Sports Fan : What are they?

[cityimrov]

Can someone tell me a bit more about sports fans and why they act the way they do? 

I'm not really a fan of any sports team except one which I have interest in. Example: If I invest in the team, the team brings economic opportunity to me, I play for the team, I have a close personal friend who plays for the team, or something like that. 

If I see a team win, the fans cheer.  If I see a team loose, the fans are sad.  However, the fans basically did NOTHING.  All they did was sit down and watch the game.  True, you could say they did pay some $$$ but money hardly constituents loyalty of this level on other stuff.  I've seen people in bars scream loudly and say "We Won!!! We Won!!!"  Yet they didn't do a single thing to help them win.  The players, coaches, and other support people for the team did all the work!!!  All those people did was sit down and watch.  They practically did nothing. 

I don't get this.  Can someone explain this? 

[buckethead]

So you don't like sports fans?

I might be one of those neanderthals.

[thelakelander]

Does a fantasy football investment count?

[tufsu1]

there is a new movie coming out on just this topic....stay tuned

[Lunican]

This is actually a psychology question.

Here is a book on the topic:
Sport Fans : The Psychology and Social Impact of Spectators
http://www.amazon.com/Sport-Fans-Psychology-Social-Spectators/dp/0415924634

[coredumped]

For me, a jags season ticket holder, there's nothing better than having 50,000 other fans (on a busy day:) basically agree with you. You cheer, and they're all cheering, you boo, they boo.

Where else can you get that many people together to agree on something? A cult perhaps? This is probably cheaper.
It's nice to be a part of something, and even nicer to be a part of something local with most of your neighbors.

Also, it's a hobby. I had a friend who liked puzzles, I never understood why anyone in their right mind would PAY for a picture in a box that was all cut up, and then had to put it back together - for her it was a hobby.

No, that jags winning or losing wont matter in a year, but it's damn important on Sunday!

[Coolyfett]

Can someone tell me a bit more about sports fans and why they act the way they do?

I'm not really a fan of any sports team except one which I have interest in. Example: If I invest in the team, the team brings economic opportunity to me, I play for the team, I have a close personal friend who plays for the team, or something like that.

If I see a team win, the fans cheer.  If I see a team loose, the fans are sad.  However, the fans basically did NOTHING.  All they did was sit down and watch the game.  True, you could say they did pay some $$$ but money hardly constituents loyalty of this level on other stuff.  I've seen people in bars scream loudly and say "We Won!!! We Won!!!"  Yet they didn't do a single thing to help them win.  The players, coaches, and other support people for the team did all the work!!!  All those people did was sit down and watch.  They practically did nothing.

I don't get this.  Can someone explain this?

Dude are you kidding me?? There are different types of sports fans man. You have Loyal Fans, Die Hard Fans, Homers & Bandwagon/TV Fans.

Sports for me is about Tradition, then its about Winning, it is also about civic pride. If you have a team that you have invested in, whether it be tickets, clothing or merchandise. You are going to feel connected to that team. When they lose you feel bad, when they win you feel great.

Types of fans:

Loyal Fan:

The guy that grew up in Pittsburgh but is now 40 and lives in Phoenix, He loves his Steelers, His dad took him to Three Rivers Stadium as a kid. Monday morning attitude is always affected by sundays results.

The other guy that is a Broncos fan, win or lose he still wears the gear, watches every game if he can. Follows no other team but the Broncos.

We live in Dallas, but my father grow up in Cleveland, we watched Browns games on TV with our dad so now we are also Browns fans. Win or lose we are Browns fans. Inherited passion.

Die Hard Fan:

This is the guy that has his house decked out in Jets stuff, Jets posters, Jets flags, banners, has like 10 Jets Jerseys in his closet. You don't want to talk to him Monday unless you are a Dolphins fan. These guy ride or die with there team. A team owners best friend!! Oh yea I forgot about all the Jets stickers on the back of his Green sedan. I respect die hards even when they are looney!

Homers:

Support the teams of the city they live in. Like a Phillies/Eagles/76ers fan, they follow most teams with Philadelphia's name on it. Homers can be both Die Hards or Loyal fans, depending on how long they lived in the city. Homers change teams when they move. If they stay a fan of their old city's team then they are just Loyal Fans. Being a Die hard in a city where the team does not play is annoying, boarder line rude & disrespectful. Especially if its a rival club.

Bangwagon/TV fan:

ok this is the fan every other fan hates. They are fans of the current winners or the most popular teams. This is the guy that grew up in Seattle, lives in DC and is a huge Yankees fan. Remember the Bulls fans in the 90s or the 49ers fans in the 80s? Yep he was one of those guys. He never lived in LA but been a Lakers fan since Wilt played(or so he says). Owns no hats or jerseys, but when the sports conversations comes up he is the loudest, proudest Yankees/Lakers/Cowboys/Steelers fan ever.

I'm a Homer, but still loyal to my Jags and Suns though. I want to see the Falcons and Braves do well, because of civic pride reasons. Nothing like the atmosphere of a city with a winning team.

[JeffreyS]

If America does something great do you say yeah we did it? Or the Human race or your company maybe on another groups project.  Same feeling you like a sport pick your team for whatever reason and begin to associate yourself with it.

[buckethead]

I like to think I'm awesome... That is all.

[Jason]

The Jags are MINE!!!


BTW, the fans can and do affect the outcome of a game.  Especially a football game.  The "12th man" goes a long way toward amping up the home team and throwing off the visitor.  I can't imagine what it must be like for the visiting team to have to call play and keep snap counts when the stands are so loud you can't hear yourself think.  Furthermore, when MJD takes a hand off up the gut and pops out of a hole with 11 guys on his heels I'm sure he gets an adrenaline turbo boost from the roar in the stands cheering him on.

The fans are everything and the WHOLE reason sporting exists.  Why compete if there were nobody watching and nobody cheering you on?

[hanjin1]

I guess I could be some of all those fan descriptions. I grew up in New York so I was born being a Yankee's fan. I also love basketball and will always be a Chicago Bulls fan even though I have never been to Chicago. I went to Florida State and UF, but I will always bleed Garnett and Gold. And since living in Jacksonville for the past 11 years I have been a Jags fan, I was not a football fan until I got to college.

[blizz01]

Team sports that represent a school, city, state, country, etc. make sense to me because it is a lot easier to create an association.  Whether civic, monetary, parochial, historical, etc., a vested interest can quickly be forged.  It does, however, become gray & even awkward for me to become a passionate fan of individual sports - whether it's NASCAR, tennis, golf, etc. 

[copperfiend]

Can someone tell me a bit more about sports fans and why they act the way they do? 

I'm not really a fan of any sports team except one which I have interest in.

Which one? Why do you have an interest in said team?

[DavidWilliams]

I think it is mainly just a social event. If said team (locally-Jaguars as that is all we have) happens to be winning interest is aroused. Those who aren't normally following will jump on the bandwagon and go to home games, buy merch etc. Personally, I am a big sports fan simply because it is way to get away from day to day drudgery (an alternate universe so to speak).

I will not even get started on the gambling industry/fantasy league related to sports (no, I am not a gambler nor fantasy participant).

[cdb]

It keeps you young. I still remember sitting on the couch with my brother and father watching Mookie Wilsons ground ball go through Bill Buckners legs. The NY Mets won the world series when I was 10 years old and I remember parts of those games like it was yesterday. But if you ask me what grade I was in when I was 10, I would have to look it up.