Evolution of the Modern Sports Fan

Communicative Approaches

Contributions by Kimberly R. Baker, Andrew C. Billings The University of Alabama, Kenon A. Brown University of Alabama, Natalie Brown-Devlin, Brandon K. Chicotsky, Lindsey Conlin, Mark Davis, Michael B. Devlin, Joshua B. Dickhaus, Stan R. Diel, Karla K. Gower, Amy H. Jones, Eunyoung Kim, Melvin Lewis, Fei Qiao, Coral Rae, Brody J. Ruihley, Yiyi Yang Edited by Andrew C. Billings The University of Alabama, Kenon A. Brown University of Alabama

Publication date:

21 March 2017

Length of book:

266 pages

Publisher

Lexington Books

Dimensions:

238x159mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9781498546270

The concept of “fandom” has been revolutionized over the past 20 years because of various technological, cultural, and communicative advancements. Evolution of the Modern Sports Fan: Communicative Approaches explores the elements of the sports fan that have markedly changed since the turn of the century. Inherent within these investigations is the role of communication in a multitude of forms (mediated, relational, etc.) as the prototypical sports fan has most heavily shifted within this domain. From the advent of social media to the rise of fantasy sport to the increased media platforms in which to consume sport, the sports fan has never had more options for consumption—and for the rendering of his/her opinions. This edited volume offers an opportunity to advance what we now know about American sports fandom as well as the ability to debunk what scholars thought they knew about sports fandom that has now shifted.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1: “Far From Monolithic: The Enigma of the Modern Sports Fan”
Andrew C. Billings and Kenon A. Brown

Unit I.Anatomy of the Modern Sports Fan

Chapter 2:“Highly-Identified Sports Fans’ and Personality Traits”
Michael B. Devlin

Chapter 3:“Antecedents and Consequences of Team Identification: What Elements Reinforce NFL Fans’ Identification and How Does This Identification Work on Behavioral Intentions?”
Eunyoung Kim and Karla K. Gower

Chapter 4:“Beyond BIRGing and CORFing: Longitudinal Historical Performance Measures and the Impact on Fan Expectations”
Stan Diel

Chapter 5:“Of Sport and Schadenfreude: Fandom, Rival Successes and Failures, and the Introduction of Glory Out of Reflected Failure (GORF) Measurements”
Andrew C. Billings, Fei Qiao, Kenon A. Brown, and Michael Devlin

Unit II.Applications for the Modern Sports Fan

Chapter 6:“Athletes as the New Investment Vehicle: Advancing the Meaning of Brand Personas in Sports Media”
Brandon K. Chicotsky and Fei Qiao

Chapter 7:“Assessing National Identification in Sports Fan Contexts: Toward a More Cohesive and Robust Measurement”
Kenon A. Brown and Andrew C. Billings

Chapter 8:“Team Identification in Traditional and Fantasy Football Fandom: Contradictory or Complementary Concepts?”
Yiyi Yang, Andrew C. Billings, and Brody J. Ruihley

Chapter 9:“Feeding a Nationalized Fan Base: U.S. and South African News Coverage of the South African Rugby Team within the 2015 Rugby World Cup”
Yiyi Yang

Unit III. Fallout of Modern Sports Fandom

Chapter 10:“On-Field Perceptions of Off-Field Deviance: Exploring Social and Economic Capital within Sport-Related Transgressions”
Coral Rae, Andrew C. Billings, and Kenon A. Brown

Chapter 11:“The Modern Sports Fan Navigating Crises Online: An Examination of Fan-Enacted Crisis Communication”
Natalie Brown Devlin

Chapter 12:“Role Models or Criminals? The Effects of Race and Severity of Criminal Activity on Audience Perceptions of Professional Athlete”
Amy H. Jones, Joshua B. Dickhaus, and Mark Davis

Unit IV.The Future of the Modern Sports Fan

Chapter 13:“Uses and Gratifications of Streaming Sport Services Consumers”
Melvin Lewis, Lindsey Conlin, and Kenon A. Brown

Chapter 14:“Fanatical Sports Fans Versus Zombie Zealots: Considering Second Screen Involvement for Leveling the Playing Field”
Kimberly R. Baker and Andrew C. Billings

Chapter 15:“The Wide World of Sports Gets Even Wider: Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Implications for the Modern Sports Landscape”
Melvin Lewis

About the Editors and Contributors

Editors Billings and Brown (both, Univ. of Alabama) have assembled a collection of essays from young scholars exploring various facets of sport fans and fandom. From communication and psychological perspectives, the work includes both reviews and original empirical research. Beginning with topics related to aspects of sport fans, such as the association between team identification (i.e., a psychological connection to a sport team) and personality dimensions, experiences of team identification, and the concept of “Basking in Reflected Glory,” the authors then examine applications of fanship to areas including the relationship between identification and nationalist attitudes. Later chapters explore outcomes of sport fanship such as deviant behaviors, reactions to team and athlete scandals, and possible future areas of sport fan research including uses and gratifications, technology usage, and virtual reality. Altogether the work is a much-needed update and review of empirical fan research for social scientists. Although the book is geared toward sport fans, it is strongly recommended reading for researchers exploring fans of all interests. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students, researchers, and professionals.