Schadenfreude and Dunning-Kruger. No, they aren’t undrafted guards from Wisconsin to add backup depth for the upcoming season. They are terms that describe us football fans at times, myself included.

Schadenfreude is a German word for taking pleasure in the misfortunes of others, and I qualify for that every time the Ravens, Bengals, or Browns lose a game. That is to be expected to some degree, as it’s natural to root against your division rivals. I have questioned myself at times if I enjoy their losses more than I do a Pittsburgh win, as I don’t want to become that jaded of a fan. I will work on that, but I’m not making any promises.

The Dunning-Kruger effect is the tendency of people – usually with the XY chromosome setup – to be overconfident about their knowledge and abilities when there is none. An example is a recent survey where people were asked if they could land a plane without training. About 50% of men said sure, no problem. These are the same guys that get flustered and confused when an app requires two-factor authentication. I watch Air Disasters on The Smithsonian Channel, and it seems like even experienced pilots are iffy at best landing a plane, but sure, your neighbor that crashes the riding mower into the landscaping can set an Airbus A380 down like a feather on his first try.

Both of these terms will be on display during and after the upcoming draft. The Dunning-Kruger effect will be prominent as players will be declared the best ever or the worst pick possible before they ever play a down. Analysts and fans alike will rush to declare which teams will win it all or be in last place before OTAs start. Schadenfreude will be in full effect as social media will be ablaze in joy over being right if a high draft pick fails to make an impact or develop into a starter.

There is a famous quote about European football that says “Out of all the unimportant things, football is the most important.” That applies to our game here stateside as well. It’s a great sentiment that gets lost in the emotion the game creates, even during offseason activities like the draft. It’s good to remember that as important as it might feel in the moment, it’s not really that important. With my fandom having started in 1981, I waited a long, long time for that Super Bowl win against Seattle. I had inflated seeing the Steelers win a championship so much that when it was over, I was almost disappointed to find I still had bills to pay, laundry to do, and a job that I had to show up to early the next morning.

What is important to remember is that these are young kids being drafted the next few days, and we should wish them all well as they pursue a career that will challenge their physical and mental limits. Many will not make it. If the Steelers don’t select the kid you want or make a trade that you don’t agree with, it’s perfectly fine to react and get a bit out of sorts over it in the moment. That’s part of being a fan. Just remember that even though it was an important pick…it still wasn’t all that important at all.

There are people and families dealing with real life situations that demand their full and undivided attention right now. If you are like me and have the bandwidth and luxury to track who might be a steal in the 6th round for a 3rd string defensive end, then the truly important things are pretty good. Take joy that you can be invested in the most important of the unimportant things. Let’s welcome whoever ends up joining the Black and Gold this weekend, whether you had them high on your board or not, and Let’s Go Steelers!