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A study published in the December issue of the Journal of Communication finds that fans who at some point thought their team was going to lose find a game more enjoyable. Researchers polled students from three Midwestern universities who watched the 2006 Ohio State/Michigan football game.

The notorious rival teams were ranked numbers one and two in the country, with the winner going to the national championship. Ohio State won the game, 42-39.

Students who found the game to be more suspenseful -- no matter who they were rooting for -- also found the game more enjoyable. As researcher Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick told Ohio State University Research News, "You need the negative emotions of thinking your team might lose to get you in an excited, nervous state ... If your team wins, all that negative tension is suddenly converted to positive energy, which will put you in a euphoric state."

This study caused some scuttlebutt around the Lemondrop offices.

Heather, a lifelong Red Sox fan, agrees with the findings: "When the Sox won it all in 2004, the World Series was pretty anticlimactic compared to the seven-game marathon ALCS in which we beat the Yankees after losing the first three games. Add that the team hadn't won a World Series in 86 years, and the excitement was undeniable. When the Sox won it all in 2007, I was thrilled, but it just wasn't the same."

Erin, a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, agrees with the findings on a single-game basis: "While it's exciting when your team wins a close game (particularly if it's against the Cardinals) -- or even pushes a series to the end -- I'd take the smooth-sailing win any day of the week. Also, this study likely explains why every Cubs fans enters a state of euphoria when we make it into the post-season: 101 years of losing converts into a heck of a lot of positive energy."

Note: Both girls were disgusted watching the Yankees win.

Tell us: Do you think you need a game to be a nail-biter to enjoy the win? Were you as disgusted by the Yankees victory as we were?