Sports Fans, Identity, and Socialization

Foreword James R. Walker Introduction Paul M. Haridakis & Adam C. Earnheardt Part One: Fan Identity 1 Remaining Rooted in a Sea of Red: Agrarianism, Place Attachment, and Nebraska Cornhusker Football Fans Roger C. Aden & Scott Titsworth 2 The Dynamics of Identity in the Communities of Local Professional Wrestling David Beard & John Heppen 3 The 13th Man: Constructions of Fandom at the 2008 Ryder Cup John Harris 4 Farewell to the Chief: Fan Identification and the Sports Mascot as Postmodern Image Phil Chidester Part Two: Fan Socialization 5 The Social Dimension of Sports Fanship Walter Gantz, David Fingerhut & Gayle Nadorff 6 The Importance of Team Identification in Perceptions of Trust of Fellow and Rival Sport Fans Daniel L. Wann, Frederick G. Grieve, Ryan K. Zapalac, Amanda J. Visek, Julie A. Partridge & Jason R. Lanter 7 No Limits: Sensation Seeking and Fandom in the Sport Culture of the X Games Sarah Porri & Andrew C. Billings 8 Sport Fans, Athletes, and Communication: Applying Theory to Understanding if Fans Impact Athletes' Cognitive and Physical Performance Jennifer Marmo 9 "Pronger You Ignorant Ape...I Hope You Fall Off Space Mountain!": A Study of the Institutional Work of Sport Fans William M. Foster, Craig G. Hyatt & Mark Julien Part 3: Fans and Media 10 "Brett Favre is a God": Sports Fans' Perpetuation of Mythology on Newspaper Websites Kelly Berg & Allison Harthcock 11 Communicating Organizational History to Sports Fans Matthew Gill 12 The Many Faces of "Fans": How the NBA Meets the Demands of its Different Audience Segments John A. Fortunato 13 From Good ol' Boys to National Spectacle: Motives and Identification among Young NASCAR Fans John S. W. Spinda 14 Why Hispanic Fans Are the Lifeblood of Major League Soccer Ric Jensen Part 4: Fans and Gender 15 From Football Widow to Fan: Web Narratives of Women and Sports Spectatorship Lawrence A. Wenner 16 Football Fans Do Wear Pink: Game Day Broadcasts, Female Football Fans and Their NFL 231 Kathy Brady 17

Adam C. Earnheardt is associate professor of communication studies and basic course director at Youngstown State University. Earnheardt was named a Distinguished Professor at Youngstown State in 2010. He is executive director of the Ohio Communication Association and incoming chair of the National Communication Association Mass Communication Division. Earnheardt has published three books including Judging Athlete Behaviors (VDM Verlag), Sports Mania (co-edited with Hugenberg & Harida-kis; McFarland) and The Modern Communicator (co-authored with O'Neill; Kendall Hunt/GRT). He has authored or co-authored more than a dozen peer-reviewed journal articles, encyclopedia entries, and book chapters. His scholar-ship has appeared in Psychology Today, Playboy, and several newspapers including the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Canton Dailey Ledger where he served as an expert source on stories related to LeBron James and Ben Roethlisberger. Earnheardt is a lifelong Pittsburgh Steelers and Pittsburgh Penguins fan, and an admitted Pittsburgh Pirates loyalist. Paul M. Haridakis is professor and interim director of the School of Communication Studies at Kent State University. His research interests include media use and effects, sports communication, new communication technologies, freedom of speech, political communication and media history. He is a co-author of Communication Research: Strategies and Sources (7th ed.). Wadsworth Cengage Learning. He is co-editor of War and the Media: Essays on News Reporting, Propaganda and Popular Culture (McFar-land & Co.); and co-editor of Sports Mania: Essays on Fandom and the Media in the 21st Century (McFarland & Co.). Barb S. Hugenberg serves as a consultant to the basic communication course at Kent State University. She previously served at Kent State as assistant professor and basic course director. She is an active member of the National Communication Association's Basic Course Division and has served as co-coordinator of Basic Course

After years of unexplained oversight, scholars now recognize the pervasiveness and significance of mediated sports. This collection pulls together research that will engage and open the eyes of anyone who has read a sports page, watched a Super Bowl, owned a fantasy team, or known someone who has. Read this book and you'll learn more about yourself, your friends, and the world we inhabit. -- Jay Coakley, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Sports Fans, Identity, and Socialization is a welcome addition to the growing scholarship in communication and sport. This edited volume features an impressive lineup of emerging and established scholars, drafted from a variety of disciplinary interests, including business, media studies, psychology, public relations, rhetoric, and sports management. What makes the book such a success is that it presents a broad range of methodological perspectives and addresses sports fanship across multiple sports, sites, and contexts. Sports Fans, Identity, and Socialization is required reading for anyone interested in the attitudes, behaviors, and motivations of contemporary sports fans. -- Michael L. Butterworth, Bowling Green State University