: it sucks. Especially “the big game.” Whether it’s a game against your rival school or the game for the championship, the stakes are high. The whole school and community gets behind the team, with huge hopes and dreams, just to have them come crashing down. Here are nine things that happen when your team loses the game:

1. You realize a loss is inevitable.

Throughout the game, you support, cheer, and believe in your team. No matter how far behind you are, you claim that “we can make a comeback” or “we’re still in it!” However, there’s a time where you realize the truth that you’re not going to win. Admitting it is the first step to recovery.

2. The moment of silence.

A “moment” means different things to different people. Some just take two minutes, others don’t speak for the rest of the day. Usually, the average fan is silent for the walk home. You need time to process, and talking about the game, or anything at all, is too much to handle.

3. The denial.

You pretend it didn’t happen. You don’t lose, you can’t lose. It’s your team, and you’re a winner. You hate these feelings and you want them to stop, so you pretend it didn’t happen.

4. You pretend you don’t care.

Okay, so it’s true. You lost. Big deal, right? You don’t even care about sports, or your team, or anything related to team spirit. Anyone who does is a baby and you have other things to care about, right?

5. Everyone, including you becomes a sports analyst.

You dissect EVERY SINGLE DETAIL of the game. Of course you know what went wrong. So does everyone who has a smart phone and the ability to comment on social media. The coach made terrible choices, if the defense had stepped up their game, if the quarterback didn’t make that one mistake, you would have won. You know it, everyone knows it, and through the collaborative effort of everyone online, you figure out how to be the best team.

6. You hate the team.

This usually comes alongside with the analyses of the game, but this is where you, and again, the internet, turns on the team. They lost the game for you! You were counting on them, and they let you down! No support for the team at all. You’ll never go to another game again!

7. Defending your team.

You’ll be talking to your friend from another college or your family and they’ll say something along the lines of, “sorry for the loss, but you guys totally blew it”. Or they’ll make fun of how bad you lost, or the players, or the play that “lost it all.” And that’s when you realize, you have to defend your team, and you will, because as much as you pretend how little you care about your school’s team, you do.

8. Full blown support.

You love your team, you always will, even if they lose. So, you hold your head high, post something about how proud you are to be a fan, and wear your sports gear the very next weekend.

And finally….

9. The “win or lose, we still booze” attitude on campus.

Parties happen no matter what. So go out, hang with your friends, and share your suffering together.

And there you have it! Those are the things that will happen after your team loses. Like the Stages of Grief, you may skip around or move through some stages faster or slower than others, but they’ll happen. Losing sucks, but it’s a part of life. Just be sure to be in full support on the next game day!