Justine Gubar - Fanaticus: Mischief and Madness in the Modern Sports Fan

Praise for Fanaticus

In Fanaticus, Justine Gubar takes the reader on an unforgettable exploration of the least understood, least appreciated andoccasionallyleast defensible facet of our sports-soaked culture: the fans. Gubar skillfully peels back layer after layer of our fandom to explain why we care so much, and what happens when we do. Along the way, Gubar expels myths, digs up surprising truths, and explains a lot about human nature itself. The ride is equal parts fun and frightening, but always fascinating. After Fanaticus, you will never be able to look at your games, and the people who love them, the same way.John U. Bacon, best-selling author of Fourth and Long: The Fight for the Soul of College Football

Fanaticus is a riveting, well-researched look at one of the most interesting topics in sports today: the behaviorand misbehaviorof the modern sports fan. Justine Gubar expertly leads us to an important national conversation about fans in the 21st century. Her timing is perfect. As sports become an even bigger part of our culture, the story of obsessed sports fans grows in importance by the day.Christine Brennan, sports columnist, USA TODAY; commentator, ABC News and CNN; and author of Best Seat in the House

Fanaticus explores a place too-often ignored in sports reportingthe seamy world of miscreant fans. Justine Gubars powers of observation, combined with her reporting skills, make her the perfect tour guide.Tim Keown, ESPN the Magazine, and coauthor of three New York Times best-selling books

Justine Gubars fearless brand of investigative journalism at ESPN has placed her in the cross-hairs of many angry mobs who didnt want to know the truth about their favorite teams and players. From her startling and disturbing firsthand experiences to an overview of fan behavior, she captures the essence of a fascinating societal niche in Fanaticus: Mischief and Madness in the Modern Sports Fan. For anyone who has ever gone to a game and wondered why the person next to them is behaving like a lunatic, this book helps provide the answer.Pat Forde, national columnist, Yahoo Sports

Combining the curiosity of a hard-charging investigator with the heart of a superb storyteller, Justine Gubar has written a fantastic book about fandom that will surprise and delight you. By tracing the roots of fans extreme behavior, from the mobs at the Roman Colosseum to the mobs now bellowing on social media platforms, Fanaticus will change how you view the way we cheer, boo, root, and fight over our beloved teams. I love this book.Don Van Natta Jr., investigative reporter, ESPN; Pulitzer Prize winner; and New York Times best-selling author of First Off the Tee, Her Way, and Wonder Girl

Sports is the great tent where society gathersits where we cheer, its where we hope, its where we find common ground, and unfortunately, its also where some choose to get angry or even violent. Justine Gubar does a remarkable job unmasking the breadth and depth of sports fanaticism and explaining how devotion can turn into obsession, and even into danger. Fascinating readplus, how do you not love a book which has a first chapter called And Then We Burn a Couch?Rachel Nichols, anchor, CNN

Compelling. Powerful. Definitive. A must-read for anyone seeking a broader understanding of the nucleus of sports culturethe fanagainst the larger backdrop of society. Thoroughly researched through a wide lens, this enlightening treatise starts strong and finishes strong... with so much thought-provoking material in between.Jarrett Bell, NFL columnist, USA TODAY Sports

With Fanaticus, Justine Gubar offers a fascinating glimpse into the psyche and history of sports lunatic fringe. Part personal exploration and part case study, Fanaticus transports readers deep into the world of sports fandom.Mark Fainaru-Wada, investigative reporter, ESPN, and coauthor of New York Times best-selling book League of Denial

This is an important and engaging work. In Fanaticus, Justine Gubar takes us inside the phenomenon of emotionally overheated fan misbehavior. Its a trip you will not forget.Bob Ley, anchor, ESPN

The life of a sports fan is an evolving one. One that has roots in overzealous passion. And one that has seen its passion take a dark turn into violence and crime. Justine Gubar does a phenomenal job of traveling the globe and shedding light on these fanatics, so that we can read about them safely from our couches.Michelle Beadle, host, ESPN

This book starts as a journey into the strange world of sports fandom and quickly becomes a journey into the myth of civilization, unwinding and uncovering the purest essence of ourselves and leading, ultimately, to a few simple truths: love and hate are the same thing, and we are all merely animals living on a rock.Wright Thompson, senior writer, ESPN the Magazine, and coeditor of Best American Sports Writing 2015

Justine Gubar was a splendid ESPN producer who went to Ohio, did some investigating, and got some vile voicemails and emails. Now shes a splendid ESPN producer who has been from Antwerp to Albuquerque and back to antiquity for this vital tour of our human lunacy.Chuck Culpepper, sportswriter, Washington Post, and author of William Hill award finalist Bloody Confused: A Clueless American Sportswriter Seeks Solace in English Soccer

Mischief and Madness in the
Modern Sports Fan

Justine Gubar

ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD

Lanham Boulder New York London

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Gubar, Justine.

Fanaticus : mischief and madness in the modern sports fan / Justine Gubar.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4422-2892-4 (hardback : alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-4422-2893-1 (ebook) 1. Sports spectatorsPsychology. 2. Sports spectatorsSocial conditions. 3. SportsSociological aspects. I. Title.

GV715.G83 2015

306.4'83dc23

2014048892

TM The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Printed in the United States of America

To L. G., who started a family tradition when he took me to my first baseball game at age three

To S. G., who checked the score on TV only to see when we were coming home

Nasty sentiments flashed across my computer screen: Just another OSU fan telling you to f@#$ off, bitch. Then came more: Youre not even on a same level as a prostitute. People like you are a disgrace to the practice of journalism. The messages kept coming: I simply advise you to do whats right and if you dont, realize that Buckeye Nation will not show you mercy. Messages from enraged Ohio State football fansknown in the sports world as some of the most zealous in the countrywere showing up on Twitter and Facebook. Angry fans even found my home phone number and posted it online. They went after me anywhere I had a profile. I took down my pictures, changed my numbers, and wondered if I was in real danger.