Of all the
absurd and questionable behaviors that people partake in, sports fandom has to
be among the frontrunners for deeper examination. Individuals develop
incredible devotion to professional and collegiate teams very early on in their
lives, and they are doomed to live through a lifetime of incredible peaks and
valleys in terms of the team’s success. That’s if you’re lucky. Fans of certain
organizations have gone their whole lives without ever seeing their team win a
championship. I don’t think I could take the agony if I was a Red Sox fan born
around 1920 and I had to hear about the curse of the Bambino my whole life without
ever getting any redemption. The question I pose to the class is this: do you
think being a sports fan is a mostly good thing or bad thing? Arthur Raney and
Daniel Wann propose many theories about both the positive and negative impacts
that sports can have on people’s lives and what causes people to live and die
by the teams they identify with.
On the positive side, Raney suggests
that sports offer us an all-important escape from our work-intensive lives. He
quotes Smith who once noted, “While engrossed in the sporting event a fan’s mood
may fluctuate, but any pain is temporary and minor compared to the relief of
gaining a respite from a wearisome existence” (320). If you think of the life
of the average 9-to-5 worker, it is very convenient that practically all
professional sports games start at 7 pm.
After eating dinner, watching a sports game allows people to unwind for
a few hours before bed. I can’t say I use sports as much of an escape right
now, but that’s because I don’t have that much to escape. I’m sure I will once
I’m financially independent and in the real world.
The most overarching thing sports
offer fans is psychological health by providing them with a means of connecting
with people socially. Sports probably account for half of what I talk to people
about. They are my go-to topic whenever I need a conversation starter with
someone I’m not close with. Sid Kirchheimer touched upon the benefits
of this phenomenon in the article Are
Sports Fans Happier? Kirchenheimer writes, “People who identify themselves
as sports fans tend to have lower rates of depression and higher self-esteem
than those who don’t. Blame it on our primal nature.” Wann adds, “We’ve known
for decades that social support—our tribal network—is largely responsible for
keeping people mentally sound. We really do have a need to connect with others
in some way.” In a society where the motto often seems to be every man for themselves, being a sports
fan gives us a sense of belonging. There’s something comforting about sitting
in a stadium full of people where everyone is pulling for the same team.
There is also a dark side to sports
fandom that makes headlines every now and then for the wrong reasons. Certain fans get too emotionally involved in
the game which spawns the issue of fan aggression. Wann suggests that it is
caused by high levels of team identification by the fan. That was certainly the
case last year when a Giants fan brutally beat a Dodgers fan at Dodgers
stadium, sending the Dodgers fan into a coma. This is hardly a new trend though.
Throughout the decades, the taunting of fans has induced players to leave the
field of play and brawl in the stands. The 1979 Bruins at MSG and Ron Artest’s scuffle
are two of the most notable instances.
Some fans suffer internally due to
stress and anxiety and that’s when being a fan can become a health hazard. Kirchenheimer
alludes to a 2008 article published in the New England Journal of Medicine
which reported there being three times as many cardiac emergencies among German
men and twice as many among women on days which Germany’s national soccer team
played in the World Cup. Granted European soccer fans are a little more extreme
than your average American sports fan, the example illustrates the kind of
emotional and physiological toll sports fandom takes on people.
With these positive and negative
aspects of being a sports fan, the question becomes whether or not this hobby
is worth it in the end. As a Boston sports fan, I’ve been privileged in my
lifetime to see one of my teams host a victory parade practically every other
year, but I’ve still had my heart torn out in the last two Super Bowls the Pats
played in. After those games, I found myself wishing I wasn’t so emotionally
invested in sports teams, so that I wouldn’t be so devastated when things don’t
go my team’s way. Or when the players just drink beer in the clubhouse without
a care in the world towards winning. Being a casual fan might be the way to go,
but that’s just not in my blood. I
rationalize that experiencing those lowest lows will make it even sweeter when
my teams reach the mountain top again. It also depresses me to think what my
social life would crumble to if I couldn’t talk sports with people, so I will
continue to take the good with the bad. What do you all think? Are sports fans
totally irrational for what they put themselves through?
Kirchheimer, Sid. "Are Sports Fans Happier?" The
Saturday Evening Post. Mar. 2012. Web. 25 Mar. 2012. <http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2012/03/13/in-the-magazine/features/sports-fans-happier.html>
Wann, Daniel L. “The Causes and
Consequences of Sport Team Identification.” Handbook of Sports and Media
(2006): 331-52. Print.
Raney, Arthur A. "Why We
Watch and Enjoy Mediated Sports." Handbook of Sports and Media
(2006): 313-29. Print.
Jon, I like how you laid out all the positives and negatives that comes with identifying with a specific sports franchise. Even though there are a lot of negatives associated with being a true sports fan, I will agree with Jon and say that the good outweighs the bad and sports fans are not that irrational for putting themselves through the highs and lows of their favorite team.
ReplyDeleteAs Jon mentions in his blog, sports provides fans with an escape from the busy day-to-day activities and also is a great socialization tool. Raney writes, "Few would argue that we live in increasingly stressful times. From geopolitical tensions to ever-lengthening workweeks, we all experience pressures from a limitless number of sources. For decades, persons of all ages have reported seeking out media content to help escape from the stress of daily living. Sports fans are no different" (319). Growing up watching the Red Sox, during the summer pretty much all the night games start right at 7pm. I would notice that my father would come home from work pretty stressful and would want to have dinner and watch the Red Sox. Watching the game, gave my dad a chance to forget about work and watch the team he loves. This is what a lot of fans look forward to during the day. They want to just get through these the last few hours of work and go home and relax and watch their favorite team play. It helps if the team wins, but even if they lose I feel that fans are still somewhat satisfied that they had the chance to catch the game. I know that the real world is probably a lot more stressful than college, but there's no better feeling than coming back from class or the library and watching the Celtics game.
Sports is also a great avenue for socializing with people. As we mentioned in class today, it provides that opportunity for companionship, whether with family or strangers. Raney states, "The author suggests that sports viewing, like air travel, provides strangers interesting and legitimate opportunities to interact" (323). Without sports, people would be talking about work or other boring news. Sports is something interesting, exciting, and fun to talk about. Being a sports fan, makes you feel part of a much larger group of people. For example, when the Giants won the Super Bowl this year, fans throughout Quinnipiac had their jerseys on because they wanted to be known as Giants fans. Fans were connected even if they didn't know each other. However, Patriots fans stuck together as well. They felt the sorrow as a larger group. It gave those fans a chance to talk about what the Pats did wrong and what they can do next season.
As Jon discussed how sports causes fans to get aggressive and stressful, I think that the good that sports brings outweighs this consequences. There is nothing better than sitting down, relaxing with friends, forgetting about everything else, and watching your favorite team play. If my team loses, yeah it hurts for a while, but I get over it soon and realize that the fun experience I just had with friends or family, is much more important.
I like your take on the emotions we as sports fans but ourselves through. I also could never be a casual fan. Yes, I would not be so emotionally tied to each win and loss, but it would not feel right. As sports fans it is our choice to be as committed as we want to a team, nobody forces it upon us. True sports fans are supportive of their team through the good and the bad. I have been a Yankee fan all of my life, and had to wait nine long years for them to win another World Series in 2009. That doesn't mean those nine years without a championship weren't still enjoyable. Sports is a dependable staple in many peoples lives. As you mentioned, it is an escape for some people, and at time it offers a comfort in knowing you are not alone in the world. There will always be another Yankee or Red Sox fan somewhere. I think to be a dedicated fan is great, but not to the point where an individual's fandom physically and mentally harms another fan. For example, our class discussion about Philadelphia Eagles fans physically harming Giants fans is not acceptable. I am Yankee fan, I obviously don't like Red Sox fans, but I respect their choice. I would never wish harm upon them or their team.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kevin's point that be a particular fan of a sport's team unifies us with other fans. At school we can easily spot fellow fans of our team, and see our rival fans. At games, we often connect and get to know the people sitting around us, as we often are cheering for the same team. To answer your question, I do not think sports fan are irrational for putting ourselves through the highs and lows of a team. It is a choice we have, a causal fan is less emotionally invested, but a dedicated fan can probably get more satisfaction with their team's success.
I completely agree with you on the points that sports are a great conversation starter and that I can't be a casual sports fan. In fact, I hate it when someone says they like both the Yankees and Red Sox. It just doesn't make sense to me.
ReplyDeleteBut I love the questions you bring up at the end. I agree with Jess that I do not think it's irrational how sports fans put themselves through the high's and low's of their teams. Although sports does provide them, it's all about being human. Everyone has some competitiveness in them and cheering on a team may be the best way for people to display that.
I think most of us become emotionally attached to sports because in many cases they are part of our community. Win or lose, it brings people together and gives everyone something in common. The best instance of this is New Orleans a few years after Hurricane Katrina when the Saints won the Super Bowl. The city was still recovering and the Saints brought the people together and uplifted spirits by going on the Super Bowl run.
ReplyDeleteAs for the negative side of sports fandom, I disagree that emotion leads to aggression. The real culprit in many violent acts at sporting events is alcohol. Fans are emotionally invested in their teams, but once alcohol is brought into the equation that is what leads to aggression. I've been in plenty arguments with friends and other fans of teams I dislike, at no point does it get violent or even to the point where we are just verbally harassing each other.
I definitely see where you are coming from, especially the last paragraph about being a Boston sports fan. I was devastated after the Super Bowl this year and what made it even worse is that all my friends I watched the game with are Giants fans. I’d say I was depressed for a day, but after that you move on. What’s great about sports is there is always next season. I think the good outweighs the bad. I also think instances of violence cannot be blamed upon being a loyal sports fan. The majority of people do not partake in incidents like the ones you have described. I think fan violence is not a reflection upon the level of fan one is, but is a reflection upon their character. The enjoyment, escape, and excitement of sports for me outweighs the bad.
ReplyDeleteThe saying that fans live and die by their teams is true. IF they win they are happy, but if they lose they are upset. Fandom pins people against people. In the movie Green Street Hooligans each soccer team in England had a group of fans that would fight others teams fans. Things have gotten so extreme that there have been fatalities. Most people can relate to sports because they either know information about it or they once played the game. I agree with PJ that it brings people of thereto whether it is Katrina or 9/11 people came together for the sporting events following these tragedies. When the Patriots lost the Super Bowl twice to the Giants I could not watch ESPN for 2 weeks because I knew all I would see is how "good" the Giants are.
ReplyDeleteBeing a sports fan is absolutely more of a good thing than a bad thing. Aside from the few unfortunate instances when rival fans fight at stadiums, there really are very few negative consequences to being a sports fan. Sports fandom allows us to rally around a common team or sport with the rest of the fans and our families. It is great entertainment, far more compelling and real than anything else broadcast on television now.
ReplyDeleteI am a bigger fan of the United States than I am of any particular sports team (and I love my Jets and Red Sox), and when the entire country rallies around our national teams and athletes, there is nothing else like it. The situations being brought up about Hurricane Katrina and September 11 are totally accurate in describing the psychological importance sports can have in times of crisis.
It's good to have strong emotions about some things, and sports gives most of us a chance to experience those strong emotions.
There is greater feeling than seeing your team succeed but conversely, there is no worse feeling than seeing your team lose. The emotional roller coaster that sports puts you through, is what makes sports so exciting. There is no other medium in which excitement, shock, and devastation can occur in one sitting. This is what draws me as a sports fan.
ReplyDeleteBeing a Boston sports fan in the past decade has been a wonderful thing. I can't complain about the 7 championships in 10 years however, during this decade I have also had moments of severe devastation. (See Super Bowl XLII and XLVI)Even through these difficult times, I still find myself to love my teams because I have an emotional connection to the team. This connection brings me together with not only the team, but also a group of people that devote their fandom to Boston sports. By making these connections, it makes you feel accepted and fosters new relationships. This sense of community is what drives me to be a die-hard fan.
Although it may drive some people crazy, I think that being a sports fan does more positive things than negative things. By providing a connection to other people, it creates a sense of belonging while giving you a passion in life.
Being a sports fan is the reason sports are so popular. I mean, think about it – what would it be like to watch a game that you have zero investment in. I’m a Yankees fan, and outside of the World Series, I get nothing from watching a game between two random teams. Yes, sometimes there can be an amazing game that all fans appreciate. But, for the most part, you need an emotional investment to truly appreciate a sport. In The Handbook of Sports and Media, Raney says that “some acknowledge that the emotional highs and lows that occur during the course of a game or match are part of the appeal…. In general terms, people view mediated sports because they expect positive emotional impacts from their viewing. These emotional reactions to sports programming are assumed to be dependent upon and governed by the affiliations – or affective dispositions – that viewers hold toward one (or both) of the competing teams” (341). Fandom is the reason sports are an International phenomenon, the reason things like ESPN or sports radio exist. There are very few people that watch the Olympics because they can’t get enough rhythmic gymnastics – they watch the Olympics so they can watch the USA beat China, because they’re invested in Team USA.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I even think teams doing negatively benefit sports fans. My best friend was unfortunately born into a NY Mets loving family. She was born in 1991, years after the last golden year of the New York Metropolitans. Worse for her, she spent several consecutive years watching the Yankees win championship after championship. But you know what – it made her the person she is today. She is stronger because she was tormented for years, and she is loyal because she never wavered in her devotion to the NY Mets. If it wasn’t for people like her, who stood by their teams through thick and thin, would teams like the Mets exist? She’s proof that being a fan is completely positive. Because without fans, there are no sports.
Regarding your first quote from Smith, I definitely agree. I can recall a few examples of Steeler games, especially the playoff game against Indianapolis in 2005, where we had multiple chances to lost the game and still came out with a win. Those are always the most gut wrenching games. As far as people coming home from work and watching games, that’s the main reason I chose to come into this business: so I never had to be away from sports. That way, I wouldn’t have to unwind from anything, as you suggest. And I too love talking to people about sports. You also mention the thrill of going to games and experiencing the action live with a stadium full of people you don’t know, but came to that stadium for the same reason you did: to (presumably) get drunk and root your team to victory. Sports is one of few things that strangers can bond over, at the bar, in your living room, anywhere really. Fans’ passion for their sports teams runs deep and people can form relationships over that.
ReplyDeleteThere is also certainly a dark side to fandom, as you mention. Sometimes people get too emotionally involved in a sporting event. Unfortunately, you can’t do anything to prevent people from getting that worked up that they would beat a man into a coma. But people just need to realize that sports isn’t everything, it’s just entertainment. The thing is, this would only happen in sports. Picture someone who watches Conan O’Brian kicking the crap out of someone who watches Jay Leno. It would never happen because people aren’t as emotionally invested in late night talk shows as they are with sports. In most cases, like you mention, sports is just a case of talking the bad with the good, and usually, and thankfully, there is more of the latter.