No Lie: Couples Who Love The Same Teams Are Happier

It's a question I never considered: as a couple, does rooting for the same team give you a happier relationship?

I've never considered that or thought someone would try to determine whether it's true. Anecdotally, my late wife Kathy and I both enjoyed cheering on the Chicago Cubs. After moving to Missouri, watching the Chiefs became a ritual, which is impressive because I wouldn't say either of us was a big football fan.

Whether it was the Cubs or the Chiefs, we enjoyed watching the games, talking about the players, and watching our teams struggle or thrive. It's pretty similar with my girlfriend Stacey, except she's way more into the Chiefs than Kathy ever was.  Overall, I'd say, yes, rooting for the same teams, anecdotally, in my case, makes us a happier couple.

So, is this true, or is it just a bunch of nonsense? It's actually true.

A sports betting site studied this and found that couples who shared team loyalty are more satisfied with their relationship, rating it a 9 out of 10. In contrast, couples who cheer for different teams rate their relationship an 8.5 out of 10.

Let's be honest: If you rate your relationship an 8.5 out of 10, you're doing pretty well on the relationship happiness scale. If you ask me, pushing it up half a point because of the shared rooting interest mirrors my experience with Kathy and Stacey over the years. So I'd say it's on the results are on the money.

In Missouri, specifically, couples who root for the same team score a point higher. Couples who cheer for the same teams rated their relationship a 9 out of 10, whereas couples who root for different teams scored an 8 out of 10. Once again, rooting for different teams won't wreck your relationship, but rooting for the same teams can positively affect your happiness.

Another interesting note from this Promoguy study is that couples who root for the same team tend to have an average of 4.6 team-related arguments yearly, while those who root for other teams only argue 2.4 times a year.

Maybe this is because the Chiefs are so good right now, but there don't seem to be many team-related arguments in Missouri. Couples rooting for the same teams had about one argument a year, while those rooting for different teams didn't argue.

Isn't it part of the fan experience to occasionally argue with friends and family about what's going on with your team? So, I'm not sure those numbers are a big deal.

So there you have it. There's no reason to call the divorce lawyer if your spouse or significant other doesn't share your rooting interests, but rooting for the same team can add more bliss to your relationship!