• Hi Guest, want to participate in the discussions, keep track of read/unread posts access private forums and more? Create your free account and increase the benefits of your eGriz.com experience today!

What makes fans tick?

ordigger

ordigger

Well-known member
DONOR
Interesting article....good reading. Explains why so many who profess to be "fans" here on eGriz are in truth not.

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/...040301/SBJ-In-Depth/What-Makes-Fans-Tick.aspx

Sociologists and psychologists also can tell you why some people follow sports with more passion than others; why most will jump off a bandwagon even more readily than they climbed on;
Click to expand...

Why we're fans......

About 10 years ago, around the time that Cubs fans were burning copies of the Chicago Tribune on Waveland Avenue after losing 12 home games in a row, Wann created the Sports Fan Identification Scale, which pegged these eight basic motives that drive people to consume sports:

Entertainment: As Freud is believed to have said, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. You went to see "Master and Commander" last night. Today, you've got Cubs tickets.

Escape: You can't yell at your boss. You shouldn't yell at your spouse. You can, and will, yell at the Cubs.

Economics: You bet $100 on the Cubs. And Corey Patterson is on your fantasy team.

Eustress: The pleasurable combination of euphoria and stress. You are stimulated intellectually and emotionally as you alternate between the euphoria you feel when Sammy Sosa homers in the first inning, and the stress you feel when a fly ball has him backing up to the wall in the second.

Aesthetic: You appreciate the grace and precision of a well-turned double play.

Family: Your spouse isn't particularly fond of the Cubs but goes to the game to spend time with you.

Self-esteem: Cubs win, therefore you win.

Group affiliation: The other 38,000 people at Wrigley also want the Cubs to win, validating your own affinity for the Cubs, and excusing you for it tomorrow night when they lose in Houston.
Click to expand...

Cialdini described the behavior as "basking in reflected glory" and "cutting off reflected failure," or BIRGing and CORFing, acronyms that formed the foundation for social and psychological research that continues today.

When fans BIRG, they align themselves with a team that has success, hoping that the connection will improve the way they're viewed by others. They fly their colors to make sure that others know that they're on the winning side. They scream, "We're No. 1."
When fans CORF, they cut the cord on that connection, trying to avoid the negative evaluation that comes with a loss. They leave their team sweatshirts at the bottom of the laundry basket. "We're on a roll" gives way to "they're in the toilet."

The reasons behind the behavior are tied to self-esteem.
Click to expand...

Fans who lack a deep connection are capable of shifting from BIRG to CORF and back as deftly as a Heisman-winning tailback. Those who identify more closely with the team will dig in during down years, continuing to view the team positively because acting otherwise would jeopardize their view of themselves...

While Cubs fans and Red Sox fans would like for their teams to win, they don't take a self-esteem hit when they lose. They wear their scars with pride.

"For them, it's really all about being loyal, and you can't challenge that," End said. "I'm more loyal than you, so I can feel good about myself in comparison to you, even though your team won."
Click to expand...
 
Those who identify more closely with the team will dig in during down years, continuing to view the team positively because acting otherwise would jeopardize their view of themselves...
Click to expand...

So basically the people who sugar coat everything, accuse others of being bad fans, and don't acknowledge problems do so because their fragile egos would be bruised if they didn't put their hands over their eyes and chant "ALL IS WELL. ALL IS WELL"

Was that what you were going for oredigger? Just curious :P

Anyway, psychobabble bullshit like this being used to try to determine who is a "true" fan and who isn't based on whether or not a person discusses problems they see on a message board is silly.

You could have fans who only go to the game for the social glad-handing with other big shots be the biggest sugar-coaters in the history of the game who see nothing wrong ever... are they a true fan while the people who have been season ticket holders since well before the Griz were winning NC, are always at the games, love football and couldn't care less about the social gathering part of it aren't fans because they bitch some on a message board about the problems they see?

Who do you think would disappear first as a fan if the attendance started dropping due to bad performance? The rabid football loving fans who have been fans of the team through the tough times as well but are also willing to discuss problems they see with the coaching or the fan of social gatherings who thinks everyone else is a bad fan because they dare speak about problems they see?
 
ordigger said:
Interesting article....good reading. Explains why so many who profess to be "fans" here on eGriz are in truth not.

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/...040301/SBJ-In-Depth/What-Makes-Fans-Tick.aspx

Sociologists and psychologists also can tell you why some people follow sports with more passion than others; why most will jump off a bandwagon even more readily than they climbed on;
Click to expand...

Why we're fans......

About 10 years ago, around the time that Cubs fans were burning copies of the Chicago Tribune on Waveland Avenue after losing 12 home games in a row, Wann created the Sports Fan Identification Scale, which pegged these eight basic motives that drive people to consume sports:

Entertainment: As Freud is believed to have said, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. You went to see "Master and Commander" last night. Today, you've got Cubs tickets.

Escape: You can't yell at your boss. You shouldn't yell at your spouse. You can, and will, yell at the Cubs.

Economics: You bet $100 on the Cubs. And Corey Patterson is on your fantasy team.

Eustress: The pleasurable combination of euphoria and stress. You are stimulated intellectually and emotionally as you alternate between the euphoria you feel when Sammy Sosa homers in the first inning, and the stress you feel when a fly ball has him backing up to the wall in the second.

Aesthetic: You appreciate the grace and precision of a well-turned double play.

Family: Your spouse isn't particularly fond of the Cubs but goes to the game to spend time with you.

Self-esteem: Cubs win, therefore you win.

Group affiliation: The other 38,000 people at Wrigley also want the Cubs to win, validating your own affinity for the Cubs, and excusing you for it tomorrow night when they lose in Houston.
Click to expand...

Cialdini described the behavior as "basking in reflected glory" and "cutting off reflected failure," or BIRGing and CORFing, acronyms that formed the foundation for social and psychological research that continues today.

When fans BIRG, they align themselves with a team that has success, hoping that the connection will improve the way they're viewed by others. They fly their colors to make sure that others know that they're on the winning side. They scream, "We're No. 1."
When fans CORF, they cut the cord on that connection, trying to avoid the negative evaluation that comes with a loss. They leave their team sweatshirts at the bottom of the laundry basket. "We're on a roll" gives way to "they're in the toilet."

The reasons behind the behavior are tied to self-esteem.
Click to expand...

Fans who lack a deep connection are capable of shifting from BIRG to CORF and back as deftly as a Heisman-winning tailback. Those who identify more closely with the team will dig in during down years, continuing to view the team positively because acting otherwise would jeopardize their view of themselves...

While Cubs fans and Red Sox fans would like for their teams to win, they don't take a self-esteem hit when they lose. They wear their scars with pride.

"For them, it's really all about being loyal, and you can't challenge that," End said. "I'm more loyal than you, so I can feel good about myself in comparison to you, even though your team won."
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Good stuff - thanks for posting!
 
Potomac Griz said:
Those who identify more closely with the team will dig in during down years, continuing to view the team positively because acting otherwise would jeopardize their view of themselves...
Click to expand...

So basically the people who sugar coat everything, accuse others of being bad fans, and don't acknowledge problems do so because their fragile egos would be bruised if they didn't put their hands over their eyes and chant "ALL IS WELL. ALL IS WELL"

Was that what you were going for oredigger? Just curious :P

Anyway, psychobabble bullshit like this being used to try to determine who is a "true" fan and who isn't based on whether or not a person discusses problems they see on a message board is silly.

You could have fans who only go to the game for the social glad-handing with other big shots be the biggest sugar-coaters in the history of the game who see nothing wrong ever... are they a true fan while the people who have been season ticket holders since well before the Griz were winning NC, are always at the games, love football and couldn't care less about the social gathering part of it aren't fans because they bitch some on a message board about the problems they see?

Who do you think would disappear first as a fan if the attendance started dropping due to bad performance? The rabid football loving fans who have been fans of the team through the tough times as well but are also willing to discuss problems they see with the coaching or the fan of social gatherings who thinks everyone else is a bad fan because they dare speak about problems they see?
Click to expand...

Great illustration of the theory; nice work!
 
Frankly, I don't think any of the knowledgeable football fans who are even CAPABLE of providing justified criticism of the direction of this program give a flying f*ck about being called a bad fan. I know me and my Griz buddies don't. So if you get a woody thinking that you have got the market cornered on being a good fan, go for it.
 
I chuckle at fans like GrizRule who run around sucking up to coaches, and then immediately posting what he heard them say.
 
PlayerRep said:
I chuckle at fans like GrizRule who run around sucking up to coaches, and then immediately posting what he heard them say.
Click to expand...

Uh, I don't talk to any of the GRIZ football coaches. I knew Wayne and Larry before they got their coaching jobs. Those 2 were the main reasons why I became a huge GRIZ basketball fan as a kid. As for Travis, I don't know him very well, but do feel he will be a great coach for us. Who knows if I will get to know him well or not. Think what you'd like. The only way some of us can stomach some of your posts is by ignoring you or seeing what post will get you in full blown PR mode. :thumb:
 
mtgrizrule said:
PlayerRep said:
I chuckle at fans like GrizRule who run around sucking up to coaches, and then immediately posting what he heard them say.
Click to expand...

Uh, I don't talk to any of the GRIZ football coaches. I knew Wayne and Larry before they got their coaching jobs. Those 2 were the main reasons why I became a huge GRIZ basketball fan as a kid. As for Travis, I don't know him very well, but do feel he will be a great coach for us. Who knows if I will get to know him well or not. Think what you'd like. The only way some of us can stomach some of your posts is by ignoring you or seeing what post will get you in full blown PR mode. :thumb:
Click to expand...

Yes, was talking basketball. Know you don't know much about football.
 
Personally, I think fans that can see both the good and the bad are true fans. It shows they actually CARE about the product on the field and want the best for the program that they follow
 
What makes this Griz fan tick is the fact that I get the priviledge to live in a country where I can watch the team I love play on Saturday's in the fall and then listen (read) to critism, positive and negative. Knowing that I will be tailgating in lot "M" this coming saturday for another Griz game makes me tick! Meeting old friends from around the state as well as meeting a few new Griz fans and visiting fans makes me tick.
Just being able to attend these games is a blessing that no one should ever take for granted! Yes, sometimes we don't always have the best of everything, but what we have is something to be very proud of!

God bless the Griz team I love and God bless America!

Go Griz!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top