Author: William D. Butler
Publisher: Author House
ISBN: 1463436718
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 280
Get Book Here
Book Description
Nearly everyone in America is interested in sports. However, many people are becoming disenchanted. Media coverage is dominated by scandalous stories involving many of Americas best known figures in nearly all major sports. Fans have come to see professional athletes, in general, as being overpaid, immature and obnoxious. Ticket prices have become outrageously exorbitant. Many fans feel that they have been betrayed by something that they once held so dear. One Fan Left Behind, written by a typical, longtime sports fan, speaks to and for those fans. Some of the issues addressed are controversial and may serve as catalysts for further thought. Many dubious things about sports are blithely taken for granted. For instance, did you ever wonder why it is that if a basketball player is fouled in the act of shooting 25 feet from the basket, (a shot which he was probably going to miss anyway) he gets to move ten feet closer to the hoop to shoot three free throws? But if he is fouled in the act of shooting a lay up, (a shot which he rarely misses) he has to move several feet further from the basket to shoot only two free throws. One Fan Left Behind is written in a style which is lighthearted, entertaining and at times, tongue-in-cheek. Portions could be used as a stand-up comedy routine. Other segments can be described as nostalgic, poignant and/or deadly serious. The topic is singularly timely. So many things happen every day that it was difficult for the author to finish writing this book. He had to simply drop the pencil and stop writing. The story is still unfolding.
Author: Kenon A. Brown
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1793650632
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 257
Get Book Here
Book Description
Revolution of the Modern Sports Fan explores the elements of the sports fan that have markedly changed in the past few years. Inherent within these investigations is the role of communication in a multitude of forms (mediated, relational, etc.) as the prototypical sports fan has most heavily shifted within this domain. From the advent of social media to the rise of fantasy sport to the increased media platforms in which to consume sport, the sports fan has never had more options for consumption—and for the rendering of one’s opinions. As such, Revolution of the Modern Sports Fan offers an opportunity to advance what we now know about American sports fandom as well as the ability to debunk what scholars thought they knew about sports fandom that has now shifted.
Author: Larry Olmsted
Publisher: Algonquin Books
ISBN: 1616208465
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 321
Get Book Here
Book Description
“Olmsted opens a window into a psychologically compelling world of passion and purpose.” —Harvey Araton, author of Our Last Season: A Writer, a Fan, a Friendship Larry Olmsted’s writing and research have been called “eye-opening” (People), “impressive” (Publishers Weekly, starred review), and “enlightening” (Kirkus Reviews). Now, the New York Times and Washington Post bestselling author turns his expertise to a subject that has never been fully explored, delivering a highly entertaining game changer that uses brand-new research to show us why being a sports fan is good for us individually and is a force for positive change in society. Fans is a passionate reminder of how games, teams, and the communities dedicated to them are vital to our lives. Citing fascinating new studies on sports fandom, Larry Olmsted makes the case that the more you identify with a sports team, the better your social, psychological, and physical health is; the more meaningful your relationships are; and the more connected and happier you are. Fans maintain better cognitive processing as their gray matter ages; they have better language skills; and college students who follow sports have higher GPAs, better graduation rates, and higher incomes after graduating. And there’s more: On a societal level, sports help us heal after tragedies, providing community and hope when we need it most. Fans is the perfect gift for anyone who loves sports or anyone who loves someone who loves sports.
Author: Jessica Luther
Publisher: University of Texas Press
ISBN: 1477322175
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 337
Get Book Here
Book Description
Triumphant wins, gut-wrenching losses, last-second shots, underdogs, competition, and loyalty—it’s fun to be a fan. But when a football player takes a hit to the head after yet another study has warned of the dangers of CTE, or when a team whose mascot was born in an era of racism and bigotry takes the field, or when a relief pitcher accused of domestic violence saves the game, how is one to cheer? Welcome to the club for sports fans who care too much. In Loving Sports When They Don’t Love You Back, acclaimed sports writers Jessica Luther and Kavitha A. Davidson tackle the most pressing issues in sports, why they matter, and how we can do better. For the authors, “sticking to sports” is not an option—not when our taxes are paying for the stadiums, and college athletes aren’t getting paid at all. But simply quitting a favorite team won’t change corrupt and deplorable practices, and the root causes of many of these problems are endemic in our wider society. An essential read for modern fans, Loving Sports When They Don’t Love You Back challenges the status quo and explores how we might begin to reconcile our conscience with our fandom.
Author: Daniel L. Wann
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0429852916
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 288
Get Book Here
Book Description
Sports, and the fans that follow them, are everywhere. Sport Fans: The Psychology and Social Impact of Fandom examines the affective, behavioral, and cognitive reactions of fans to better comprehend how sport impacts individual fans and society as a whole. Using up-to-date research and theory from multiple disciplines including psychology, sociology, marketing, history, and religious studies, this textbook provides a deeper understanding of topics such as: the pervasiveness of sport fandom in society common demographic and personality characteristics of fans how fandom can provide a sense of belonging, of uniqueness, and of meaning in life the process of becoming a sport fan sport fan consumption and the future of sport and the fan experience. The text also provides a detailed investigation of the darker side of sport fandom, including fan aggression, as well as a critical look at the positive value of fandom for individuals and society. Sport Fans expertly combines a rigorous level of empirical research and theory in an engaging, accessible format, making this text the essential resource on sport fan behavior.
Author: Erin C. Tarver
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022647013X
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 242
Get Book Here
Book Description
There is one sound that will always be loudest in sports. It isn’t the squeak of sneakers or the crunch of helmets; it isn’t the grunts or even the stadium music. It’s the deafening roar of sports fans. For those few among us on the outside, sports fandom—with its war paint and pennants, its pricey cable TV packages and esoteric stats reeled off like code—looks highly irrational, entertainment gone overboard. But as Erin C. Tarver demonstrates in this book, sports fandom has become extraordinarily important to our psyche, a matter of the very essence of who we are. Why in the world, Tarver asks, would anyone care about how well a total stranger can throw a ball, or hit one with a bat, or toss one through a hoop? Because such activities and the massive public events that surround them form some of the most meaningful ritual identity practices we have today. They are a primary way we—as individuals and a collective—decide both who we are who we are not. And as such, they are also one of the key ways that various social structures—such as race and gender hierarchies—are sustained, lending a dark side to the joys of being a sports fan. Drawing on everything from philosophy to sociology to sports history, she offers a profound exploration of the significance of sports in contemporary life, showing us just how high the stakes of the game are.
Author: Steve Almond
Publisher: Melville House Publishing
ISBN: 161219415X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 194
Get Book Here
Book Description
With American Football becoming an increasingly popular sport in the UK, concerns are also being raised about the health impact the sport can have on players. The scary facts about American football causing brain injury have become a hot topic in the media, especially as the same worries are surfacing for other full contact sports such as rugby. Steve Almond was a keen American football fan, but, in light of recent scientific studies about the prevalence of injuries within the sport has slowly turned against the game.
Author: Jack Canfield
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1453279946
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 274
Get Book Here
Book Description
This latest collection of Chicken Soup honors all that is good in the world of sports. From major leaguers to little leaguers, from hockey stars to figure skaters, and from horseracing to mushing, the stories in this book highlight the positive and transformative nature of sports.
Author: Eric Simons
Publisher: Abrams
ISBN: 1468307584
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 230
Get Book Here
Book Description
In this accessible study, a journalist examines the science, philosophy, and sociology behind being a sports fan. Sports fandom is either an aspect of a person's fundamental identity, or completely incomprehensible to those who aren’t fans at all. What is happening in our brains and bodies when we feel strong emotion while watching a game? How do sports fans resemble political junkies, and why do we form such a strong attachment to a sports team? Journalist Eric Simons presents in-depth research in an accessible and brilliant way, sure to interest readers of Malcolm Gladwell. Through reading the literature and attending neuroscience conferences, talking to fans, psychologists, and scientists, and working through his issues as part of a collaboration with the NPR science program RadioLab, Eric Simons hoped to find an answer that would explain why the attractive force of this relationship with treasured sports teams is so great that we can’t leave it. Praise for The Secret Lives of Sports Fans “Adroitly mixing research with feature reporting, Simons unveils some intriguing discoveries. . . . There’s a lot of science to digest, but Simons’s affable writing style—and his great eagerness to profile actual people, including himself—infuses the data with heart and soul.” —Publishers Weekly “An intriguing ride through “all the wondrous quirks and oddities in human nature.” —Kirkus Reviews
Author: Ben Groundwater
Publisher: Hardie Grant Books
ISBN: 9781741176919
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 144
Get Book Here
Book Description
Destination Sport is your guide to one of the world's great obsessions: to the teams, the games, the venues, the histories and the personalities that all come together to form something amazing. Matches that freeze economies. Races that stop nations. Rivalries that stretch back through centuries. This is the world of sport, electrifying and fascinating, thrilling and endlessly revealing. You can't hope to understand a nation without understanding its pastimes and passions, and that, so often, is sport. Organized into sections by world region, Destination Sport features a line-up of sports, events and sporting venues that are both familiar and obscure, from world-famous match-ups to little known quirks. There's also a focus on the world's best stadiums and a calendar of sporting events. This is the ideal book for sports lovers who want to understand the full gamut of sports around the world, watch them all on TV and perhaps even travel to join the locals in their passion. Illustrations by UK artist Paul Reid.
