And of course with every devoted audience comes the fans. And this is where it can get weird.
Just like audiences, fans have many different types and degrees (but Superfan is the most fun to say). We have all heard of the "crowds of teen musics fans" who become "twisted in response to the brutal and Satanic influence of the music" (McQuail Reader 344). So what, we can just blame Marilyn Manson for the stupid and sometimes dangerous things that kids do? I don't think so.
Another problem is crowd violence in sports. To us, it's great to watch on Most Amazing Videos, but to the guy that's getting stabbed in the leg...not so much. I found an article from Reuters about the concern of fan violence in Spain. You can find it here:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldFootballNews/idUKL2554330020080325
At a soccer game last week, one fan kicked and beat a fan of the other team with a stick. Then some guy got stabbed in the leg. And last month, one of the goalies got hit in the face with a bottle and had to get stitches.
I know that devoted fans are important in sports, but this is a little out of control. Some researchers think that the violent occurrences at sports events are contributing to people's negative opinion about fans. The idea of a violent mob and spectator violence can draw people away from attending sports events. And, it adds to the feeling that fans are "irrational and out of control" (reader 345). Since people seek support from their communities, in return members of the frenzied mobs can act out of influence from other fans.
Do you think that incidents like this can actually hurt the team (not necessarily physically)?
The article in the reader is a little far-fetched, but I think my mother would think twice before going to a soccer game where people left in ambulances every time. Also, incidents like this can fuel the fire of the negative perception of sports fans.
Do you see incidents like this in other venues (like concerts)?
I always hear stories of people being trampled and injured at concerts, but since I like the band I'll still go to see them. Do you think the threat of violence really deters true fans from attending an event?
5 comments:
Just as there seems to be a 'good' and a 'bad' in any situation we encounter in life, I feel that the concepts of fans, fandom, and fan-fare face a similar dichotomy - and to varying degrees. Before getting to your individual questions however, I think you do a great job in noting the fact that in more cases than not, the existence and development of loyal fans is both beneficial for audience members (in a community sense) and media producers (in a profitable sense). Although we often get so caught up in the negative side of things, I thinks it’s extremely important to point out that under the right conditions, fan participation and open appreciation is a very viable and healthy practice for all of the individuals involved. Having said that, in recent history we have seen countless occurrences (could this be an issue of recent media framing?) involving violence, rioting, and irrational behavior at both the professional and development levels of seemingly all forms of sport. Jensen (1992) suggests that “Fandom involves an ascription of excess, and emotional display – hysterics at rock concerts, holliganism at soccer matches, autograph seeking at celebrity sites” (350). It is with this ‘ascription of excess’ that Jensen assigns fandom that parallels between other undesirable aspects of life can be drawn – too much of anything can prove detrimental to the human animal. Whether we are dealing with said hooligans stabbing opposing fans, or overly aggressive concert goers violently disrupting the ‘fun’ of other individuals, the concepts of hysteria and excess hold very true. To address your questions more specifically, I think I’d start by saying your mother isn’t the only mother opting to stay home from riotous soccer events. The ticket costs for those international matches are far too expensive as it is, so throwing on any additional medical costs is simply too heavy a financial burden for the Callahan household to bear. You hit the nail on the head when you stated “Some researchers think that the violent occurrences at sports events are contributing to people's negative opinion about fans. The idea of a violent mob and spectator violence can draw people away from attending sports events.” I know that there have been a number of concert events I have chosen to stay away from simply due to the fact I didn’t feel like getting hit the face and head several times throughout the evening. Unfortunately, there have been an equal number of times I have gone and been slapped around. In addition, the events you cite (and those of similar nature) most certainly intensify negative perceptions of sports fans, helping to construct and maintain that division between “them” and “us” as discussed in the Jensen article, but I do not feel as if the actual teams involved are affected. Although fans have a considerable affect on team morale, I do not think a case can be made suggesting that the actions of the crowd actually causes harm to the actual performance of those competing. After the Piston/Pacer brawl of several years ago occurred, I think the majority of fans from the entire league looked down on those two particular teams, but I do not feel as if either team played better or worse in light of what transpired.
Naturally I would chose to comment on this topic because I do love soccer and violence as well…maybe not so much. But as a soccer fan I’ve come a crossed numerous amounts of media that relate to this subject. There’s been fan v. fan, fan v. ref, fan v. police, player v. player, player v. ref…etc. I’ve also read a lot of articles on players, coaches, league officials and so on, calling for the stop of violence. I assume with the reaction from these important people that they notice that violence is hurting their sport. A month or so ago I read a long article in a soccer magazine talking about the violence that the Italian league had been plagued with. That article mentioned that in the middle of the game, play stopped and players went to the sidelines to try and calm fans from breaking through barriers. I mean if I go to a match A. I don’t want play to stop (maybe for the occasional streakier but that’s my perv side) and B. I don’t want to worry for my safety. As big as a fan of Euro soccer, I would take safety into consideration safety before I attended a game. Soccer fans are passionate they love the game just like any other fan would, but there are the hooligans and there are firms. Firms if you haven’t seen “Green Street Hooligans” (which you should) are fan based gangs basically. They rival other teams firms and will fight for respect and pride. From the movie a classic quote that explains the difference between the affiliations and rivalries and shows how much more craziness is in these fans vs. American Fans, “Sort of like the Yankees and the Red Sox”. “More like the Israelis and the Palestinians.” The quote shows the love and passion these fans have to represent their club, but also to the point were violence is sort of nullified. I mean McQuail states, “fans are characterized as easily roused into violence and destructive behavior, once assembled into a crowd and attending competitive sports events” (reader 345). So basically a fan is violent. I don’t agree with this because for every bad apple there’s a good one in my eye. I love sports I have passion for my favorite teams but rarely would I fight a guy because my team and his team are rivals. Plus I got better things to do. Well once again if gone off on nothing. But yes to Pilar I do think that violence can hurt teams off the field. I also agree that violence is seen in other venues. Moshing a.k.a. beating the crap out of all the kids around you is seen as a normal behavior at some rock concerts. Not to say that all rock concerts are violent, but it’s become a culture to some music fans. Anyways, I’m tired I think you guys get the point and I’m also sure Steve prolly wrote about 5 pages on this topic.
I definitely think that rowdy behaviors of fans can damage a team's reputation as well as physically hurt others around them. No one wants to attend a sporting event with the expectation that he/she will get pummelled for supporting the visiting team or some other action. Calling oneself a "fan" does not excuse a person's unsportsmanlike behavior just because it may be what "fans" are known for. On the other hand, one could argue that supporting a particular team/side no matter what is the definition of a fan(atic). The angry "mob" mentality kicks in, and suddenly it's one person versus an army. I just don't understand why these situations have to end in violence. Heckling the officials and cheering in support work just fine for me (mainly because I know the officials and players will never hear me in particular ;-))
I also agree that fans + violence are present in other popular forms of entertainment such as concerts. Last semester I was at a concert in the pit area about 4 or 5 "rows" of people from the stage, and at one point it got so bad I was almost on the floor and not able to stand up because some jerk kids decided to start a massive body wave, and others got angry and wanted to push back. My friend who was with me got hit in the head by a heavy Unidentified Flying Object. Eventually it became too much for both of us (and other individuals also in the crowd) and we asked to be lifted over the barriers in the front of the arena while the band was playing (SO embarrassing) but later that night I had bruises on my feet and arms, and my sides hurt like heck. Ironically enough, it was also one of the best concerts ever! (Once we found seats in a balcony area.)
In my experience, when someone refers to themselves as a "fan", the image of "an obsessed loner, suffering from a disease of contagion...[and who is] irrational, out of control, and prey to a number of external forces" (McQuail Reader 345) does not immediately come to mind. If that were true of all fans, I would not want to get anywhere near those Miley Cyrus fans. When comparing a concert to a sporting event, I don't see the reason why fans at a concert need to get rowdy - sure, everyone gets into the music, but there is no "other team" to jeer at, everyone at the show should be in support of the performers, otherwise they wouldn't be there, right? A sporting match is more prone to fans acting out because fans stand behind their teams to defend them against an "enemy".
Oh yes, I forgot to add that I don't think the threat of violence deters true fans from attending games or shows. If they are as hardcore as they say, these fans will do almost anything to give their support. I would hope these fans are also smart enough to recognize danger when they see it and put their personal safety ahead of their love of sports/music/anything else they are a fan of.
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