The Development of Sports Fan: From Self-Identification to “Diehard”

The following insight literature review describes the process that sports fans undergo in the development of their fandom – from the individual, self-identification phase to the mass-audience, communal experience and ultimately to the “diehard fan” distinction. Sports fans begin their fandom as individual entities who find emotional satisfaction in cheering for a particular team or athlete because those teams and athletes provide an important psychological component or addition to their lives. As fans’ connections to teams and athletes grow stronger, they seek out other like-minded individuals to share their emotions and feelings, which helps reinforce these attachments Thus, the communal experience in sports is born. The communal sports fan experience can also set groups against each other for the same reasons – the “us against them” mentality. The spread of new and social media platforms provides even stronger and instantaneous relationship building and maintenance opportunities among sports fans – enabling a “virtual” communal experience. The end result of fervent sports fans’ development is to become the most committed fan – the “diehard fan”. Keywords: fans, sports, group identity, self-identity, group values, diehard fan, communal experience

Nationality-Based Prejudice in Sports: Fan Demand for Foreign Athletes in the Czech

This paper aims to answer the question of whether fans discriminate against foreign athletes. It uses data from the fantasy sports environment. The sample consists of 11 rounds in the football competition in Czechia during the 2015–2016 season. A total of 8,036 people participated in the game, and they completed a total of 53,951 squads. The final dataset consists of 3,741 observations of a specific footballer in a single round. The results show that Czech fantasy sports users prefer domestic players. The influence of the players’ origin varies depending on the region they are from. The results show that Asian and Eastern European countries, namely Croatia, Serbia, and Slovakia, present a negative influence. On the other hand, Czechs prefer players from South America and Russia. In the case of African and Western European countries, the influence is insignificant in the models. Performance, however, influences the demand for athletes the most.

Should Athletes Be Allowed to Protest During the National Anthem? An Analysis of Public Opinions Among U.S. Adults

Using descriptive and multiple regression analyses of data from the National Sports and Society Survey (N = 3,993), this study examines public opinions about athletes’ right to protest during the national anthem. Results suggest that public opinion is now more supportive of athletes being allowed to protest during the anthem, although considerable opposition persists. Black individuals and those who recognize racial/ethnic discrimination in society are especially likely to support athletes’ right to protest. Heterosexual, Christian, sports fan, and military identities seem to encourage opposition to the right to protest. Indicators of traditionalism and sports nationalism attitudes are also negatively associated with support for athlete protests.