Sunday, November 29, 2015

A Homage to Sports Fans Everywhere

 Good Day World!

I’m paying homage to sports fans today.

A true sports fan is the salt of the earth. Loyal, passionate, and proud of their team.

(Photo by Charles Rex Arbogast)

Don’t mistake fan loyalty, particularly with respect to team sports, to brand loyalty. There is a difference.

What causes a person to be a loyal fan, sticking with a team through adversity, rather than a fair weather fan, that switches support to whatever teams happen to be successful at the time?

Psychologists attribute it to the following factors:

Entertainment value
The entertainment value that a fan derives from spectating motivates him/her to remain a loyal fan. Entertainment value of team sports is also valuable to communities in general.
Authenticity
This is described by Passikoff as "the acceptance of the game as real and meaningful".
Fan bonding
Fan bonding is where a fan bonds with the players, identifying with them as individuals, and bonds with the team.
Team history and tradition
Shank gives the Cincinnati Reds, all-professional baseball's oldest team, as an example of a team where a long team history and tradition is a motivator for fans in the Cincinnati area.
Group affiliation
Fans receive personal validation of their support for a team from being surrounded by a group of fans who also support the same team.

Finally, as a loyal Los Angeles Laker fan for 52 years, I wouldn’t even think about changing loyalties to another team – despite the fact the Lakers are currently playing the worst ball in their franchise history.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

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