One Sports Fan Left Behind

Nearly everyone in America is interested in sports. However, many people are becoming disenchanted. Media coverage is dominated by scandalous stories involving many of America's best known figures in nearly all major sports. Fans have come to see professional athletes, in general, as being overpaid, immature and obnoxious. Ticket prices have become outrageously exorbitant. Many fans feel that they have been betrayed by something that they once held so dear. One Fan Left Behind, written by a typical, longtime sports fan, speaks to and for those fans. Some of the issues addressed are controversial and may serve as catalysts for further thought. Many dubious things about sports are blithely taken for granted. For instance, did you ever wonder why it is that if a basketball player is fouled in the act of shooting 25 feet from the basket, (a shot which he was probably going to miss anyway) he gets to move ten feet closer to the hoop to shoot three free throws? But if he is fouled in the act of shooting a lay up, (a shot which he rarely misses) he has to move several feet further from the basket to shoot only two free throws. One Fan Left Behind is written in a style which is lighthearted, entertaining and at times, tongue-in-cheek. Portions could be used as a stand-up comedy routine. Other segments can be described as nostalgic, poignant and/or deadly serious. The topic is singularly timely. So many things happen every day that it was difficult for the author to finish writing this book. He had to simply drop the pencil and stop writing. The story is still unfolding.

Nearly everyone in America is interested in sports. However, many people are becoming disenchanted. Media coverage is dominated by scandalous stories involving many of Americas best known figures in nearly all major sports. Fans have come to see professional athletes, in general, as being overpaid, immature and obnoxious. Ticket prices have become outrageously exorbitant. Many fans feel that they have been betrayed by something that they once held so dear. One Fan Left Behind, written by a typical, longtime sports fan, speaks to and for those fans. Some of the issues addressed are controversial and may serve as catalysts for further thought. Many dubious things about sports are blithely taken for granted. For instance, did you ever wonder why it is that if a basketball player is fouled in the act of shooting 25 feet from the basket, (a shot which he was probably going to miss anyway) he gets to move ten feet closer to the hoop to shoot three free throws? But if he is fouled in the act of shooting a lay up, (a shot which he rarely misses) he has to move several feet further from the basket to shoot only two free throws. One Fan Left Behind is written in a style which is lighthearted, entertaining and at times, tongue-in-cheek. Portions could be used as a stand-up comedy routine. Other segments can be described as nostalgic, poignant and/or deadly serious. The topic is singularly timely. So many things happen every day that it was difficult for the author to finish writing this book. He had to simply drop the pencil and stop writing. The story is still unfolding.

Sports fandom is either an aspect of a person's fundamental identity, or completely incomprehensible to those who aren't fans at all.

Bestselling author Queenan explores the world of sports fans in an attempt to understand the inexplicable: What does anyone get out of it? For Yankee, Cowboy, and Laker fans the answer is fairly clear: the return on investment is relatively high. But why do people root so passionately for tragically inept teams like the Boston Red Sox, the Chicago Cubs, and the Philadelphia Phillies? Why do people organize their emotional lives around lackluster franchises such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, the San Diego Padres, and the Phoenix Suns, none of whom have ever won a single championship in their entire history? Is it pure tribalism? An attempt to maintain contact with one's vanished childhood? In True Believers, humorist and lifelong Philly fan Joe Queenan answers these and many other questions, shedding light on—and reveling in—the culture and psychology of his countless fellow fans. Making pilgrimages to such cradles of competition as Notre Dame Stadium, Fenway, and Wrigley Field, Queenan delves into every aspect of fandom in such illuminating chapters as Fans Who Love Too Much (men, like the author, who actually resort to psychotherapy to deal with their unhealthy addiction), Fans Who Run in Front (which meticulously delineates the differences between Retroactive, Municipal, and Vicarious Frontrunners), and Fans Who Misbehave (those who spill beer on women, moon other fans, or throw half-eaten sandwiches at innocent bystanders simply because they look like the current coach of the New York Jets). True Believers is a hilarious but also heartfelt look into the world of those fans who realize that it is, in fact, more than just a game.

For pure exhilaration and drama, there's nothing quite like sports: It's the crack of the bat as it connects with the baseball, hurtling it into the bleachers for a home run; the swish of the basketball as it drops into the net for a three-point play at the buzzer; the roar of the crowd as the quarterback delivers a perfect spiral pass for the winning touchdown. Most importantly, sports bring out the best in the human spirit. There is an intensity and a richness inherent in every sporting experience that amplifies our emotions and our connection with the moment and, indeed, with ourselves. This latest collection of Chicken Soup honors all that is good in the world of sports. From major leaguers to little leaguers, from hockey stars to figure skaters, and from horseracing to mushing, the stories in this book highlight the positive and transformative nature of sports. Readers will come to see sports as one of our most important and powerful teachers. They can teach us to focus and stay the course, or to develop a new strategy and rededicate ourselves to a goal. They can teach us to be humble in victory and gracious in defeat. They can teach us the importance of teamwork and remind us that we must strive to give our individual all. At their best, sports will build us up and they will wear us down; they will build character and teach us to overcome adversity. This book is for anyone who has ever enjoyed watching or participating in any sport, from the professional athlete to the weekend warrior, from the soccer mom to the diehard sports fan, from the marathon runner to the neighborhood jogger.

Sports, and the fans that follow them, are everywhere. Sport Fans: The Psychology and Social Impact of Fandom examines the affective, behavioral, and cognitive reactions of fans to better comprehend how sport impacts individual fans and society as a whole. Using up-to-date research and theory from multiple disciplines including psychology, sociology, marketing, history, and religious studies, this textbook provides a deeper understanding of topics such as: the pervasiveness of sport fandom in society common demographic and personality characteristics of fans how fandom can provide a sense of belonging, of uniqueness, and of meaning in life the process of becoming a sport fan sport fan consumption and the future of sport and the fan experience. The text also provides a detailed investigation of the darker side of sport fandom, including fan aggression, as well as a critical look at the positive value of fandom for individuals and society. Sport Fans expertly combines a rigorous level of empirical research and theory in an engaging, accessible format, making this text the essential resource on sport fan behavior.

A Birmingham, Alabama businessman takes a year off, travels 120,000 miles in 50 states to attend more than 250 different sports events, from the Super Bowl to the X-Games to the Iditarod.