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7 years ago
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Explaining sports fans’ irrational behavior
Why some fans defend their teams against objective arguments

If you’ve ever criticized a sports team in front of one of the team’s most passionate fans, you’ve likely been accused being a “hater” and had your argument quickly dismissed. It doesn’t matter if you presented objective evidence to demonstrate how you drew your conclusion — e.g., suggesting that an NFL quarterback is bad because his statistics are worse than any other quarterback — because, to these passionate fans, there’s no such thing as a valid argument against the teams they support. (couldn't help but think of MMs delusional comments on Hundley yesterday... you'll find out why, below)

Sports fandom is an extremely emotional exercise for many fans and this often causes them to interpret objective criticism of their favorite teams as a personal attack. And this thought process and behavior isn’t exclusive to any one team. Every sports team has fans that vehemently come to its defense the second someone says something even remotely critical of it.

But why is this? Why do some sports fans irrationally defend their favorite teams against objective arguments?

Before I get into some of the psychological underpinnings of sports fan behavior, I’d first like to offer a few disclaimers:

I’m not criticizing sports fan behavior; I’m simply explaining it. Passionate sports fan behavior doesn’t bother me; it excites me.
Over the past five years of my life, I’ve studied the topic of sports fan behavior extensively, published research on it, and lectured on it, so these aren’t the ramblings of a mad man.
The explanation provided below is not intended to be all-encompassing. The human thought process is very complex and we’re constantly building upon our understanding of the way that humans process information and make decisions. This is just a very basic overview.
There are two primary psychological processes at play here: self-categorization and social comparison.

Self-categorization is the process in which we (meaning humans in general) form part of our self-concept (or identity) by placing ourselves into social categories with others who share common attributes. (For example, I classify myself into the following social categories: Sixers fans, avid fantasy football players, Penn State alumni, etc.)

Social comparison is the process in which we then apply favorable attributes to the social categories we identify with in order to enhance our self-esteem. And because our self-esteem is directly tied to our perception of these social categories, we resist any and all attacks that might diminish our perception of them. The more highly we identify with a category, the more true this is.

So let’s the use the Seattle Seahawks as an example. (I’ve chosen the Seahawks because the team is believed to have one of the most passionate fan bases in the NFL.) Based on what I just explained above, we could expect the following to occur:

A hardcore Seahawks fan identifies with the “Seahawks” social category and this forms part of his identity. (Yes, his social category is actually “Seahawks fans,” but really hardcore fans often don’t see it this way; they see themselves as part of the teams they root for.)
He applies favorable attributes to the Seahawks in order to enhance his own self-esteem. Because his identification with the Seahawks is a key part of his self-concept, positively evaluating the team allows him to evaluate himself more positively.
If someone says something negative about the Seahawks — true or not — he perceives it as a personal attack and a threat to his own sense of self worth.
In order to preserve his sense of self worth, the fan defends the Seahawks when he believes that others are attacking the team by a) fighting back and/or b) discrediting the attacker. Even if he knows that the other person is right in his criticism of the Seahawks, he’ll defend the team anyway because accepting that the other person is right would require him to accept that the Seahawks aren’t as great as he believes they are (and, consequently, neither is he since the Seahawks are a key part of his identity).
So, when a hardcore sports fan argues with objective evidence that someone has presented about his favorite team, he is simply using a defense mechanism to protect his own sense of self-worth. The same is true when a sports fan calls another person biased after he criticizes his favorite team; by convincing himself that the other person is biased against the team he supports, the fan is able to ignore the criticism and preserve his positive perception of the team and of himself. (mm esteem couldn't handle Hundley failing...it reflected so poorly on him and didn't square with how he sees himself so he rejects and spins)
UserPostedImage
Ted Thompson sits on his hands per former GM: "because they’ve had 25 fricking years of great quarterbacks. Of course it works. Try it without a special quarterback."


Fan Shout
beast (12h) : Yeah, but also some of the wording suggestions Jax only pranked called the QB, not the others... and if he had an open spreadsheet & 3 calls
beast (12h) : Thank goodness he's not leaving the Turtle in the Red Tide
Mucky Tundra (13h) : Cowboys 1st round pick Tyler Booker will indeed be bringing his pet turtle to Dallas with him
Mucky Tundra (13h) : that contained all prospects info and contact
Mucky Tundra (13h) : beast, according the Falcons statement Jax came across it on an ipad. If I had to guess, probably an open spread sheet or something
Zero2Cool (13h) : Simmons put up an emoji with cheese.
beast (13h) : Not sure anyone is interested in Isaiah Simmons... Collin Oliver might of taken his potential slot
beast (14h) : I'm going with Jax Ulbrich is not telling the whole truth... he accidentally came across it? Why would a defensive coordinator have a QB #?
Zero2Cool (14h) : He's not that great, but final piece of the script.\
Zero2Cool (14h) : If we add Isaiah Simmons, book your Super Bowl tickets
Mucky Tundra (15h) : Colts 1st round TE Tyler Warren also got prank called, was that Jax Ulbrich as well?
Zero2Cool (15h) : Jax Ulbrich, Jeff Ulbrich’s son, released an apology for his role in the Shedeur Sanders prank call.
Martha Careful (15h) : apparently he did not participate in practice or play on the east west shrine game nor the NFL combine. The kid was a mediocre spoiled brat
Mucky Tundra (15h) : Yeah that one that was a super wounded duck that Sanders supporters are highlighting to prove a point
Zero2Cool (15h) : Shough is the guy who missed guys at combine isn't he?
beast (16h) : It's not official until I'm dead! I have a chance still! (Not really)
Mucky Tundra (27-Apr) : I could feel my body decomposing in real time when I read that
Mucky Tundra (27-Apr) : @MIKEYSAINRISTIL Tyler Shough will officially be the last person drafted to the NFL born in the 1900’s
Mucky Tundra (26-Apr) : saw the tweet, he meant the city
Mucky Tundra (26-Apr) : Was that for the team or the city?
Zero2Cool (26-Apr) : Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter · 3m Draft grade is in: Green Bay gets an A. The people, the city, the venue were all superb. NFL Draft’s next
Zero2Cool (26-Apr) : Matt LaFleur says Jaire Alexander is participating in #Packers offseason program, which has been conducted virtually during this first week
Zero2Cool (26-Apr) : ✅ ...
buckeyepackfan (26-Apr) : Check
Zero2Cool (26-Apr) : Matthew Golden cahanged 81 to 22??
TheKanataThrilla (26-Apr) : Sam Howell to Vikings...guess no Aaron
Martha Careful (26-Apr) : 1 round 7 min, with one extra minute if there is a trade. 2nd round 4 minutes, 3rd -3, 2 thereafter IMO
Martha Careful (26-Apr) : Agree
dfosterf (26-Apr) : Great idea imo
dfosterf (26-Apr) : 1st round to 7 minutes with one extension
dfosterf (26-Apr) : NFL comissioner wants to shorten the 2st
Mucky Tundra (26-Apr) : @jalenreagors They’re discussing if Sheduer can go back to college on NFL Network LMFAOOOOO
beast (26-Apr) : Great point Martha
beast (26-Apr) : Buddy Ryan used to say if a candy bar goes missing, there are two to blame, Rex and Rob 🤪 jk 😁
Martha Careful (26-Apr) : Bum Phillips used to say there are two ways to get better. Get better players or get players to play better. We have a new DL coach
Zero2Cool (26-Apr) : Yes. Look at the losses last year. They can win.
beast (26-Apr) : Can Packers win with their current DL?
bboystyle (26-Apr) : waiting for a pass rusher.
dfosterf (25-Apr) : 5 minutes between picks in the 3rd
dfosterf (25-Apr) : 3rd. Hate this phone
dfosterf (25-Apr) : 4rd
dfosterf (25-Apr) : 5 minutes in the 4
dfosterf (25-Apr) : 7 minutes between picks in the 2nd round
Martha Careful (25-Apr) : Sorry to bitch, but the headline writers in that section absolutely mislead, or don't know how to read. It is maddening
Martha Careful (25-Apr) : No thanks. Not a dependable guy to be in the right place and run the right route. Dumb as a box of rocks.
Zero2Cool (25-Apr) : Losing 2nd round pick for a one year rental, not ideal. Especially a headcase.
TheKanataThrilla (25-Apr) : Pickens for Jaire may be interesting. Definitely not sure we want Pickens long term.
dfosterf (25-Apr) : No.Absolutely not
Zero2Cool (25-Apr) : NO NO NO NO NO NO!!1 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
dhazer (25-Apr) : scenario: Our main prospects are off the board when our pick comes around, do we just throw a 2nd round pick at Pittsburgh for Pickens
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