Every September, millions of fans around the world eagerly await the start of the next NFL season with renewed hope and vigor.

The start of a new football season is ripe with optimism because no matter what happened in the past, this year will be different. Armed with newly-drafted rookies, free-agent acquisitions, traded players and returning superstars, the future always looks brightest right before that first snap.

In Week 0, there are no division leaders. There are no bad ref calls. There are no contested touchdowns or missed field goals. There are no coaches on the hot seat.

There is nothing but hope.

Five months later, 31 out of 32 fan bases are heartbroken when their team is eliminated from the playoffs. Over half the teams in the NFL don’t even make the playoffs in the first place. The remaining 14 teams compete to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy, but only one team will emerge as Superbowl champion. 31 other teams and fan bases are left wondering what went wrong and what it will take to win next year.

Keegan-Michael Key On Football Heartbreak

I recently spoke with comedian, actor, producer and writer, Keegan-Michael Key, about his new campaign in partnership with Jim Beam called the “7 Stages of Defeat.”

The “7 Stages of Defeat” care package, inspired by Jim Beam Black’s 7-year aging process, is designed to help fans cope with the heartbreak that comes with the end of the season. A limited quantity of packages will be available through a sweepstakes at jimbeam.com/7stages to fans 21 and over.

The package comes with limited-edition items that coincide with the 7 stages of football grief:

1. Shock: A note from Keegan to help you feel your feelings and start your emotional journey through the next six stages.
2. Denial: A custom, all-black jersey to start to embrace reality and begin mourning the wins that could have been.
3. Anger: A chocolate football and hammer to take out your frustration on something other than the TV.
4. Bargaining: A referee bobblehead doll to argue with about that horrible missed call.
5. Woe: A mood-lifting vanilla and bourbon-scented candle.
6. Rebuilding: Custom Yeti tumblers to hold a “Get ‘Em Next Year” cocktail and toast with a friend.
7. Acceptance: A bottle of “No Need To Be Bitter” bitters, as you reach the final stage and look forward to next season.

The conversation’s timing couldn’t have been more relevant, given recent events. Key is a long-time fan of the Detroit Lions, who had just lost in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs despite being the number 1 seed in the NFC.

Chris Perugini: Keegan, thank you so much for taking time out of your day to speak with me about what I think is a really fun and perfectly timed campaign. First off, I want to extend my condolences over Saturday’s loss.

Keegan-Michael Key: Yes, they got a little cutesy at times. The interesting thing about being a Lions fan is that now I get to experience the care package. I’ve actually used some of the items.

Perugini: (laughs) Yes, you do.

Jim Beam, of course, is an iconic brand. What drew you to this partnership, and can you tell me a little bit about how the idea came together?

Key: We were presented with the idea by Jim Beam and thought it was such a clever idea. I always feel like an idea is good if you go, “How has no one thought of that before?” So I really wanted to jump on board. I’m a Detroit Lions fan. I’m very familiar with these stages.

Perugini: Yeah, and that’s the thing, right? 31 out of 32 fan bases are going to be disappointed every single year. What’s the one thing you think fans will resonate with most about this campaign?

Key: I think the thing that people will resonate the most with is togetherness, because if you think about what people in Baltimore are doing today and what people in Detroit were doing yesterday [both teams lost their playoff games], think of all of the people that are communicating with friends. “I’m sorry about the loss…and if we had only done this…” There’s actually this wonderful sense of camaraderie that comes from these experiences and I like to embrace that.

We’re accentuating the fact that you don’t have to go through these stages—this emotional rollercoaster—alone. You do it with others and can invite others to participate with you.

Perugini: What is the most over-the-top way you have seen someone deal with the end of their team’s season. Did that inspire the campaign at all?

Key: There were lots of four letter words being issued forth in Detroit yesterday. It was intense.

I didn’t get anything done yesterday. How about that? I didn’t get a single thing done yesterday. I’m not gonna tell you what time I got out of bed yesterday. (laughs)

Perugini: There’s that 24-hour mourning period that I think is built-in after you know it’s over.

Key: Yeah, the weirdest feeling is that initial feeling of shock. For us, it was very pronounced for the Lions. We go, “Oh, wait a second,” and then you’re looking at the clock and doing all the mathematics and you’re going, “Oh my gosh, I think we’re going to lose this game.” That’s always such a unique feeling.

Perugini: It is, and from experience, you know the exact moment that it’s over.

Key: Exactly. More often than not, it’s funny how fast someone can go through these stages. You get to that bargaining stage in light speed because you’re going, “Ok, 3 minutes…if we got the ball, score, now go for two, get the two point conversion, then kick the onside…if you’re doing the math, it’s probably too late.”

Perugini: Once you need to recover two onside kicks, it’s over.

Key: (laughs) Yes exactly, it’s over.

Perugini: What was the most fun part about working on this campaign?

Key: Having the opportunity to work with my creative partner, Elle. [We’ve] been working together for a decade. We have a shorthand. She’ll say, “Do the walk off, hard exit, hard exit.” It’s like a football game. “Blue 16 hard exit razor left slot!” She can just say 2 words to me and then I do it on camera. It’s a lot of fun.

Also having the opportunity to include positive jokes…help bring positivity to the campaign, and that’s something that was really worth the time and the effort. We’re extremely proud and happy about the outcome.

Perugini: Attempting the almost insurmountable feat of trying to cope after the season’s over…I think working with a brand like Beam can really help try and lessen that blow a little bit. And again, I love the way the care package came out. It’s super light-hearted and gives you something to start the process of moving on. “Ok, well, there’s always next season.”

Key: Yeah. Having the the ability to lean on the package, which is actually what people say in psychological circles, right? You have to be able to identify the problem to solve the problem. I love that the package highlights what the stages are so that you know you’re going through it.

The other part is being able to lean on other people. Sometimes you text somebody and you’re in the doldrums and they say, “Well, think of it this way…”

It gives you the opportunity to think, “All right, 15 win season. We’re doing something right.” That was helpful for me to start moving on the other side of this. And it’s all part and parcel with what we’re doing with Jim Beam.

Perugini: If you could share one piece of advice from this campaign with all heartbroken football fans, what would it be?

Key: I think the best piece of advice is you’re not alone. Earlier, you said 31 teams are going to be disappointed. Every year there’s 31 other franchises and their fan bases that you can commiserate with. You’re not by yourself.

And right under that would be, “we’ll get ‘em next year.”

The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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