Why the Phillies’ and Eagles’ successes might have you feeling happier, even if you’re not a fan

Whether you’re a die-hard Phillies fan who never misses a game, a casual observer known to partake in the occasional South Philly tailgate or “E- A-G-L-E-S, Eagles!” chant, or a sports-atheist, you may have noticed yourself feeling happier in recent weeks.

The Phillies are impressing in their first playoff run in more than a decade. The Eagles are undefeated. The Union have home-field advantage heading into the playoffs.

This weekend, postseason baseball will make its long-awaited return to Citizens Bank Park. Then, the Eagles will face the Cowboys across the street Sunday in prime time. Needless to say, fans are fired up.

“It feels great coming off a win and going to work the next day,” said Devin Valentine, 32, of North Wales, a lifelong Eagles, Sixers, and Phillies fan (in that order). “It just brings energy and passion to me and my coworkers and my family.”

While the excitement and anticipation can’t eradicate other global and individual stressors, their impact on the region’s communal happiness and well-being should not be disregarded, psychology experts say.

“Emotions have these multifaceted impacts on people. They change our behavior. They change our thinking,” said Crystal Reeck, an assistant professor at Temple University who has a Ph.D. in psychology and neuroscience. “One person’s positive mood can end up spreading to another, even in this case if someone is not an Eagles fan.”

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In fact, it’s at times like these that the sports-don’t-matter argument is proven most untrue, psychology experts say; the joy and camaraderie are meaningful.

“Happiness is contagious,” said Eric Zillmer, a clinical psychologist and Drexel University professor who teaches courses on happiness and sports psychology. “That’s the beauty of these events that are happening right now.”

“You just can’t help but be giddy,” he added.

Zillmer, the university’s former athletics director and director of its Global Sports Lab, said he has studied what the happiest countries, such as Finland and Denmark, have in common.

As the Philly sports teams have been winning, he’s seen four of these qualities also on display in Philadelphia.

In a region where people identify strongly with their neighborhood or county, and an increasingly polarized political climate, it can be hard to find issues that unite us.

“There’s nothing better than to beat the Braves 7-6″ on Tuesday, he said. “This is something that creates a fabric throughout our city.”

In the happiest countries, they are resilient even in the face of adversity, Zillmer noted, and in recent years, those obstacles have been plentiful: the pandemic, inflation, geopolitical conflict.

On a smaller scale, Philadelphians are enjoying a special kind of joy that comes after setbacks.

“It’s even more delicious to enjoy the Phillies’ playoff victory given we haven’t been in the playoffs since 2011,” he said. “Philadelphians love nothing more than a triumphant struggle and this is what we’re getting. It’s kind of unexpected that the Phillies have risen to this level of play right now and the Eagles have reinvented themselves in one season.”

Some people garden, meditate, or take long walks. But, even for a casual fan or someone who doesn’t usually watch sports, immersing themselves in a team can have benefits, even if just for the length of the game, Zillmer said.

“Sports by definition is a celebration of the here and now,” he said. “You can’t focus on anything else.”

“When you play sports and watch sports, especially when it’s meaningful like being in the playoffs, you don’t worry about the regrets of your past or the anxieties of your future,” he added. So right now, “its almost like we’re going through group therapy in Philadelphia.”

It’s comforting to feel a sense of belonging to something bigger than yourself, Zillmer said, and attending or watching a sports game can provide that.

“Part of Philly’s collective identity is its investment in its sports teams,” said Temple’s Reeck. “That’s why a lot of people here especially feel so personally impacted by the performance of these teams.”

But at the same time, Zillmer added, “the casual fan can feel it. They can feel this energy. It also provides meaning in their lives.”