We’ve all been there. You are a four for four with all of the Boston sports teams and the perfect woman comes into your life and she is not into them at all. However, you have to consider whether or not that spells doom for the relationship before making it a non-starter or calling it quits. Here’s what you need to consider if you find out that your girlfriend likes sports teams outside of Boston.

Define “The Problem”

The first thing that you have to do is consider the problem. What is the depth of her sports devotion to the other team, and what are the other teams that she likes? Specifically, does it conflict with your love of the Boston teams? It might not be a big deal if she prefers San Jose in the NHL compared with if she likes the Yankees for baseball. If it’s something that could cause conflict, you might have to rethink the relationship.

Does it Really Affect You?

The next thing you have to consider about whether the relationship will last is if her love of other teams will actually affect the way you think about her. Some people like different kinds of music, a common feature of relationships that is correlated with people liking each other more than sports or books. There is no psychological studies that show that you can’t get along with a woman that likes other teams, and the level that it affects you is largely up to you.

Can Her Company Be Replaced with Avid Fan Friends?

Another way that you have to contextualize the relationship is whether or not her presence at games can be substituted. A lot of people want to have someone in a relationship that is not going to root against their team and be at their side during the games. However, if you have enough die-hard fans to go to games with, then it might not be a big deal at all. You can just tell her you’re heading out for a day with the boys and go enjoy the game without being affected by her love of other teams at all. It’s something that is definitely worth looking into before you throw in the towel on an otherwise good relationship.

Consider What is Unique about This Relationship

The final thing that you have to consider is the overall impact that this woman has in your life. She might be a sports fan for a rival team, but that doesn’t mean it’s worth not taking her out. You might connect on a much deeper level than sports games, and that can completely transform your life. You might even realize that sports are just a way for you to be entertained. Yet, if your love of sports runs deep enough, you might come to grips with the fact that you must have someone that loves the same teams as much as you to be sold on a relationship.

As you can see, there are a lot of factors that go into deciding whether it’s worth calling off the whole relationship over one hiccup, as big as it might seem. It’s up to you to decide the role that sports play in your life.  It might not be a big deal to you other than the uncomfortable games you might have to sit through or it might be a rivalry that you’ll hate. Either way, there are plenty of singles that go to games so if you do break up, it’s time to go out and meet black women, white women, and every other kind of woman as long as she has a Bruins jersey and a Red Sox Hat.