Levels of Sports Fandom
What’s your level of sports fandom? There are many opinions out there on the subject and now I’m going to share mine. To be considered a sports fan at any level, you have to enjoy watching at least one sport. It doesn’t matter whether you’re actually watching it live in person or live or taped on your television. You also don’t have to like playing the sport yourself. If you do play, you certainly don’t have to be good at it. For instance, I am awful at golf, but I enjoy watching the PGA and the LPGA tours on television. I even went to one PGA tournament that was close by and loved the experience.
Sports fandom can vary widely in intensity and dedication, and it’s often categorized into different levels based on the level of passion and involvement a person has for a particular sport or team. These levels are not strict or universally defined, but they can help illustrate the range of sports fandom:
My following take on the different levels of sports fandom is based upon college and professional sports. I realize and respect there are fans out there of many additional adult sports. In addition, T-ball, Little League, junior soccer and basketball, and high school sports also have many fans.
Casual Fan
My first level of fandom is the casual fan. Casual fans may have a favorite team or teams and favorite sport or sports. They might even have a jersey or two that they occasionally wear or a couple of pieces of memorabilia lying around the house.
Most probably, they can’t tell you a single player’s name on this year’s team. Don’t bother asking them about detailed player statistics or team histories. They may not be deeply engaged in the sport at all.
The biggest distinction of a casual fan is their lack of urgency and priority in watching sports. They enjoy watching the game on television when they do, but they can take it or leave it. Most likely it will be a major event like the Super Bowl or World Cup. These fans very rarely actually go to a live sporting event. An individual game loss or losing season has no effect on them whatsoever.
Bandwagon Fan
The second level of fandom is the bandwagon fan. This is a person who has a general interest in sports and could have a favorite team, but probably doesn’t. They enjoy watching sports somewhat and normally only root for teams that are having a winning season. There is no loyalty and they are quick to jump to a team that is popular or trending. They will often claim to be a life-long fan of a particular team. In reality, if that team is having a bad year, they tend to become fair weather fans. Whichever team is having a great year, is now “their” team. These fans rarely actually go to a live sporting event.
Fair Weather Fan
My third level of fandom is the fair weather fan. This is a person who definitely has a favorite team or teams. They typically start out the season by catching the first few games on the television. If their team is playing well and winning, they will stay very engaged and catch every game. If their team is playing poorly and losing, they quickly lose interest in watching them. They will complain about the coach and this year’s players. In their eyes, there are simply better things to do than watch their team lose repeatedly. These fans don’t normally have season tickets, but they will occasionally go to a live sporting event.
Regular Fan
The fourth level of fandom is the regular fan. Regular fans follow their favorite sports and teams regularly, watching games, reading news, and discussing them with friends.They may own team merchandise, attend games more frequently, and participate in fantasy sports leagues. Regular fans have a good understanding of the sport and their team’s history.
Die-Hard Fan
My fifth level of fandom is the die-hard fan. This is a person who very rarely misses a game when their team or teams are playing. The games will be in their phone’s calendar and they will get a reminder. There is a plethora of sports memorabilia scattered around the home. Jerseys and t-shirts of their favorite teams are abundant and they will be wearing one on game day. They will watch a game until the very end, win or lose, and then watch the highlights on ESPN.
Speaking of ESPN, most die-hard fans will watch one or two sessions of Sportscenter a day. They also will visit at least one team’s fan forum on the Internet on a daily basis. The forum provides gossip, news, opinions, injury reports, stats, and recruiting information. There are free and subscription forums and members and moderators can both post their thoughts.
A die-hard fan’s favorite topic of conversation is sports in general with special emphasis on their favorite teams. This fan knows their team’s players and is well versed in recruiting, drafts, free agency, etc. They bleed their team’s colors and are loyal to them year in and year out. They might or might not have season tickets, but they do attend games every year. Traveling to watch away games is commonplace with these fans.
Healthy Fanatic
The sixth level of fandom is the healthy fanatic. In lieu of boring you with repetitiveness, these fans are die-hard fans “plus”. They do everything a die-hard fan does and more, but they take it up a notch. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a fanatic is “a person who is extremely interested in something, to a degree that some people find unreasonable”. I classify sports fanatics in two categories, healthy and unhealthy. I’m not talking about their physical health. It’s about whether they take their sports fandom to a crazy “unhealthy” mental level or not.
A healthy fanatic is rarely seen in public without wearing sports gear of some kind. They are very passionate about their favorite teams. They are deeply emotionally invested and may take wins and losses very personally .Losing a game can literally cause anger, depression, and sadness and ruin the rest of their day or weekend. However, tomorrow is a new day and they don’t linger on the loss. Instead, they look forward to the next game and their loyalty never wavers.
Healthy fanatics live and breathe their chosen sport or team and prioritize it above many other aspects of life. Fanatics often have encyclopedic knowledge about their sport and team. Most of these fans will have season tickets and if not, they will watch every game on television. Nothing stands in the way on game day. Whether at the game or at home, snacks will be heavily devoured. Beer or other favorite beverages of choice will be flowing. Many fanatics have game parties every weekend to attend or host whether at home or tailgating
Unhealthy Fanatic
My final level of fandom is the unhealthy fanatic. They do everything a healthy fanatic does, but then they turn up the heat to an unhealthy intensity. These fans take fandom to an obsessive degree. Their love for a sport or team reaches an absurdly unhealthy level. Losses can cause anger, depression, and sadness that lasts for many days.
Often, they may follow multiple sports or teams with unwavering, extraordinary dedication. This dedication includes dressing in team colors or costumes, painting their bodies, or even getting team-related tattoos. Unhealthy fanatics are often fixtures at games and may be featured in media coverage.
They collect extensive memorabilia, travel extensively to support their teams, and organize or participate in fan clubs and events. These fans often dedicate a significant portion of their lives to their sports passion.
Summary
These levels of fandom are not fixed. Individuals can move between them based on life circumstances, personal interests, and changing priorities. It’s fair to say that some fans don’t necessarily fit perfectly into one of these categories. Sports fandom is a highly personal and diverse experience, and the level of dedication can vary greatly from one person to another. There are hybrids, crossbreeds, and other mixtures of the various levels of fandom.
I would categorize myself as a die-hard fan with a few healthy fanatic tendencies. I frequently have to scold myself for getting way too caught up in particular games. If the outcome is unfavorable, I can find myself in a rotten mood for the rest of the day. Regardless, being a sports fan is an important aspect of my life. I wouldn’t want it any other way.
I’ll ask again. What’s your level of sports fandom?
