I’ve just watched three talking heads jabber over today’s Premier league football results. They included a snippet where the filmed heads of two supporters ranted in misery about their respective teams loss today.

One was a Crystal Place fan who had just seen his side lose  3-0 away to West Ham United at the London Stadium. He bemoaned “We’ve just played at awful side lacking in confidence and without their best player. They were awful. We shouldn’t have lost..”etc. When he calms down will he reflect on the result? 3 – 0. This isn’t a 1 – 0  victory after an own-goal with West Ham for 45 minutes hanging on for dear life. It’s a comprehensive win. Yes, West Ham are struggling with confidence issues that come out in their playing and their best player has said he will no longer play for them, having forgotten how well they treated him. But they turned out and beat Crystal Place who, from the brief highlights I have seen, barely had a shot on target. So if there was an awful team on that pitch today, which one was it? But the supporter is passionate and that extends to him seeing not what actually happened but what he believes should never have happened. How can such an awful team beat such a great team. West Ham sit several league places above Crystal Palace because they’ve won more games but facts like this play no part in this man’s mind. He may not be the brightest cog or he may be very able in his own area of expertise outside the football punditry arena but once passion rises logic flies out of the window.

The second man was complaining  Sunderland should never have lost to Stoke City 3-1 or indeed at all. Stoke have finished above Sunderland for many recent seasons. Stoke are ninth now and finished ninth in the past two seasons whereas Sunderland of late run their annual relegation battle and finish lower down, so far escaping relegation by the skin of their teeth. When Stoke finish lower down the  league you can be sure in recent years Sunderland have finished below them. So, on that record why should the Sunderland supporter believe Sunderland have the “right” to beat Stoke City? All the evidence suggests Sunderland might be lucky to scrape a draw. I had a look at the statistics of games between Sunderland and Stoke City since 1990 and at a quick count honours were almost even with Stoke winning one more game plus they had 7 draws between them. But on recent form Sunderland surely cannot assume a home win when Stoke City visit. And so when they lose, the supporter should have shrugged his shoulders thinking better luck next time. But passion took over, the mist descended and he couldn’t see how his beloved Sunderland could lose to a team that regularly gets better results than they do and who are significantly higher placed in the league.

Passion. Boy meets girl something clicks and it leads to passion. The mist comes down. Passion often leads to marriage. Eventually passion lifts, logic returns and all see clearly. When men understand the highs and lows and see it all for what it is at last.  Does passion help to explain the divorce rate? Or at least begin to explain why incompatible people share a relationship. Even sometimes doggedly soldiering on into old age with little connection with their partner any more.

Passion. Brilliant while it’s here. Oh what a magic feeling! I’m Alive! But later the chickens come home to roost. Sometimes it works, of course. Sometimes.