Around here, the Red Sox are extended family members.

The close bond between fan and team was recently highlighted by Friday's celebration of the American League East Championship. Exultant players sprayed champagne on fans who had stayed in Fenway Park long after that night's game had ended.

"They do represent the identity of people in this community," Salem State College professor Stuart McMahon said of the Red Sox. And fans feel personally invested in the team's fortunes.

"Essentially, what you're doing is rooting for one of your own," McMahon said.

Fans' passionate connection to the Red Sox can make even a regular-season game a high-stress adventure. The playoffs, which start tonight at 6:30 against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, raise the stakes.

At the beginning of what everyone hopes will be a monthlong ride, some local experts offered tips on the best way to watch the games, how to stay healthy and what to do should life and its unavoidable commitments get in the way of following your favorite team.

1. Don't go it alone

If possible, surround yourself with company when watching the games.

"It's not something to do alone," said McMahon, a sport management coordinator at Salem State. "You do it with friends and family."

McMahon honed his fan knowledge watching soccer matches in his native Scotland. Taking in an important game with others close to you enriches the experience, while solitary rooting diminishes it.

"If there's an emotional high, there isn't anyone to celebrate with," he said. "And if there's an emotional low, there is no one to console you."

2. Plan ahead to stay healthy

The playoffs changes routines. Games become events, drawing people out to sports bars or friends' living rooms on weeknights.

People stay up later and eat more than usual. The fare is typically high-calorie snack food. The drink of choice, in many instances, is beer.

Maintaining a healthy diet amid the increased temptation and opportunity requires planning, said Marcia DiFronzo, registered dietician at Beverly Hospital's Hunt Center in Danvers.

"People run into trouble when they leave eating up to impulse," DiFronzo said.

If you're going to be snacking while watching a night game, eat less at dinner, she said. Make the snacks you do eat healthier, more fruits and vegetables. Maybe alternate between beer and water, flavored water or a diet soda.

It's OK to eat potato chips and buffalo wings, but don't overdo it, DiFronzo said.

Don't let your anxiety about the game manifest itself in repeated handfuls of chips.

"We call it mindless eating," DiFronzo said.

The goal should be to keep your focus on the game and the company with whom you're watching it.

"The food shouldn't be the main event," DiFronzo said.

And don't use one night of unhealthy eating as an excuse to completely abandon healthy eating in your everyday life. The playoffs, if all goes well for the Sox, will take weeks, after all.

"It takes discipline, it does take planning, but it doesn't mean that you can't have a good time," DiFronzo said.

3. Good manners mean moderation

The wedding date was set a long time ago and you're already committed to going. But it happens to conflict with a Red Sox playoff game.

Take a deep breath.

Then you have a decision to make, according to etiquette expert Jodi R.R. Smith of Marblehead.

"People have to decide whether the outcome of the game is more important than the journey," Smith said.

In other words, would you prefer recording the game and watching it later? Or do you need repeated score updates while the game is being played?

If you prefer to watch a tape of the game, let fellow guests know up front - "Don't tell me what is happening in the game."

If you need to check the score, it's acceptable to discreetly do so about every 20 minutes, Smith said. Step outside the reception and use the Internet on your cell phone. Or with your phone on silent mode, have a friend e-mail you the score. Caterers also tend to know what's happening in a game, Smith said.

Don't have a radio feed of the game in your ear. That's overdoing it. That is what Homer Simpson did in church, Smith said, and Homer is not a good role model.

When at a function, "one should always give their full and undivided attention," said Judy Bowman, president of Protocol Consultants International. But there are exceptions to every rule, she said.

The Red Sox are one. Their importance is universal, with so many people across the culture having more than a passing interest.

It means a dinner party host would do well to leave a television on in the background so guests can periodically check in on the game.

"It's the courteous and thoughtful thing to do," Bowman said.