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Dr. Richard Lustberg, Ph.D.


On The Couch:
 The Week In Review
(3/03)


NEW BLOG!
New Regular Posts

Print Media Appearances

NYDailyNews
Dr. Lustberg speaks on Sports Stars and Celebrities dating

Courant.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on office pools

Wave Magazine
Dr. Lustberg speaks on youth sport

ABC News
Dr. Lustberg speaks on ABC News

The Free Press - Mankato, MN
Dr. Lustberg's quotes are pure fiction

The Vail Trail
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
being a sports fan

OrlandoSentinel.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Forgiving Fans

Birkshire Eagle
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Red Sox's Nation

SignOnSanDiego
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
sports fans' emotions

Time
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
the fans' reaction to the Mets' collapse

New York Post
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Met Fans lost season

seattlepi.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Mike Hargrove

reviewjournal.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Michael Vick and Dog Fighting

Newsday.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
fan behavior

STL Today
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Barry Bonds and why he's a polarizing figure

Athens News
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
fan support

InfoSports
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
youth sport

KansasCity.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Post Traumatic NFL-Football Disorder

FresnoBee.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
focus, concentration, and preparation.

SignOnSanDiego.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
fan's behaviors

BerkshireEagle.com:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
how the fans relate to the players

Daily Herald:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
the psychology of Rex Grossman

Courier News:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
being a sports fan

Examiner:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
the Baltimore Ravens and the positive energy fans create

PajamasMedia:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
the psychology of autographs

ESPN.com:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Teammate sabbotage

VC2:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Steroids

Kane County Chronicle:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Superstitions

Christian Science Monitor:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Issues about youth sport

smh.com.au:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
World Famous swimmer: Ian Thorpe

NewsReview.com:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
the psychological importance of having a sports franchise in your city

Philadelphia Daily News:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Terrell Owens

Winston-Salem Journal:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Athletic Competitiveness

The Boston Globe:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
The Minds of NFL Kickers

USA Today:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Baseball Players' Fatigue

Journal Gazette:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Mental Illness in Athletes

The Associated Press:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Hero Worship

Newsday.com:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Alex Rodriguez

ReviewJournal.com:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Ben Rothlesberger

PJM News:
Phil Mickelsohn Infatuation

Unabated Sports:
A Doctor In The House

Sports Central:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on Trash Talking

PE
Dr. Lustberg speaks on Rituals

Canoe
Dr. Lustberg speaks on Lucky Charms

Coloradoan
Dr. Lustberg speaks on Superstitions

Orlando Sentinel
Dr. Lustberg speaks on The Death of Tony Dungy's Son and Depression

Star Telegram
Dr. Lustberg speaks on fan and owner loyalty

Jacksonville
Dr. Lustberg speaks on losers

Belleville News Democrat
Dr. Lustberg speaks on emotional reaction to games

Star Telegram
Dr. Lustberg speaks on the line between players and spectators

Des Moines Register
Dr. Lustberg speaks on "how young is too young?"

DenverPost.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on perpetual losers in sports

dailypress.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on players and their uniform numbers

SignOnSanDiego.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant

latimes.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant

PE.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on athletes who have returned to their old teams

OCRegister.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks  on athletes and their jersey numbers

Mets Inside Pitch
Dr Lustberg speaks  on the psychological aspects of being employed in the major leagues and having your position reassigned.

post-gazette.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks  on enduring a long string of losing

Hartford Courant
Dr. Lustberg speaks on athlete's sudden illnesses

NorthJersey.com
 Dr. Lustberg speaks on the Yankees/Red Sox epic rivalry

Mercury News
Dr. Lustberg speaks on Barrett Robbins and Mental Illness in Athletes

phillyBurbs.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on the passion of sports fans

York Daily Record
Dr. Lustberg speaks on superstitions in sports

Denver Post
Dr. Lustberg speaks on trash talking in sports

The Duquesne Duke
Dr. Lustberg speaks on fans and sports

Chicago Tribune
Dr. Lustberg speaks on superstitions

Sunday Herald
Dr. Lustberg speaks on Barrett Robbins’ struggle against bipolar disease

New York Daily News
Dr. Lustberg speaks on the impact of the Jets playoff loss

The San Diego Union-Tribune
Dr. Lustberg speaks on the history of player/fan violence

New York Times

USA Today

Dallas Morning News

Denver Post

Chicago Tribune

The Baltimore Sun

Philadelphia Daily News

Daily News Sports

Denver Post

San Francisco Chronicle

Newsday

Orlando Sentinel

San Diego Union Tribune

timesunion.com

WebMDHealth

The Providence Journal

The San Diego Union-Tribune

UK Casino News

CBS NFL Kid Zone

The Kansas City Star

The Dallas Morning News

Star Telegram

San Diego Union Tribune

Forest Grove News Times

Scroll Online

The Daily Free Press

MyrtleBeachOnline.com

Toronto Star

San Francisco Chronicle

Orlando Sentinel

Femmefan.com

Monterey County Herald

Lincoln Journal Star

ChicKnits

Reveries Magazine

The Mercury News

International Network on Personal Meaning

Christian Science Monitor

Preteenagers Today

San Antonio Business Journal

eSports Media Group

The Marion Star

PsychNet-UK

The Record (Hackensack, NJ)

The Plain Dealer

delawareonline.com
The News Journal

iparenting.com

Christian Science Monitor

The Journal News

El Tiempo

The Observer & Eccentric Newspapers

outsports.com

 

 

The Sports Gospel According to Mark: You can help the Bobcat men

By Mark Chalifoux
Athens NEWS Sports Columnist
Monday, March 5th, 2007


The Ohio Bobcats can win the MAC Tournament. This team isn't good enough to win it on talent alone, though; they will need some serious help. To win the tournament, the Bobcats need YOU. Granted, fan support isn't any unique trick up Ohio's collective sleeve, but perhaps it will accomplish something if it's the right kind. More than your cheers, the Bobcats need your jeers. Your disrespect may be the only shot this team has at a deep tournament run.

The win over Miami and the insertion of Stephen King in the starting line-up has given fans hope that the Bobcats can make some noise in the tournament. And why not? This team has the best frontcourt in the league and a talented backcourt. Bubba Walther provides instant offense coming off the bench and Coach O'Shea has finally started to limit the starters' minutes. They do lack one thing that most champions have, however, and that is disrespect.

Disrespect helped fuel Florida's rout over Ohio State in the BCS title football game, and the Gators basketball team also had the "us versus the world" mentality when they won the NCAA title last April. Nobody believed in the St. Louis Cardinals in this year's World Series, just like no one believed Peyton Manning could win the big one. In Super Bowl XL, it appeared that neither team was appreciated as both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks complained about the respect factor. "Nobody believed in us" is becoming more prevalent in post-game interviews than either plans about prospective trips to Disneyland or shout-outs to God. This is something the Bobcats lack.

That's not to say that people think Ohio will actually win the MAC Tournament. It's wholly irrational for any fan to expect a conference tournament title. However, that's not because of a lack of effort or talent. This team has had a built-in excuse for a lackluster finish ever since Tony Chatman left. Players were forced into new positions, and the lack of a bench wore this team down at the end of games and at the end of the season. All fans could expect was a strong effort and an early exit. No amount of positive cheering or fan support would have changed that.

"Athletes try to find motivation when they can't get motivated themselves," sports psychologist Dr. Richard Lustberg said. "I think fan support, at any level, plays a major role, and players can get caught up in what fans think."

This is precisely why cheering for this team is useless. It's in the best interests of no one for players to accept the mentality of fans who have already come to grips with losing in the MAC Tournament. If you really want to help this team, you need to go on the offensive.

It will take a strong effort from Bobcat fans to do a complete 180 and start insulting this team. Just know that it's for the best. The only way this team can win the MAC Tournament is to play with a chip on its shoulder the size of the Convo. This can be achieved by fans reminding players of how much they suck and how poorly they play the game of basketball.

Do the team a favor by magnifying the flaws of every last player. Never miss a chance to bash Coach O'Shea or gripe about how this team will be one-and-done in the MAC tournament. Hopefully the team will have to buy a new bulletin board to handle the onslaught of negativity (not only does this method of fan support help the team, but it's also boon for the bulletin board and thumbtack industries).

Fans have the option of cheering this team to mediocrity or pushing them to win by piling on with the hate. With disrespect becoming a prerequisite to winning titles, it makes sense to let fly with the insults.

Who knows, maybe it will end with the team nobody loved cutting down the nets and with Coach O'Shea muttering the four words every coach loves to throw around: "Nobody believed in us."

Mark Chalifoux is a sports columnist for The Athens News. He can be reached at mark_chalifoux@hotmail.com