The Work and Role of a Sports Fan - Research Paper Example

Fans Who is a fan? The word fan mostly arises during major games and sports competitions. A fan is an individual who is passionately devoted to something such as entertainment and a sports team. Fans constitute a vital aspect of any sport because they play a significant role in ensuring the success of the sport and the associated club or team. This is through becoming members of a given sport club, holding or attending fan conventions, writing fan mail, organizing fundraising, creating fanzines (Keys 23). Thus, through fan activities, most sport clubs achieve their goals and ambitions ensuring success. However, some fans behave in a violent manner thus being regarded as hooliganisms (Keys 23). A variety of sports has different fans who offer help and support for the various sporting clubs. However, fans of these sports vary in terms of their character and passion for the game. For instance, baseball fans to some extent have more passion for the sport compared to soccer fans. Therefore, I believe that baseball fans do enjoy watching the sport compared to soccer fans. First, the purpose of attending games is to watch the game and enjoy oneself. The need to seek entertainment from watching sport from the stadium or even a sport center makes fans sacrifice and pay for tickets in order to enjoy the sport. However, I do believe that some fans do not derive satisfaction from attending some sporting events. Most of the soccer fans are stubborn and keep moving up and down in the stadium (Zathras 1). In most instances, fans move seeking to be let out of the row thereby disturbing the sited fans. By moving around, soccer fans prove that they do not enjoy the game. This is because fans that enjoy the game sit and concentrate the entire sporting period (Zathras 1). This is contrary to the baseball fans that in most instances remain calm and concentrate during the sporting event. Since they are calm and concentrate in the period of matches, baseball fans, therefore, do enjoy baseball games and remain proud of the game compared soccer fans. Secondly, most soccer fans attend soccer matches since it is a routine and thus, provides a place to be. Instead of concentrating on the match, most of them move around, meet, and talk with other fans instead of focusing on the game (Hilaire 12). This means that soccer matches are entirely organized to act as a mingle venue whereby various people meet and spent part of their time despite the amount of money used to purchase the tickets as well as other resources used when in the stadium. Soccer matches therefore provide avenues or opportunities for purported soccer fans to meet and share ideas rather than support respective soccer teams. Imagine that someone spends $7 purchasing a soccer ticket yet when in the stadium, he loses concentration on petty issues (Zathras 1). The reason that can contribute to this scenario could be that attributed to the boringness or lack of entertainment from the soccer event. Consequently, imagine that a person has paid money to do something and then fails to act or perform the intended action, is that not boring and disappointing? Since soccer fans do not concentrate when a match is in progress, this could be interpreted to mean that soccer fans do not enjoy when they attend and watch soccer matches (Remington 1). However, the situation is different among baseball fans. These fans begin to enjoy the match from the time they take their seats in the stadium until the end of the match. It is, therefore, true to assert that baseball fans do enjoy attending and watching baseball games compared to soccer fans who spend most of their time roaming and talking in the stadium. This situation arises since most soccer fans constitute fans of the game rather than being sports fan (Zathras 1). A sports fan will relax, cheer his respective team in the entire soccer event and in the process, and enjoy the game. However, a fan of the game will attend the sporting event for the sake of it since it constituted a routine practiced and carried on in life. The fan will neither bother spending his money for the unintended purpose or achieving the target and purpose for the event (Zathras 1). Through this, a person enjoys the game and thus becomes proud of the sport. Since they enjoy the game, baseball games prove to be better fans, as they are more passionate, enjoy their money, leisure time, and most are proud of the sport and the respective teams they support (Szymanski & Andrew 45). Third, the nature of baseball enables its fans to enjoy watching the game while supporting the respective teams. This is because, in baseball games, music and announcement are common thereby informing fans on every event of the game. Despite the same being witnessed in soccer, it is a little bit different since concentration level in soccer games is minimal compared to that in baseball games (Zathras 1). Because the music, as well as the announcement in soccer, is less effective and informative compared to baseball, it is difficult for the fans to cheer at appropriate times. Since the soccer fans cannot cheer at appropriate times unlike those of baseball, baseball sport games are lively compared soccer matches. This scenario proves that baseball fans enjoy attending and watching the sport compared to soccer fans. The cause for the difference is attributed to variation in concentration level among fans from the two forms of sports (Zathras 1). Baseball matches are more interesting and lively compared to soccer due to the dramatization of sporting events and moves of players. In baseball, music is played when a player makes a fine or excellent move or tackle. This is to inform the player that such attack or excellent move becomes recognized as well as appreciated by spectators in the stadium (Zathras 1). Therefore, such attempts or acts improve player confidence and proud of his achievement. However, soccer games never use music as a form of appreciation to efforts displayed by players. The players, therefore, never enjoy some benefits and pride attributed to their hard work in the pitch. Players in baseball feel recognized, appreciated and adored by the fans and baseball management board. Presence of music in baseball acts as a morale booster for the players thereby making them offer their best while in the field (Hilaire 46). Moreover, since a player with a high level of morale performs and outshines others in various aspects, baseball players do perform to their best as every effort and attempt gets recognized and applauded by everyone in the field. Additionally, the more a player becomes, the higher the chances of performing better in the pitch. Excellent performance in the pitch offers the fans the much-needed entertainment (Zathras 1). With high frequencies of producing excellent performance, baseball fans gain more from players and this increases their level of satisfaction and appreciation of the sport. Since the music is rarely played in a soccer match when there is a good or novel tackle or performance, the fans, therefore, remain passive in most instances of the match. Consequently, soccer fans are never motivated like in baseball and this lowers their performance. Low performance of the players in most instances lowers the expectation of the fans making the game boring (Remington 1). Thus, the passive nature of the soccer fans, which results from a reduced level of morale and appreciation, lowers fan enjoyment of the match. The scenario confirms the thesis that baseball fans do enjoy attending and participating in baseball sporting events compared to soccer fans. In conclusion, the work or role of a sports fan is very crucial in the success of various sporting activities and clubs in the world. Various forms of sports do have fans that are distinct from each other yet in most cases share certain features that make them unique. Moreover, the paper has proved that baseball fans do attend and enjoy watching and participating in the games compared to soccer fans. Such enjoyment comes from proper treatment and appreciation of various efforts, critical saves, as well as outstanding performance produced by players. For example, I have enjoyed watching baseball matches instead of attending soccer matches since I believe that I will gain more satisfaction in baseball matches. Despite the slight differences in the level of satisfaction and enjoyment attained by fans during baseball games, it is necessary for various stakeholders to address the situation. This is because soccer is the most loved and followed sport. Therefore, anything affecting it affects many people and their lifestyles. However, I do believe that such weaknesses will be addressed in due time thereby improving the level of satisfaction and enjoyment for soccer fans as it will lead to improved lives in society. Works Cited Hilaire, Maurice. Lets talk about football and baseball. Pennsylvania: Dorrance Publishing Co, 2010. Print. Keys, Barbara J. Globalizing Sport: National Rivalry and International Community in the 1930s. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2013. Print. Remington, Alex. “On the Boringness: Soccer vs Baseball”. Frangraphs. Retrieved April 28, 2014 from http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/on-boringness-soccer-vs-baseball/ Szymanski, Stefan, and Andrew Zimbalist. National Pastime: How Americans Play Baseball and the Rest of the Word Plays Soccer. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution, 2006. Print. Zathras. “The Fools Prerogative”. Philosophy soccer. Retrieved April 28, 2014 from http://philosophysoccer.blogspot.com/2007/04/soccer-vs-baseball.html Read More