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With the Civil War football game coming up this weekend between University of Oregon and Oregon State University, it got us thinking about what it means to be a fan. The game will bring out both teams' most rabid devotees. Some are so devoted, a win or a loss by their chosen team may affect their mood for the rest of the day – or week, or even year.
Researchers of sports fandom have found a direct connection between mood and a team's win or loss. Ed Hirt, a professor of psychology at Indiana University says "Your self-esteem will go up and down as your team does well or poorly.''
But fandom also creates community. In an age when you can "like" something on the Internet with the click of a mouse, it's easy to forget there was a time when many people might have thought it odd if a group of fans of a certain TV show or pop star gathered regularly to discuss their object of devotion. Clearly, online communities have changed all that. There's a website or forum for fans of practically everything under the sun.
What or who are you a fan of? Are you a Duck or a Beaver? A fan of the Blazers? Or the Winterhawks? Do you follow your favorite celebrity's every move in the gossip magazines? Or become a friend of all the things you love on Facebook? What does being a fan mean to you?
GUESTS
- Rachel Bachman: Sports reporter for The Oregonian
- Oliver Collins: University of Oregon alumnus and Ducks fan
- Lezli Goheen: Oregon State alumnus and Beavers fan
- Mike Pesca: Sports correspondent for NPR News
- Ed Hirt: Professor of Psychology at Indiana University
- Jonathan Gray: Associate Professor of Media and Cultural Studies at University of Wisconsin, Madison
Tagged as: osu · soccer · sports · university of oregon
Photo credit: Sharat Ganapati / Creative Commons
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I am a huge fan of this young man, I was named before him and his parents and I changed to Positive Psychology with him, though they and I did not know that was what it would eventually be called:
http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/604/613.html?sector=AL&listid=&competitorid=105908&type=result
Go Tommy Ford!
And Go Positive Psychologists!
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Tom, why specifically are you a fan of his?
And what do you do to show it?
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Emily, I am a fan because he is my nephew and the first human being that I know of who has been raised with positive psychology.
About thirty years ago I experienced the difference between positive psychology and our western civilations "normal psychology" which I now think of as "negative psychology". I have spent the years since then reading numerous books on psychology, religions, peak human performance, high level athletic performence and training, etc, to try and understand that difference, to understand why our civilizations have developed negative psychology instead of positive psychology. And I have come to believe that our current negative (normal) psychology ends up wasting somewhere around eighty five percent or more of the human potential of our chldren.
So I am a huge fan of Tommy and fully support him and the Positive Psychology that surrounds and supports him and I wish that for all or at least most children.
I can't guarantee that every child will become a high performing athlete who goes to the Olympics and attends Dartmouth College, but I am confident that they can become far more than we currently expect of them.
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I am not really much of a fan of any particular sport (except perhaps Quidditch*) or team, but I do think it's kinda cool when the Ducks make it through a season undefeated. Indeed, I really don't have much interest in getting all worked up over a bunch of pampered athletes, whether college (Officially not paid) or professional (Totally Over-paid!). Nor do I have much interest in being stumbled over by one or more inebriated fans. (And those are the STUDENTS!)
* Go, Holyhead Harpies!
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I agree with you completely--it's great when the Ducks win, but it doesn't affect my life much when they don't. And I agree that Harry Potter's world is much more interesting that ours sometimes, although do you wonder how it's different to be a Quidditch fan than a fan of a real sport?
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Quidditch has been adapted by Muggles into a ground-bound version that almost anyone can play. See the link below...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muggle_Quidditch#Muggle_Quidditch
There is even an Intercollegiate Quidditch Association that regulates the sport.
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Haha, yes, I know it's become a muggle sport recently. But still, why is it easier to be a fan of a magical and fiction-based sport than a big-time sport like football? For me, the main reason I care about the Ducks is because I'm an Oregonian and went to UO. I like Harry Potter, but Quidditch has no connection to my home or a place I care about.
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There's nothing more boring than spectator sports.
A sports fan talking about their favorite team is like an evangelist trying to sell you their religion. I'm just not interested. I'll just walk away.
Tomorrow, I'll just turn off my radio.
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Davcam - are you talking about fanboydom?
A person who has an undying urge to sway everyone that is not a believer of the belief system they have towards a game or system or every piece of hardware. If they do not succeed, they will not sway from their statement infront of anyone who knows their stance.
Just one of many definitions. Usually fanboys are associated with technology/geek stuff, not sports, but perhaps it applies. Anyway, yes, we are going to talk to a rabid Duck and Beaver today - then get beyond sports cheerleading to why some people go nuts over other things - TV, gardening, the (real) Civil War - whatever. Are you a fan of anything in particular?
-Emily
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Emily, has anyone considered that Civil War is an oxymoron? As are such expressions as "jumbo shrimp," "plastic silverware," "political ethics," and, of course, "military intelligence."
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I consider myself lucky; I have never been a “Fan” of anything.
The word “Fan” is slang, short for “Fanatic”, a noun, describing the uncritical and extreme devotion to someone/thing or belief; as in religion, politics and sports. The whole Fanatic thing leaves me questioning the Fanatics intelligence, it matters not the subject of the devotion be it sports or Fundamentalist Jihad.
The actions of the sports Fanatic in particular provide much laughter at the Fan. The political fanatic regardless of liberal or conservative just gets monotonous and mind numbingly old fast, even faster then the rabid Golf Fanatic!
There really should be a global, mandatory, 12-step for all fanatics. -
This is so tiresome.
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I know who Duck Vader is--a great guy I used to date made that costume last Halloween and wore it to a game (and was on close-up on TV game coverage), and now there are several other Duck Vaders running around!
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I'm a fan of the State of Oregon. I was born in Corvallis and many years later went to OSU as did my dad and grandmother. But I also lived in Eugene for a few years and had many friends that went to the U of O. For the longest time I've said "I'm a fan of both teams all season until the Civil War, then it's go Beavs." This year I will be rooting for the Ducks in the Civil War for the first time in my life. I would be more disappointed than happy if the Beavers won and ruined Oregon's chances of going to the National Championship...
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Wow, as if this whole thing isn't already receiving enough PR. Geeeeze.
Good thing we can applaud the tens of millions now pouring into
the U of O program, for Football. Thanks Phil Knight!
(Maybe he will direct a bit more funding toward social needs affectiing people today, rather than a college sport. That would be neat)
As for OPB spending time on this, that is really unfortunate. How about a show on the health of the Willamette River, homelessness in Portland, more local authors, or agriculture in Oregon? Today's show is pure fluff which we seem to hear increasingly.
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Kinda sad that Phil Knight has bought the soul of the University of Nike. (How many pieces of silver was it, again?)
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Malcolm, sorry you feel that way. We try to hit a good balance of social policy, politics, business, healthcare, law, environment, culture, education and (yes, occasionally) sports. Tune in tomorrow and we'll be back to something of arguably greater consequence. Though I would say this upcoming game is pretty consequential to a lot of people here!
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Back in the early 1960s my family lived in Corvallis and one of my older cousins was a student at OSU. He got a few friends together, got hold of a pickup truck and trailer and a cutting torch type welding outfit and went down to Eugene late one foggy night and they cut that steel U of O sign on Skinners Butte into pieces, loaded it into that trailer, drove it back to Corvallis and hid it in our garage. What a great thrill to be associated with that much of a fan!
Of course there was a big hoo haw about it in the newspapers, radio, and TV and and then some weeks of negotiations and eventually the sign was removed from our garage and returned to U of O which reinstalled it on Skinners Butte.
After a fan experience like that, how can you top it? So I'm not much impressed with face paint, shirts, hats, or anythng else that just does not come up to stealing that U of O sign. Before that the scam was painting that sign OSU orange or black while the ducks tried to paint the OSU sign yellow or green.
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Being a competitive sports fan is akin to being a nationalist. I am wary of anyone that supports one group of people in general, particularly when there is no ideology behind their support, and it ends up being arbitrary. As a child I rarely had a favorite anything, no favorite colors, or favorite foods---and I have remained that way. Even if I admire a certain something, I still recognize that there are other options out there. Being a sports fan is like being a zealot, it is embarrassing. It is embarrassing that people can get so worked up about a game, and then go even further and get worked up about a particular team. These teams change over time, the players change, to show allegiance to something so random and meaningless seems a bit pathetic.
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My OSU daughter has no patience with my husband and I and our love for the San Diego Chargers and the San Diego Padres. It's our hometown for all four of us (including my son) so I tell her we have no choice.
I've tried to explain that for us, watching sports is like recess for adults. It's fun: pure and simple. We don't it doesn't "matter" or "count" like things in the real world and that's most of the appeal.
We try not to get too down when our teams lose (which is often) but we try to enjoy every moment of it when we win. And yes, it is a LOT more fun when you win.
This year, the Ducks have been a joy and a much welcome break from the pressures and tensions of daily life. I'm an alum from San Diego State (Go Aztecs!) and they'll be in the Poinsettia Bowl.
But once the seasons are over, what's left? Politics? Oh, Lord help us all...
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The "Oregon" Ducks fielded exactly one Oregonian out of 22 starting players on the offense and defence squads in the 2010 Rose Bowl.
Over 95% of the Oregon team were non-residents brought in because they were good football players. But they weren't Oregonians.
When they are done at U of O, the vast majority of these "student-athletes" will go either to the NFL or back home...
They aren't Oregonians.
So, pardon me if I don't give a damn about the Ducks...but I don't.
I hope the Beavers upset the Ducks...if for no other reason than to rain on Phil Knight's parade.
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I'm maintaining a blogabout anxiety and panic disorder myself. I see you are doing the same but still a little different! is this microsoft blogengine by the way? It certainly looks interesting. campagnolo
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Certain events like football and basketball, well, and big time European soccer-football, remind me of the ancient Roman concept of "pan et circensis" (sp?), of bread and circuses or spectacles, in order to keep the people minds occupied on things other than how their government treats or (usually) mis-treats them. And beer is considered a form of bread, it metabolizes into carbohydrates.
So, beer and football.
I played football in high school, attended and watched it at OSU in the days of the Fat Pumpkin, and watched it some later on, and I finally came to the conclusion that it is a complete waste of my time.
I am much more a fan of people who participate in healthy sports than of the people who just watch and daydream of their "heroes and heroines", drinking beer or imbibing other carbohydrate forms of "bread", like chips, dips, and sodas.
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I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post
Peter Nicosia Sec
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I graduated a beaver but I'm no longer a sports fan even though I listen to sports talk radio daily. Sports talk makes for nice background noise and wonderful advertising I couldn't live without....
Problems with sports today. Too much money and cult of personality. Teams don't play for glory and team accomplishment. Everybody focuses on winning and individuals. I look askance at the pay professional athletes receive given the suffering and insecurity prevalent in the world.
We wouldn't need as many charities or athletes to donate their money if the world better allocated material resources in the first place. But I bet the Romans were too far gone to be surprised when their gig collapsed, too.
When New York Yankee's baseball player Derek Sanderson Jeter turns down $15 million a year as a declining super star, I realize that I would earn $4 million over 40 years if I earned $100,000 a year. (I've never come close to earning $100k a year.) Jeter could be paid almost four times as much for a single season as I would make over my entire 40-year career.
Therefore I have no business, need or desire to support such folley with my hard-won dollars or meaningless contempt. I'll focus on my life and healthier endeavors.
I do hope that OSU thumps UO's meat nugget in the Civil War but probability strongly favors Philip Hampson Knight University and their excellent 2010 ducks. (Hoocckk ptui!)
What is civil about war? Such anachronistic behavior. Hmmm.