Babad, Elisha, "Wishful thinking and objectivity among sports fans" Social Behaviour, Vol 2(4), Dec 1987,
231-240.
In this magazine article 1,000 male spectators (ranging in age from adolescence to adulthood) at an Israeli
football stadium were asked to predict game outcomes before games and during the halftime breaks. Fans
demonstrated overwhelming wishful thinking in their pregame predictions, and wishful thinking was positively
correlated with self-defined levels of fan hood and preference. Half of the spectators were given an
objectivity instruction designed to increase validity and reduce wishful thinking. Following this instruction,
wishful thinking was reduced pregame but increased at halftime. This showed that fans often could predetermine the outcome of the games by the statistics.
Bennett, Jeanine. Sport fans and others [microform] : a comparison of
personality characteristics of sport fans . Eugene: Microform
Publications, 1975. 95-101. Print.
This book goes into detail about how sports are becoming a multi -billion
d o l l a r g l o b a l b u s i n e s s a n d i t c o n t i n u e s t o g r o w. B u t b e c a u s e o f t h e
e c o n o m y t o d a y, m a n y o f t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n s o r l e a g u e s a r e i n d e s p e r a t e
n e e d o f r e v i s i o n o f t h e m o n e y f l o w. A n d w i t h t h i s i t ' s n e v e r b e e n h a r d t o
attract, engage, and retain the sports fan. Sports fans are bombarded
by choices of what sports to watch but the sports industry main focus
n o w a d a y s i s m o n e y.
Branscombe, Nyla and Daniel Wann. “The Positive Social and Self Concept Consequences of Sports teams
Identificaton.” Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 15. (1991): 115-27. Print.
This online journal has stated that sports spectat orship has continued
to flourish. The authors of the journals argue that strong identification
with a specific sports team provides a buffer from feelings of depression
and alienation, and at the same time, bring up feelings of belongingness
and self worth. The effects were that sports team identification replaces
more traditional family and community-based attachments to the larger
social structure. This journal displays three studies to help find support
for these notions, using basketball and baseball fans. The relationship
between degree of team identification and team success was also
examined; it was only significant for individuals who identify with teams
geographically removed from them.
Crawford, Garry . Consuming sport: fans, sport and culture. London:
Routledge, 2004. 164-177. Print.
In this is a book it talks about the typical sport fans. In chapter three it
discusses the meaning and importance of 'community' for contemporary
sport fans. It expresses that it is evident that a sense of belonging and
community has always been an important part of the attraction of being
a sport fan, and the chapter also highlights the importance that a sense
o f b e l o n g i n g c o n t i n u e s t o h o l d f o r m a n y s p o r t f a n s . H o w e v e r, i t i s
suggested that this sense of community and belonging is not open to all
and fan communities are frequently exclusionary of certain individuals,
o n t h e b a s i s o f c l a s s , d i s a b i l i t y, e t h n i c i t y a n d g e n d e r. T h e a u t h o r t h e n
goes on to argue that as many traditional sources of community have
begun to decline.
Gladwell, Malcom. “Curious Guy: Malcolm Gladwell.” ESPN. Interview
Bill Simmons. 02 Mar 2006. Web.
<http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/060302>.
This is an interview with Malcolm Gladwell, the best -selling author of
" B l i n k " a n d " T i p p i n g P o i n t " a n d a w r i t e r f o r t h e N e w Yo r k e r a s w e l l . H e
is known for his nonfiction work as writer and one of the biggest sports
fans. In this exchange between ESPN's Bill Simmons he expresses his
love of sports and what made him a sports fanatic and why to this day
he is still one. The interview is a series of e -mails between the two
writers
G o l d s t e i n , J e f f r e y. S P O R T S , G A M E S , a n d P L AY S o c i a l a n d P s y c h o l o g i c a l
V i e w p o i n t s . 2 n d e d . H i l l s d a l e , N J : L AW R E N C E E R L B A U M A S S O C I AT E S ,
1989. Print.
This book gathers information about the mind of the sports fan and uses
s o c i a l s c i e n c e h i s t o r y. S p o r t s , g a m e s , a n d p l a y h a v e f i g u r e d p r o m i n e n t l y
i n c u l t u r a l a n t h r o p o l o g y, s o c i o l o g y, a n d p s y c h o l o g y. T h i s b o o k a l s o
states that sports and their fans provide o pportunities for research and
t h e o r y, a n d s p o r t s i n f l u e n c e w h a t w e b e l i e v e , h o w w e f e e l , a n d w h o o u r
friends are and this is important because millions of people, from every
c o u n t r y, o f n e a r l y e v e r y a g e , o f e v e r y i d e o l o g y, l o v e s p o r t s . T h e s t u d i e s
were created to bring together a variety of viewpoints and approaches
to the study of these social sports activities.
Hill, Steven and Chang Woo. "New Media, New Audiences, and New
Questions: Exploring a Communication Research Agenda for Fantasy
S p o r t s . " J o u r n a l o f S p o r t s M e d i a . 6 . ( 2 0 11 ) : 8 5 - 11 4 . P r i n t .
This journal introduces the topic of fantasy sports, which many sports
f a n e n j o y t o p l a y. D e s p i t e t h e p o p u l a r i t y o f f a n t a s y s p o r t s , s c h o l a r l y
exploration of the topic has been rare. So this study explores a
communication-oriented research in that area. There's analysis of data
from interviews with U.S. fantasy-sports industry leaders. From the
research that many sports fans had a greater motivation to use fantasy
sports products and information, and fantasy sports is a way of
gambling. These fantasy sports have become an obsession to many
sports fans that try to fulfill their needs to actually "own a team".
Hunt A. Kenneth, Terry Bristol, R. Edward Bashaw, (1999) "A conceptual approach to classifying sports
fans", Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 13 Iss: 6, pp.439 - 452
The information in this journal develops a classification or typology of the sports fan. Specifically it states
that five different types of sports fans exist: temporary, local, devoted, fanatical, and dysfunctional. The need
exists to identify the different types of fans due to the failures of past theories to explain the totality of fan
behavior. The usefulness of the typology is demonstrated by offering specific segmentation strategies for
each classification. Finally, directions for future research are presented.
M i z r u c h i , M a r k . " L O C A L S P O R T S T E A M S A N D C E L E B R AT I O N O F
C O M MU N I T Y:
A
C O M PA R AT I V E
A N A LY S I S
OF
THE
HOME
A D VA N TA G E . " A l b e r t E i n s t e i n C o l l e g e o f M e d i c i n e . 2 6 . 4 ( 2 0 0 5 ) : 5 0 7 - 1 8 .
W e b . 6 N o v. 2 0 11 .
This magazine talks about major sports events and when the home team
has been known to have a major advantage over the visiting team.
Because sports fan come together to support their team, or as the
authors put it as a “celebration of local community", it creates an
a tmo sph er e like n o o th er. This a rt icl e tes ts th e c ele br at ion of c ommu nit y
thesis by comparing the relative home advantage among 23 professional
basketball teams during the 1981–82 seasons. The tests were influences
by the size of the hometown team, that stature of the home arena, and
tradition of the teams. Not only is there a home advantage in organized
sports, but also the magnitude of the advantage is itself bound by the
social context within which the team performs.
N e l s o n , To b e n , R i c h a r d L a B r i e , D e b i L a P l a n t e , M i c h a e l S t a n t o n , H o w a r d
S ha ff er, a nd Hen r y W echsler. "S po rt s Be tt ing a nd Ot he r Gam bli ng in
Athletes, Fans, and Other College Students." American Alliance for
H e a l t h . ( 2 0 0 7 ) : 1 3 . W e b . 6 N o v. 2 0 11 .
< j a v a s c r i p t : p o p U p E x t ( ' h t t p : / / w w w. a a h p e r d . o r g / r c / p u b l i c a t i o n s / r q e s / u p l o a
d/RQES_Sep07.pdf');>.
In this online article it expresses the urge for sports fans to bet on
their sports teams. Gambling on college and professional sports and the
influence of attending colleges with diff ering levels of "sports interest"
w e r e e x a m i n e d a m o n g a t h l e t e s , s p o r t s f a n s , a n d o t h e r s t u d e n t s a t 11 9
colleges in the United States using multilevel statistical analysis. In
this study athletes and fans reported more sports gambling compared to
other students, with no differences between athletes and fans. This
expressed that fans were way more into the athletic games because they
had money placed on it.
Students attending schools with a greater
"sports interest" were more likely to gamble on college sports after
adjusting for individual characteristics.
Q u i n n , K e v i n . S p o r t s a n d t h e i r f a n s : t h e h i s t o r y, e c o n o m i c s a n d c u l t u r e
of the relationship between spectator and sport . Jefferson,NC:
McFarland, 2009. 199-243. Print.
This book has information that exp lores such topics as the role
of sports in the creation of mass culture and why sports fans think
sports is such a phenomenon. And why sports still intrigue millions of
people even with all the cheating and the abuse of illegal drugs. It
introduces the strange and fascinating role that numbers play in
sporting events, and the future of spectator sport and this book surveys
the outsized impact that sports have on American culture
Smith, Garry . "The Noble Sports Fan."Journal of Sport and Social
Issues. 15. (1988): 54-65. Print.
This journal presents a sociological analysis of the common sport
follower role. Many topics were covered such as the socialization of the
role of a fan and the benefits of being a sport spectator for a person
a n d f o r a c o m m u n i t y. I t w a s d e t e r m i n e d t h a t a s p o r t , f o r t h e c o m m o n
sports fan, is a worthwhile leisure and hobby that enhances the person's
quality of life.
“The Relationship Between Sports Organizations and Community Service.
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/the-relationship-between-sports-organizations-andcommunity-service-377244.html
This webpage recognizes the relationship between sports organizations
and community service exists on at least two diff erent levels: team
activities and individual activities. The players may be asked to take
part in various activities as a club; such activities would typically be
accompanied by extensive publicity with cameras rolling. In addition,
players may be asked to individually participate in activities to benefit
the community as a whole. In each of these situations, the players may
be pressured to be part of the community service, or they may choose to
t r ul y vo lu nte er, ei the r as a g rou p o r as i ndi vid ual s. I n t hi s ins ta nce ,
t h e r e m a y b e l e s s p u b l i c i t y.
Wann, Daniel L. and Polk, Joshua “Sports fans: Measuring degree of identification with their
team”. International Journal of Sport Psychology, Vol 24(1), Jan-Mar 1993, 1-17.
In this journal there is a construction and a test of the measure of sports team identification in 2 studies with
a total of 546 undergraduates. Several behaviors were affective, and reasoning reactions among sports
spectators were used to validate the team identification measure. So basically who strongly identified with a
specific sports team, relative to those "spectators moderate or low in identification" or reported more
involvement with the team, displayed a more ego-enhancing pattern of attributions for the team's successes.
Also they had more positive expectations concerning future team performances and exhibited greater
willingness to invest larger amounts of time and money to watch the team play.
W e n n e r, L a w r e n c e , a n d S t e v e n J a c k s o n . S p o r t , b e e r, a n d g e n d e r :
p r o m o t i o n a l c u l t u r e a n d c o n t e m p o r a r y s o c i a l l i f e . N e w Yo r k : P e t e r L a n g ,
2009. Print
This book targets some international scholars that focus on why sports
a n d b e e r g o h a n d i n h a n d i n t h e i r m a l e g e n d e r. I t d i s p l a ys s t u d i e s o f
how men interact with one another while watching or attending sports
functions. With this concept of interacting, fans seem to attain more of
a s t e r e o t y p e . T h e y e x p l o r e h o w i t m o v e s f r o m c o n c e p t t o r e a l i t y, f r o m
private to public, and finally the effects of gender identity within their
sports communities.