About Marriage has done a good article debunking the link between the Super Bowl and violence against women in America.

To recap, a study — based on anecdotal evidence — showed a slight increase in domestic violence on key dates such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, and the Super Bowl. Hardly surprising that there would be a small increase around what can be stressful, non-routine times.

What the author found interesting was that there seemed to be a correlation between a team winning and its fans being more violent. Not a clear link, but one worth looking at because normally you would think it would be the losing fans who were more likely to get angry and take it out on those around them.

In any case, a news release was issued calling Super Bowl a “day of dread”, media all piled in on the story only to retract it days later, and the damage was done. The myth lives on, muddying the waters around what is a very serious issue in relationships and in society at large.

Now, that is not to say that the Super Bowl is not a “day of dread” for many who just don’t care about football. If you are one of those, Tango Mag has a list of things you can do instead.

Happy Couples, Happy Planet!