Fans In Sports

Fans In Sports

Introduction

It is obvious that everyone is revolved around sports in this world. Weather they play sports or watch them, sports is in everyone's life. No matter who you are or where you are, there are sports all over. Since the impact that sports has on people is so high, there are fans all over the world. There are so many different types of sports for a single person to follow and to be a fan for. Without fans there wouldn't be as much hype for the athletes as there is now. Fans are the key factor to a lot of athletes and a lot of teams across the world. With out fans it would be pointless to play.

Fans are involved in sports in many ways. Sports have become an increasingly important part of our society (Capella, P1). In the years between 1985 to 1998 the spectators of the four major sports highly increased. With this increase in the popularity of spectator sports has come an increased interest in the sports fan (Capella, P1). Sport fans are involved in many ways. Some of the ways that they involve themselves are support, motivation, loyalty, and home field advantage.

Loyalty

There are almost no industries in which fan loyalty carries such a high level of emotional and psychological investments, than sports industries. The public outrage that happens and all the controversial issues that happen. People love that stuff. Many people become fans as children and follow a particular team all their lives (Parks, Quarterman P142). That is how loyalty is started. There are so many traditions and rituals that keep the fan loyal. That is why there are so many fans out there that just keep to one team. One team staying loyal to that one team will keep you a fan and "in the game" for a very long time. That is why you don't see too often a New York Jet fan, being a Miami Dolphin fan, its just not right. You are loyal to one team for how ever long you need to be loyal. Usually forever.

Motivation

In order to be a fan you must have some kind of motivation. If you have no motivation, why are you a fan? How are you a fan? What are your reasons to becoming a fan? There are about five motivational characteristics. The first characteristic is sport interest. Your obviously going to have some kind of interest in that sport, if you have motivation do support it and want to watch it or participate in. The second characteristic is team interest. Your not going to support a team you don't like. The third is vicarious achievement. When you know an athlete has done something for another person it makes you like them more than you already did. The fourth is role modeling. You look up to athletes and celebrities, you look to them as role models to do what they do. To want to be like what they are like, so you get motivated to be like them. And the last characteristic is entertainment value. If they aren't entertaining enough, then why would you watch them for? You wouldn't, there would be no point into watching them or even being a fan. Those motivational factors reflect unique aspects of the sport consumption experience (McDonald, Milne, Hong, P109). Understanding consumers, is fundamental to the marketing concept. Motivations are an of extreme importance to the determination of sport consumer behavior. Not only that but, motivations can be used as a tool, to utilize as a segmenting tool. If your not a motivated fan then you don't like the game, you don't like the entertainment, you don't like the players, you don't look to the players as role models, and you don't appreciate their achievements.

Support

When you are a fan you support the team who you are a fan of. Weather they are good, bad, or just okay. There are many different factors that could be used to explain various levels of consumer support for a specific sport property (Funk, Mahony, Ridinger, P33). When you're a supportive fan, the five motivations come in hand. If you are motivated by the team, the sport, the players, the achievements, and the entertainment, then how can you be very supportive at all? You can not be supportive at all if you're not effected by those motivational skills. Being supportive is a major thing to do, it's a very serious thing to do and you must be huge fan if you're going to be supportive.

Home Field Advantage

When a team has home filed advantage, there is nothing better. There is no better feeling in the world, when you have home field advantage. All of your fans are there to make you feel good and to cheer for you and to stick with you, no matter what happens. Part of the reason for adopting a CRM approach is that franchises today face a double whammy (Raymond P2). CRM is cause related marketing. During this investigation, other research venues believe cause-related