Sports Mania: Essays on Fandom and the Media in the 21st Century » (New Edition)

Lawrence W. Hugenberg is a communications professor at Kent State University and has published on NASCAR and its fans. Paul M. Haridakis is a professor at Kent State University researching media law, uses, and effects. Adam C. Earnheardt is a professor of communication studies and basic course director at Youngstown State University. His research interests include sports media effects, media ethics, and new media studies.

Leading scholars in sports communication tackle a wide range of subjects in these essays, including the ways in which people root for their teams, the consumption of sports information, and the uses of technology to cultivate fan communities. Taking an interdisciplinary approach through the fields of communication, psychology and telecommunications, this collection explores modern fans, their motives and culture, and their identification with sports and individual teams.

Sports media content

Playing dirty : on reading media texts and studying sports fans in commercialized settings Lawrence A. Wenner Wenner, Lawrence A. 13

Patriots and saints : how the NFL helped America cope with terrorists and natural disasters Steven E. Martin Martin, Steven E. Amanda Breitenfeldt Breitenfeldt, Amanda 33

Two nations, two networks, one game : an analysis of the ESPN and Univision telecasts of the 2002 Mexico-United States World Cup match John P. McGuire McGuire, John P. Greg G. Armfield Armfield, Greg G. 45

The sports fan

Exploring the roots of sports fanship Walter Gantz Gantz, Walter Brian Wilson Wilson, Brian Hyangsun Lee Lee, Hyangsun David Fingerhut Fingerhut, David 63

The coping strategies of highly identified sports fans : the importance of team success on tendencies to utilize proactive pessimism Daniel L. Wann Wann, Daniel L. Frederick G. Grieve Grieve, Frederick G. 78

Understanding the voice of the fan : apologia, antapologia, and the 2006 World Cup controversy Paul D. Turman Turman, Paul D. Kevin A. Stein Stein, Kevin A. Matthew H. Barton Barton, Matthew H. 86

Fan identification

The consequences of sports fan identification Beth Dietz-Uhler Dietz-Uhler, Beth Jason R. Lanter Lanter, Jason R. 103

I am Yao Ming : identification and Internet fan discussion Katherine L. Lavelle Lavelle, Katherine L. 114

Fan motives

Advances in theories of sports fans' motives : fan personal motives and the emotional impacts of games and their outcomes Lloyd Reynolds Sloan Sloan, Lloyd Reynolds Debbie Van Camp Van Camp, Debbie 129

Exploring fandom and motives for viewing televised sports Adam C. Earnheardt Earnheardt, Adam C.Paul M. Haridakis Haridakis, Paul M. 158

NASCAR fans in their own words : motivation expressed in narratives Lawrence W. Hugenberg Hugenberg, Lawrence W. Barbara Hugenberg Hugenberg, Barbara 172

Exploring the motives of fantasy sports : a uses-and-gratifications approach John S. W. Spinda Spinda, John S. W. Paul M. Haridakis Haridakis, Paul M. 187

Fan-produced content "Let the domination begin" : sports fans' construction of identity in online message boards Kelly A. Berg Berg, Kelly A. Allison Harthcock Harthcock, Allison 203

"It's (not) in the game" : the quest for quantitative realism and the Madden Football fan Andrew Baerg Baerg, Andrew 218

Virtual sports consumption, authentic brotherhood : the reality of fantasy football Michael Serazio Serazio, Michael 229

The Florida Gator Nation online Rebecca B. Watts Watts, Rebecca B. 243

References 257

About the contributors 279

Index 285