| Updated: 6/19/2012 9:26 am |
Published: 6/18/2012 9:22 pm
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Tulsa psychologist Dr. Tim Doty says the way many people in Green County felt when the Thunder lost Game 3 of the NBA Finals Sunday night is called a "shared grief reaction."
Dr. Doty says because there is just one big league team in the entire state of Oklahoma, this communal feeling of disappointment and frustration with the result of Game 3 is hitting Okies harder than usual.
By Monday afternoon, Thunder fans were still stinging.
“(I am) a little bit frustrated because it was so close. They had a lead, they shouldn't have lost it,” Thunder fan Kathryn Holmes said.
“The officiating was really lopsided, a lot of no calls on the Thunder” 17-year-old OKC fan, Patrick Wells said.
Even young fans couldn't hide their feelings after the final buzzer sounded.
“First I started throwing my toys and kinda breaking them because I thought the Thunder was going to win,” Michael, age seven, said.
Dr. Doty says all those reactions are normal.
“I think people may take it hard if they're highly affiliated or highly aligned with the team,” Dr. Doty told FOX23. That pretty much describes this entire Thunder crazed state.
“This is sort of a new arena for us,” Dr. Doty said.
He says Oklahoma is feeling antsy, angsty, and agitated because people here have put an incredible amount of value on the Thunder capturing the NBA crown.
“People are so excited about this team, they want them to win,” Holmes said.
When they don't win, the bitter taste in our mouths lingers.
“The fact that there's some sort of shared disappointment, there's permission to kind of be right there with the other disappointed fans,” Dr. Doty said.
He says fans feeling blue need to step back and look at the big picture.
“Our worth in life is not tied to how the Thunder does. It's a big deal, but it doesn't mean your value or worth as a person has to be tied to that.”
For many Oklahomans, stepping back from the glow of a possible NBA title is impossible.
“I barely slept last night, I am better today,” Wells told FOX23.
The Thunder still has every chance to pull off the championship. There are four games left in the series, and the last two would be in Oklahoma City.
