Spectators In Sports Research Paper

Spectators in Sport : Broad review of Giulianotti article: Spectators in sport are often an identity and sometimes novelty within themselves. For viewers of any standing, fellow spectators can often make, break, sweeten or sour a sporting experience. Some spectators can become annoyed by the antics of spectator groups such as English cricket’s ‘Barmy Army’, American College Basketball’s Duke University ‘Cameron Crazies’ or locally, even the infamous ‘Joffa’ and the Collingwood Football Club cheer squad. To others, the appeal of experiencing or even simply viewing these groups in action is a novelty and can make up a lot of the reason for people to be enticed to watch.
When considering sports spectators there are 2 ends of the spectrum
that initially come to mind. One is the die-hard, dedicated supporter who stands by their club through thick and thin and can conduct themselves in a responsible manner, the other is the rowdy, one eyed version that can present safety disruptions in crowds or take part in less than savoury behaviour of sports hooliganism.
Spectators, however, don’t always necessarily need to be avid supporters of a team or the sport in general. It is possible for spectators to be casual, mildly interested and maybe just intrigued by the spectacle or showcase of top tier physical abilities and attributes within the sporting domain. Sometimes it is this lure of simply sitting back and watching without any vested emotion, the superstardom of some of the world’s greatest athletes. This could’ve been the reason the Chicago Bulls sold out every arena, home or away, in almost every season during the Michael Jordan era, for example.
To gain a better understanding of spectators and spectator traits, Giulianotti used English Football as a baseline and devised a way to identify and catergorize contemporary spectator identities. He identified that spectators can be either ‘hot’ or ‘cool’ with regards to their emotional attachment, and either ‘traditional’ or ‘consumer’ based in their motifs for watching.
A hot, traditional spectator was considered a ‘Supporter’, was emotionally vested in and loyal to the club, usually purchasing shares/memberships/merchandise and feeling an obligation to show thick personal solidarity to that one club. Supporters often attend live events as a public display of their allegiance.
Conversely, a cool, traditional spectator was considered a ‘Follower’. Followers had other reasons for spectating than the club itself as they may find appeal in a player or coach for instance, allowing them to willingly follow the progress of the club without being deeply emotionally vested in being part of the journey. Followers can show a thick or thin solidarity toward a club and will often use electronic media to simply keep tabs on the goings on.
A hot, consumer spectator was labelled a ‘fan’.
Fans often have a primary interest in the celebrity of a team or player or club identity. Fans can be financially invested in the club similar to a Supporter, but usually for differing reasons. Fans can take part in cheer squads and preach their alliance to the club, but are usually unidirectional in their affections.
Lastly, a cool consumer spectator was given the title of ‘Flaneur’. Flaneurs were considered to be the result of mass media allowing for the following or consumption of sports worldwide of any scale and were often appealed to by the novelty, vividness or aesthetic sensations and experiences of sports in general. Flaneurs as spectators have the least amount of solidarity to a particular club of all the 4 catergorized.
Though it is interesting to sociologically categorize people by considering factors and variables that impact them and Giulianotti has a reasonably comprehensive synopsis of the 4 evolving spectator types, one thing is certain, spectators are integral to sports on many levels and the study of such can allow for clubs and sports in general to find better ways to target and appeal to each of the aforementioned subgroups in a holistic sense for not only their fulfilment, but the club or sport’s financial and supportive prosperity in the
future.