As of February 12, 2007, the NHL Pittsburgh Penguins and state and local Pennsylvania leaders have not reached a financial deal on a new hockey arena, which is necessary to keep the team from relocating to another city. The possible loss of the Penguins has caused much anguish and fear in government officials and Penguins fans. What's the big deal, you may say? I was living in Philadelphia in the mid -'80s when the NFL Philadelphia Eagles, like the Penguins, contemplated leaving town. According to psychologists and sociologists I consulted for a Philadelphia Daily News article, losing a sports team is traumatic to a city, and not just for financial reasons. Cities use their teams to brag about the city and its culture, said these sources. If a team wins a championship, or makes the playoffs, the eyes of the nation are focused on the team's city. A team also gives a city a sense of identity and cohesion, even when fans boo together. Fans are therefore in a precarious situation when a professional sports team threatens to leave, and go through classic psychological symptoms of denial and anger. Their first reaction is, "Oh, it couldn't be." Their second reaction is anger. These emotions would graduate to withdrawal and perhaps depression if a team finally relocates. Even if a team stays, the fans still experience resentment and hurt about a perceived disloyalty. This can take time to heal. Anger of leaders, such as sportscasters and writers, can fuel the anger of fans, but over time fans look back on the situation as if nothing ever happened.
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