Jewish-Israeli attitudes towards the Iranian football team during the 2014 World Cup tournament

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 252-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tal Samuel-Azran ◽  
Yair Galily ◽  
Amit Lavie-Dinur ◽  
Yuval Karniel
Keyword(s):  
Representative Sample ◽  
World Cup ◽  
Football Team ◽  
Israeli Population ◽  
The World ◽  
Soccer Fans

To contribute to analysis of the interplay between sport and politics, this study examines Jewish-Israeli attitudes towards the Iranian football team during the 2014 World Cup tournament. A survey amongst a representative sample of the Jewish-Israeli population reveals that the Iranian team was the least favored team to win the games but, at the same time, young and secular respondents were more likely than other groups to believe that the Iranian team is not controlled by their government. An analysis of Israeli sportscasters’ comments during Iran’s games reveals that the sportscasters regularly referred to the Iranian team as representatives of a terror state. In contrast, an analysis of online mentions of the Iranian team reveals that many of the comments were positive and empathized with Iranian soccer fans. The findings strengthen the notion that sport and politics are fused, but also illuminate that the World Cup games promoted realms, albeit peripheral, of less dichotomist stereotyping.

Social Second Screen: WhatsApp and Watching the World Cup

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-141
Author(s):  
Dana Weimann-Saks ◽  
Yaron Ariel ◽  
Vered Elishar-Malka
Keyword(s):  
Television Viewing ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
World Cup ◽  
Soccer Game ◽  
Second Screen ◽  
Israeli Population ◽  
The World ◽  
Physical Presence ◽  
Screening Question ◽  
Live Broadcast

In recent years, changes have taken place in television viewing patterns during live broadcasts of major events. One of the most striking changes is the introduction of “second screens” that accompany viewing. The current study adds to the existing research literature by examining viewing patterns and socialization during the live broadcast of major sports games. Specifically, it examines the use of smartphones and WhatsApp among Israeli viewers of the 2018 World Cup games’ televised broadcasts, from the quarterfinals onward. In total, 454 respondents were filtered through a screening question, in a representative panel of Israeli population. Findings show that most viewers prefer to watch the broadcast of a major soccer game together, though co-viewing is not necessarily done in the physical presence of others. Findings also reveal a connection between the viewer’s engagement with the game and the enjoyment of watching the broadcast. Further, this relationship is mediated through the use of a smartphone as a second screen, especially the use of WhatsApp. This study contributes to existing research literature by showing the extent to which game-related communication using WhatsApp contributes to a meaningful collaborative viewing experience, the degree of engagement with the game, and the extent to which it is enjoyed.

Terrorizing defences: Sport in the Liberian civil conflict

2012 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 358-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Armstrong ◽  
James Rosbrook-Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Civil Conflict ◽  
Charles Taylor ◽  
World Cup ◽  
Team Games ◽  
Football Team ◽  
The World ◽  
National League ◽  
Fault Lines ◽  
The One ◽  
Rules Of The Game

The democratically elected President of Liberia was between 1997 and 2004 also the country’s ‘Chief Patron of Sport’. Enjoying tennis more than team games, the one-time President, Charles Taylor, realized that the electorate’s enthusiasm for the game of football meant that the game could be a useful vehicle with which to associate. As well as funding the salaries of the national ‘Lone Star’ football team, Taylor also sponsored a football team in the national league drawn from his personal militia known as the ‘Anti-Terrorist Unit’ (ATU). Prone to random murder by night, the same players, out of their recognizable uniform and in match kit, respected the rules of the game and the position of the referee. Others seeking the same sporting enjoyment were, when on the field of play in 2003, captured and forced to join the Presidential militia when rebel forces sought to overthrow Taylor. Players of another team – mainly children – were killed mid-match when a rocket-propelled grenade – origins contested – landed in their midst. The Liberian nation’s most famous citizen and one-time FIFA World Footballer of the Year, George Weah, twice fled the country in terror, once when threatened by the forces of the President, and again years later when an angry mob of irate football supporters blamed him for their national football team’s failure to qualify for the World Cup Finals. There was no shortage of incidents in Liberia in the aforementioned years that could be classed as ‘terrorist’ and indeed terrifying; sporting practice at times exemplified the alternatives available to conflict, yet at other times it accentuated the fault lines in what BBC political journalist Fergal Keane famously called Africa’s ‘basket case’.

Impact of international sports events on the attendance of domestic sports league games using Chinese Super League data

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 258-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Feng ◽  
Jia Lu ◽  
Yeujun Yoon
Keyword(s):  
Sports Fans ◽  
World Cup ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sports Teams ◽  
Sports Events ◽  
The World ◽  
International Event ◽  
Soccer Fans ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Super League

PurposeExperiences of high quality games between top-class sports teams could influence sports fans’ decision to attend the domestic sports games. For example, soccer fans who watched the World Cup games between the best national teams are likely to be disappointed with the performance of their domestic league teams after the World Cup event, while more people might be attracted to watch a soccer game because of their increased interest in soccer games. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the international sports event (i.e. the World Cup) influences the demand of the domestic sports league games in the non-hosting country.Design/methodology/approachTo test these antithetical hypotheses, the authors collect the Chinese Super League game-level data from 2004 to 2011. For analysis, the authors propose two empirical models rigorously developed based on previous sports marketing theories.FindingsThe findings are surprising compared to previous studies for the hosting countries or countries that performed spectacularly during the World Cup tournaments. The authors find that the international event negatively influences the attendance of domestic games. Specifically, it gives salience to the competitive quality of a match and helps enhance the impact of star players. Furthermore, the authors find evidence of dynamic effects of the international event.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the previous sports literatures by expanding our understanding of the effect of international sports events. Particularly, the results shed light on international events’ impact on the domestic sports league demand in more general conditions based on its influence on people’s behavior, rather than focusing on the effect caused by facility development or dramatic performance during the international event.

National sport success and the emergent social atmosphere: The case of Iceland

2020 ◽  
pp. 101269022091241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vidar Halldorsson
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Questionnaire Data ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Short Term ◽  
World Cup ◽  
Football Team ◽  
Icelandic Population ◽  
The World ◽  
International Attention ◽  
History Of

Iceland attracted international attention when its national football team qualified for the 2018 Men’s World Cup. This surprise qualification made Iceland the smallest nation to qualify in the 88-year history of the prestigious competition. During the World Cup, life in Iceland seemed to center on the Icelandic team and attract interest and attention from almost every Icelander. But how widespread was the national interest in Iceland’s participation and did the inclusion of Iceland in the competition have any positive social/psychological impact on individuals and/or Icelandic society? Questionnaire data from a sample of the Icelandic population show that there was extensive interest among Icelanders in the participation of the Icelandic team in the World Cup. The findings further show that Iceland’s participation positively affected the mood of Icelanders and created a positive atmosphere among the Icelandic nation, as well as some critical attitudes, at least for the short term.

GOAALLL!: Using sentiment in the world cup to explore theories of emotion

2017 ◽  
Vol 65 ◽  
pp. 58-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gale M. Lucas ◽  
Jonathan Gratch ◽  
Nikolaos Malandrakis ◽  
Evan Szablowski ◽  
Eli Fessler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
World Cup ◽  
The World

Collective Decision-making: FIFA from the Perspective of Public Choice

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Follert ◽  
Lukas Richau ◽  
Eike Emrich ◽  
Christian Pierdzioch
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Public Choice ◽  
Choice Theory ◽  
Collective Decision ◽  
Public Confidence ◽  
Collective Decision Making ◽  
Public Choice Theory ◽  
World Cup ◽  
The World ◽  
Selection Of

AbstractVarious scandals have shaken public confidence in football's global governing body, Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). It is evident that decision-making within such a collective provides incentives for corruption. We apply the Buchanan-Tullock model that is known from Public Choice theory to study collective decision-making within FIFA. On the basis of this theoretical model, we develop specific proposals that can contribute to combating corruption. Three core aspects are discussed: the selection of the World Cup host, transparency in the allocation of budgets, and clear guidelines for FIFA officials and bodies with regard to their rights and accountability. Our insights can contribute to a better understanding of collective decision making in heterogenous groups.

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