This semester, we have discussed an athlete's socialization through sport and their identity in sport. What about a sport fan? A recent article was written about a sports fans' behavior titled: The Roar of the Crowd: Sports fans' primal behavior (Barash, 2009). For the article click here. In the article Barash (2009), argues against a sport fans' obsession with their team.
...For one thing, we get identification from our sports frenzy, the experience of seeing ourselves in the exploits of another. In his novel A Fan's Notes, Frederick Exley depicted the New York Giants' star running back Frank Gifford accomplishing with a football all those things the narrator failed to achieve in love and work: "It was very simple, really. Where I could not, with syntax, give shape to my fantasies, Gifford could, with his superb timing, his great hands, his uncanny faking, give shape to his." Earlier in the novel, the narrator — in a mental hospital — told a friend: "He may be the only fame I'll ever have!" Maybe it is time to rework Andy Warhol's observation that in the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes: Thanks to spectator sports, each of us can know fame for most of our lives, so long as we are satisfied with the ever-shifting, warmed-over shadow of someone else's...(Barash, 2009).
The author Barash brings in an interesting perspective on the appeal of humans being attracted to large groups of other humans. The article is an interesting article in that it definitely got me to think about team affiliation in a whole different light. Thinking of the attraction of a team in the perspective that it is a historical behavior or trait that it is ingrained in our minds is something I have never thought about. I do think in some way that as the Oyster bird or whatever it was called does present a good point that in the back of our minds we are looking for that super normal. I do not think we are too caught up in cheering for "our" team. I do think that if someone is completely obsessed over a team or if it is the very center of their existence then yeah he or she is too caught up. Somethings should be taken in moderation. I do not know if a sports fan is really just a barbaric example of our ancestors or that it represents just a natural attraction to the super normal, but I do know that team sports is something that gives people hope.
ReplyDeleteI definately think that Barash is right in the aspect that people cheer so hard for one team is because it is a yearning to be part of a group. It is human nature to want to be part of a group. It makes people feel more comfortbale to know that they are one of thousands, possibly millions, of people who are cheering for a similiar cause. But I do not think that having this "obession" is necessarily a bad thing. Sure, like D-Hom said, obsessing about them to the point where it takes over your life is a bad thing, but checking the stats everyday and keeping constant tabs on your team is not a bad thing. Some people are passionate about cars, some people about clothes.....and then there are some people who are passionate about a particluar sports team. And I do not think that there is anything wrong with that. Cheering for a team can give a person a sense of belonging, and only good can come from it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with many points made in Barash's article. It is human nature for people to want to be a part of a group or something bigger than themselves. I think some fanaticism is good, but some people get too caught up in “their” team that violence often results. Sports fanaticism is very common in the United States. Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, and New York Yankees are baseball teams in America that have a historical, enormous, passionate fan base. The cities can erupt in party and celebration or resemble abandoned ghost towns, all hinging on the outcome of their teams’ game. This is an extreme, but very realistic, example of how vital a team’s success is among many sports fans. Fans create a 'we' categorization between themselves and their given team. They take ownership of the team as if their cheering and support makes a difference on the outcome. Fans believe they are as heavily invested in the result of the game as the players. The result for the players is the same result for the fans. This investment leads to immense dedication to a fan’s favorite team, and vast distain for the team’s rivals. However, this passion often results in violence among these fans. Fans will always be passionate about their teams, but violence must be eliminated.
ReplyDeleteI felt Barash was slightly negative towards sports fans and their affiliation with teams, but he does bring up very good points in examining why people become sports fans. People yearn to be a part of a group, and fans of sports teams are one of the easiest ways to be accepted. One of the points that shed negative light on sports is the comparison of athletes to scientists, writers, or educators. They have all had great accomplishments in the fields they have chosen to follow. Barash then mentions some of the failures of some athletes such as racism, alcoholism, gambling, and drug abusing. In this comparison, Barash humanizes athletes so that they shouldn’t be held to such higher standards, but they are and will continually be held to higher standards. With that, I feel people are not caught up with cheering on their team. Sometimes it can become an overconformity as a sports fan. For example, tailgating fans may have a too many beers to drink before the game because it is a part of the game experience, and a drunken fan may engage in a fight with a fan of the opposing team because of his love for the team and amount of alcohol in his body. This is a problem in sports, but it does not stop a sports contest or people to be dissatisfied with a sports team. People live for sports because it allows them to be a part of a group and they identify with a team. It allows them to be passionate and emotional towards one of their interests. It allows them to act in such ways not possible in work or at home. The cheering of sports teams from fans is vital and beneficial for both sides.
ReplyDeleteBarash made many good points in his article, yet I do not believe that being "obsessed" with a sports team is necessarly a bad thing. Everyone has different interets, and some people chose to really be into sports. I would have to say that some people take it to an extreme which can take over their lives. But I do not think that there is anything wrong with loving a certain team. I love the cougs. I consistantly read up on stats, recruits, players, coaches, other teams. It is just a part of being a true fan. I like being a part of a group that enjoys the same interests as me. If there were not fans in the stands, sports would not be the same. There is nothing like having a packed gym, rooting for a team to hit that final shot to make them victorious. Its a huge adrenaline rush for the players and for the fans. It is a passion that many people have, including myself.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Barash claims we are naturally "yearning to be part of a group" through most of our lives in his description of why people are sport fans. We get that sense of inclusion and belonging as learn to be part of team through our family and friends. I don't think people are too caught up in cheering for their team, its just that same feeling that all sports fans get with vicariously associating themselves with the team, not really an obsession. However, when overzealous fans turn into violence, that's when it could be a problem. As mentioned by Barash, there are extreme fans who act out in violence like after soccer games, an example of this can be seen in the movie "Green Street Hooligans." I believe that this is crossing the line for sports fans. Anyway, there is nothing wrong with having a passion for a team. Being a true fan and everything that goes along with it is just part of the ultimate game experience.
ReplyDeleteHe brings up several interesting points in his article. However, after playing sports, the development into a fan is only natural. As a former player, it is much easier for a fan to relate to players. When a team they follow is successful on the field, it only aids their devotion to that team. Perhaps the fact that the author, David P. Barash, is a Professor at the University of Washington is a reason he fails to see why some people are so into following their teams. Seattle sports teams historically are awful with rare exception, and no one wants to follow a losing franchise. However, once one follows their team through the good times and bad, it's easy to develop a distinct connection. Furthermore, being a fan allows people to come together for social gatherings, such as tailgating or parties. There are many reasons for a person to follow their teams closely.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author, in that sports fans are being fooled everyday...and not by the game, but businessmen. A lot of the things he described the fan as doing are things I do, like use the pronoun "we" when referring to my favorite team. Really, his article is a great tutorial in marketing theory, because if an organization can cause its target market to feel part of the group they have a life-long customer. Are we too caught up? probably. When I feel the passion of a sports enthusiast becomes harmful is when the athletes are considered people to look up to and model our lives after. He clearly explained through example and logic that fans should likely do just the opposite of idolizing their favorite athletes.No little children should have cried over Phelps and A-rod becuase none of them should have seen the athletes as more than they are: freakish talents on display.
ReplyDeleteBarash made several valid and convincing arguments about the nature of fanhood. It is obviously true that if fans become overly dedicated to a team or sport that this can have a negative impact on the individual or on society as a whole. The most serious consequences appear to occur when there is a carry over to society of issues that are common in sport such as drug use and violence. It is important that spectators are able to differentiate the distinctions in sport from areas of their life. Barash also explains that it is part of our human nature to be part of a group, and explains how this is accomplished through being a fan. There are sometimes negative results from this form of grouping as described in the article, but I believe that this can also be a positive thing. Sports often provide an environment that promote social interaction, which can be beneficial to a society. Also sport can often help unite communities as was seen with the sport teams in New Orleans following the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. So while excessive fanhood can cause problems, I don't believe it that this means that sports are always detrimental to our society.
ReplyDeleteThe article shines a new light on how humans act towards wanting to be in a group and the connection with being a fan of a team. In a lot of biological ways we are like our ancestors. This article says a lot about that. I think a lot of people do get carried away with the teams they support and definitely agree that humans do not do enough of some things. Barash points our a lot of things that the over obsessed fan could be doing with there time, of course my favorite would be well....Anyways human nature is what it is and if it is biological, there isn't much that can be done about it. If people choose to just want to be an overly obsessed fan let, I feel they are missing out on other things in life. That's just me though and I can't make judgments about what people do with their life, cuz I am sure they would find problems with mine. I am not saying there is anything wrong with sports or being a fan of sports, as I love to watch them or play them, but over obsessing to the point of violence and it is all you do (going back to the fitness blog) that is where the issue lies. There are greater issues out there then being obsessed with sports that people should be made aware of or correct way before this is looked upon as a major issue in society.
ReplyDeleteI definitely feel that Barash is not a fan of sport fans. I totally agree with some of the points that Barash makes. We as human beings naturally can act in a barbaric manor, and I don’t feel that that will change anytime soon. We as human beings need a sense of belonging and acceptance and our emotions can run high, that just natural though. I personally do feel that some supporters do get too caught up in supporting for their team, and it can bring some unnecessary stress in their lives and can be detrimental to other peoples in their lives. There is a fine line and it needs to be understood sport is sport. Whether a team wins or loses shouldn't necessarily significantly effect ones life. I feel some people nned to mature and look at the brighter and more important things in life.
ReplyDeleteI really agree with Barash's article. People are cheering so hard for a team and getting involved for the team. I think sports fans in the United states are totally gentle. I had seen hooligans in English and Italian soccer games. They are crazy. They are cheering for their team and act violently to other team's fans and players. They fight with other team's supporters, throw beer cans and some others to infield during the game. Lots of people have died through holligan's fighting in the stadium. Cheering the team is very needed for sports. Having a feeling of the part of the team is very good one for fans. However if it is excessive, it might hurt every fan themselves.
ReplyDeleteThe author does bring up the point of how people lean towards the bigger and fiercer crowd. They are so controlled by the image of a team unity that fans will do whatever it takes to be part of the game. They are challenging every part of the game. Our team is always our pride and dedication to our heritage or metropolitan.
ReplyDeletei agree to a point with the article we as human yearn to be part of a group because it is just our nature to find a group to help shape an identity, it is an external family. their are tons of reasons for a person to cheer for a team, their could be family on the team. From experience my mom is a nut when it comes to cheering because she wants the best for us when we play and sometimes it goes to the extreme with yelling. The team can represent a city and give a city a sense of pride, if the city is booming with sport excellence it gives a person a sense of entitlement. The line gets crossed when we see violence in the stands or fans with players, this is when obsession gets out of hand. The movie Greenstreet Hooligans is a perfect example of fanatics, they provoke fights based on the status of their futbol team. Athletic events are supposed to be entertaining and one should not be worried that the person next to them may get violent and hurt someone
ReplyDeleteThe author of this article has a very cynical perception of sports fans. What is the wrong in feeling apart of something or a group? Of course there is a limit to this obsession. Acts of violence or self deterioration because of the outcome of a game is ridiculous, but following a team for the mere enjoyment should be encouraged. Speaking on behalf of Paul Weiss in the lectures, it is through an athlete that we can see the possibilities of humans at the limit of bodily capacity. Sports are entertainment, and rooting for a team gives it meaning. Sports lose entertainment value when we don't have a favorite, or someone to believe in. There are many times in life to listen to music, walk the dog, or read a book. But why not be apart of the great phenomenon of sports when time allows it?
ReplyDeleteI think its interesting that he talks about how rooting is silly, and some people just go to far to cheer for their team. I immediatley think of Oakland Raider fans, even though their team sucks right now, they still come out in their "battle" gear. I think that it is ok to root for a team as crazy as you want, when you have a passion for something, you should show it, or we would live in an uninteresting world. I love to get up for Cougar football and basketball, the crazier the fans, the better the atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteI think that he provides and interesting view point about the author claming that his favorite athlete succeeding would be the only way the he would succeed in the world. I feel that it is a fairly accurate representation of many sports fans. I know from personal experiance that wins and losses from me belovid sports teams can significantly impact my mood of the day and especially on a college campus you feel that. I think it comes from the desire to want to be a part of somthing that you feel is bigger than yourself and for many people these athletes are living out the dreams of many so it becomes easy to live vicariously though an athlete whom you feel you feel some sort of bond with.
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