The study says the agony of defeat is worse than the thrill of victory.
Pamela Gail Johnson is founder of the Secret Society of Happy People. She says the pain of a loss is more intense when you're actually at the game.
"The next day you're still kind of remembering that loss a little bit more than you would the elation of the win."
But Jim Gumm, editor of college football's The Blitz, says he can't imagine life without sports.
"I just enjoy the competition; I enjoy everything that surrounds sporting events."
Gumm, who's now in his 50s, says he took losses a lot harder when he was younger and now he has more perspective.
He says competition is part of human nature.
"I think it's just a natural thing for guys to want to go up against another guy, whether it's a one on one like boxing or a team sport."
Johnson says the benefits of sports outweigh the negatives.
"It teaches a lot because if you do lose, if you're actually one of the players who loses, you have to get up and play again."
Keep in mind the English are mostly concerned with soccer and their national team is often a source of disappointment.