As we live through COVID-19, the world of sports has been negatively impacted. Games and leagues remain uncertain and the sports fan experience has changed dramatically. This podcast is a reflection on the ideologies of sports fandom, how fans have grown their fandom over time, and what aspects of life are sports fans suddenly missing. This is a ten episode series covering ten separate topics that sports fans have incorporated and valued in their day-to-day lives.
As the tenth and final installment of Fandom, recurring guest Lex Rofeberg and I discuss how our relationships with our teams can illuminate us about how we handle relationships with our friends and romantic partners. Some themes include how love consists of difficult periods, when it feels like you are breaking up with your team, and the stigma against learning to love late in life. (Recorded 2/7/21)
4 Jan 2021
Losing
Today's episode is on the topic of losing and what it means to see yourself as a loser through the identity of your sports teams. I speak with die-hard Cleveland sports fan Joey Kinsley, better known on social media as @siryacht. In this episode, we reflect on the longevity and memories of the Browns futility and discuss the effect losing has on the psyche of sport fans. Joey also addresses if and how that losing mentality in Cleveland changed once the Cavaliers won the NBA Championship in 2016. (Recorded 12/9/20)
24 Dec 2020
Standings
On today's episode, Stephen Baum and I discuss standings (as in that compact table keeping track of teams' wins and losses). Fans are fascinated with jumping the gun on predictions, extrapolating playoff pictures, and ruminating on “if the season ended today”. In these examples, Stephen and I talk about the illusion of a fan’s desire to control time and how we sometimes misuse information when it’s available to us. In addition, what, if anything, do people use to track their personal "standings" in their day-to-day lives? (Recorded 12/2/20)
24 Nov 2020
Storytelling
Today's episode is about the role that storytelling has in sports. Our guest is James Presson, TV writer/producer and award-winning playwright. We discuss how the different plot structures in fiction parallel the narratives that we assign to the games, seasons, and careers. We also chat about the storylines that we wish existed more as well as the storylines that are the most overrated and misinterpreted.
22 Oct 2020
Fantasy
Today’s episode is on the popularity of fantasy sports - specifically football. Our guest is Jarad Evans, fantasy football analyst at Pro Football Focus. We talk about the reasons fantasy football has boomed over the last five years, how fantasy sports is overlapping with statistical revolutions, and the future of fandom in the prioritization of rooting for your fantasy team over your home team.
12 Oct 2020
Health
Today's episode is about the importance of health. Our guest is JD Reichenbach, a former minor league pitcher, who discusses what he learned about dealing with injuries throughout his career. We talk about the scenarios where ballplayers will play through injuries and also when disclosing an injury is a valid excuse for an ensuing subpar performance. JD and I also talk about mental health in the office - if personal struggles affect someone's work performance, what are the appropriate ways that a manager should let the work performance slide or give out any disciplinary action?
21 Sept 2020
Superlatives
On today's episode, GQ Staff Writer Clay Skipper and I discuss superlatives and high achievement in sports. Some of our topics include what fans learn from watching sports highlights, why we are enamored with several types of streaks, and the different ways that greatness can be measured. (Recorded 8/13/20)
28 Aug 2020
Winning
Today's episode is about winning and the joy, relief, and baggage that comes with expecting your team to win. Guest speaker Anthony Calcagni and I talk about (sigh) Boston's success over the past 20 years, if parity dilutes the significance of winning a championship, and would Patriots fans give up multiple Superbowl rings if it meant the 2007 Patriots go 19-0. (Recorded 7/15/20)
26 Aug 2020
Religion
In today's episode, Lex Rofeberg and I discuss how the fan experience is a religious experience. We cover a wide variety of parallels including why important games are treated as holidays, how fans enjoy anointing star players as their Messiah, and how going to Cooperstown is a pilgrimage. (Recorded 6/16/20)
21 Aug 2020
Emotion
In this episode, we discuss how sports is a socially acceptable platform for fans to express extreme levels of emotion. Guest Speaker Lex Rofeberg discusses how March Madness, relegation in soccer, and Aaron Rodgers' Hail Mary TDs contribute to passion, elation, and pain. (Recorded 6/9/20)
8 Aug 2020
Introduction
This episode is an introduction to this podcast - a 10 episode series taking a deep dive into the psychology and philosophy of sports fandom, as well as how COVID-19 has disrupted the identity of the modern-day sports fan.
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