4 Levels Of Fan-To-Team Identity In Sports

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Within sports there are different levels that fans connect with a team. According to sport marketing scholars Alain Decrop and Christian Derbaix writes that there are 4 different levels of fan-to-team identity, which are introspective pride, vicarious pride, contagious pride, and conspicuous pride (2010). Out of the 4 types of pride, there are two types of pride that demonstrates the strongest team associate, which are contagious and conspicuous pride. Both of these levels of pride allow fans to not only associate with the team, but also create a sense of bonding and kinship among fans that share a similar interest or even love and partnership with their chosen team. The Scholars describes each level as, contagious pride “ [as] wearing the …show more content…
However, once people who are associated with either group feels that they have been fooled or deceived by a fellow group member actions of perceived disloyalty to fellow fans or the team, the interactions between within the group can escalate to violence rather …show more content…
Steve Bartman’s visit to Wrigley field during the playoffs was Bartman’s way of wanting to not only enjoy the game, but to connect with fellow fans and enjoy the experience that comes with belonging to a group and experiencing a game as important as a playoff game for the Chicago Cubs. Sadly, Bartman’s initial and planned experience of simply wanting to enjoy the game quickly transformed from pleasant to life threatening all in one simple moment, trying to catch a perceived “foul” ball. Nevertheless, Bartman was not the sole fan that reached for the ball simultaneously as then Cubs left fielder Moises Alou. However, Bartman received all of the blame from the fans and local and national television stations that he ultimately compromised the entire outcome of not only game 6, but also the entire playoff and a possible championship run for the Chicago Cubs. However, Bartman was only conducting himself as a fan that wanted to connect with those around him, but also show his individual pride for the Cubs by gaining control of the “foul”ball “contagious pride and conspicuous pride” (Decrop and Debrioux, 2010, p.596). In the documentary, Gibney interviews fellow Cub fan and attendee of the 2003 playoff game Laurie Holmes who stated, “ everybody was thinking ‘this is a