How Sports Mean Nothing- and Everything
Ian Mendes (TSN)
Secondary Research
The Healthy Flip Side of Being a Sports Fan
Lisa O'Neill Hill (CNN)
How Sports Mean Nothing- and Everything
Ian Mendes (TSN)
A mirror neuron, or cubelli neuron, is a neuron that fires both when an animal acts and when the animal observes the same action performed by another. Thus, the neuron "mirrors" the behavior of the other, as though the observer were itself acting. (The Scientific American)
Fans who identify with a local team have higher self-esteem, are less lonely and are no more aggressive as a group than nonsports fans, according to Wann.
"Pretty much any way you look at it, the more you identify with a local team, the more psychologically healthy you tend to be,"
Wann said fandom unites people at a sociological level.
"You have to remember it's just a game," Wann said. "The problem is that the fan is so helpless. The fan is so at the mercy of their team."
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“But what Craig Anderson accomplished Sunday night – a 37-save shutout in Edmonton in his first game back after the club announced his wife Nicholle has been diagnosed with cancer – moves to the top of the list of impressive goaltending performances in franchise history.”
Random regular season game in November, yet meant so much more….
The Power of Sport:
How Fanatics Derive Meaning
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What You Will Learn in this Podcast
I set out to research the relationship fanatics have with their favorite professional and college sport teams to identify how sport means everything, yet nothing. I was first introduced to this juxtaposition in sport sociology class led by Professor Andrei Markovits.
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I have conducted interviews with undergraduate students who fanatically follow professional and/or college teams. These interviews, along with an opening statement about my relationship with following my favorite sports teams will allow me to further examine if Markovits’ assertion applies to fanatics.
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Overall Goal
The goal of this podcast is to portray the inner, not commonly talked about, feelings one goes through when watching sports to the audience, specifically relating to sport fanatics. Listeners will learn the impact sport has had on themselves as well as with their family.
About Me
Who am I?
—My name is Louis Goldsmith and I am from Cincinnati, Ohio. I am a graduating senior studying Sport Management and Writing. I have participated in professional opportunities such as working with the Michigan women's basketball team as head student manager, working with adidas as the global basketball apparel intern, and working with IMG Learfield at Boston College.
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Personal Writing Statement
—So much writing is to document events and explain occurrences. Don’t get me wrong, this is important. I like to add nuance to writing. Writing can be mundane, but I relish spending the little bit of extra time to make my words enjoyable to an audience. I think one of the most important aspects of language, especially writing, is to make people laugh, to make them happy.
—Isn’t reading, or viewing someone’s creation supposed to be a kind of escape?
Personal Relationship to Following Sports
—I have grown up around a landscape of professional and collegiate sport futility; yet some of my most memorable moments have been from these teams.
I remember going to Spring Training with my dad, following Reds exhibition games, since I was three years old. On these trips the games would literally mean nothing, the major league players only playing about half of the game and the results not contributing to the overall season record. Yet, these trips are some of my favorite moments. As my dad and I travelled to Sarasota, Florida, then followed the team to a suburb of Phoenix we knew summer was on the horizon. We spent time with two of our favorite things, each other and the game of baseball. Ok maybe three, we made sure to keep the television on late into the night and doze off to some of college basketball.
Respondents
Evan Rosen
Sai Reddivari
Oliver Scherick
Years of Experience
Qualified Experts
Clients Every Year
Ross Lilienfield
Respondents
Evan Rosen
Hometown: Greater Philadelphia Area
Favorite Team(s): Philadelphia Eagles
Unique Relationship with Sport:
He is a third generation
Eagles fan who lives and breathes Eagles football. He went to the Super Bowl and saw his team win with his father.
Fun Fact: Evan is in an on-campus improv group called the Improfessionals.
Sai Reddivari
Hometown: Greater Boston Area
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Favorite Team(s): Philadelphia Eagles
Unique Relationship with Sport: Sai grew up as an Eagles fan even though he was surrounded by family and friends that were Patriots fans. He attended this years Super Bowl in Minneapolis with his dad, who is a Patriots fan and experienced his team win the Super Bowl.
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Fun Fact: Sai does not consider himself a renowned swimmer, but a elite doggy paddler.
Oliver Scherick
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Favorite Team(s): New England Patriots
Unique Relationship with Sport:
Oliver grew up a Patriots fan as Los Angeles did not have an NFL team up until this past season. He has experienced much success following the Patriots. However, with the relocation of two NFL teams to the LA area he doesn’t plan on changing allegiances.
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Fun Fact: Oliver is a Minor in Writing Student (2018).
Ross Lilienfield
Hometown: Irvington, New York
Favorite Team(s): Michigan Wolverines Football and LA Chargers
Unique Relationship with sport:
Did not have a preferred team in collegiate athletics before attending Michigan
Parents are not NFL fans, yet he avidly follows the NFL and supports a team that he or his family did not have a prior relationship with.
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Fun Fact: Ross biked 570 miles from Eugene, Oregon to San Francisco.
Mac Bank
Hometown: Greater Detroit Area
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Favorite Team(s): University of Michigan Football
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Unique Relationship with Sport:
Mac has had family members attend experience parts of the University of Michigan. This includes family as : undergraduate students, grad students, med school students, members of the football team, and he will be the first to attend U-M Law in the fall.
Fun Fact: His family attends every U-M football game, home and away.
Welcome to the Podcast!
Press Play to Start Listening
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0:00 Personal Introduction
5:10 Evan Rosen Interview
20:30 Oliver Scherick Interview
33:22 Sai Reddivari Interview
44:39 Mac Bank Interview
60:50 Ross Lilienfield Interview
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Secondary Research
Upon originally planning to focus on interviewing students about their experience fanatically following their favorite sports team, my project consultant, T Hetzel, challenged me to do some secondary research.
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I have researched psychological effects following a team has on an individual as well as a specific instance in which a sporting event meant so much more to an athlete due to a sickness in the family.
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Please click on the links to learn more.
The Healthy Flip Side of Being a Sports Fan
Lisa O'Neill Hill (CNN)
How Sports Mean Nothing- and Everything
Ian Mendes (TSN)
Join the Conversation
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Let us know your relationship with your favorite sports team
Do you experience the same feelings as the respondents?
Do these people sound crazy to you?
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We would love to hear from you!
University of Michigan
Sweetland Center for Writing
Minor in Writing