Sports Fans Essay

Sports have an impact on the majority of people around the globe. Many fans throng stadiums to show in their team colors their undivided support for their teams. There are many categories of sports fan with no definite agreement on the exact number. However, there are stand out types that are highly influential and recognizable. There are casual fans, fair-weather fans, and die-hard fans.
The most basic category of sports fans is the casual fans. A casual fan follows his or her team averagely but does not go to extreme to follow the team games, news, or players. Casual fans might know some of the players, know some of the games schedules or have the team’s merchandise ("All Funked Up: Classification Terms for Sports Fans Defined," n.d.). However,

they end up watching some of the games in the stadiums or through the television. When something interesting is on when there is a team game, they end up abandoning the game. While they recognize that sports is good at times, they do not get carried away but are rather bandwagoners.
The fair-weather fans is a type of fan who only shows support for a team when it is doing well. They support the team when it is appropriate such as when the team is on a winning streak of has some of the best available players. These types of sports fan cannot stand ridicule from other fans, and they tend to back down when their team is on a losing trend. They are not confident enough to argue with other fans concerning the state of their team. It is easy to spot these types of fans because they switch teams very often. They have no loyalty, only purchase a team’s merchandise, and attend matches when the team they supposedly support is doing well. A team cannot depend on them for long-term support.
Diehard fans have gone to extreme extents to exhibit their loyalty for the team they support.

They are known to be advent followers of a team. They purchase their favorite team’s merchandise and attend most of the games. If they can’t attend physically, they make sure to watch the games through television. They have every details about the players, teams’ history, latest news as well as future schedules and plans. Their commitment is so much that they support their team religiously often sacrificing their time and resources to support it. They are not afraid to get into confrontations with rival fans in a bid to protect their team from verbal abuse or ridicule. They are known to praise their team at all times whether they are on a losing or a winning streak. Whenever diehard fans criticize their team, they do so fairly while also maintaining some objectiveness. They are keen to get their team high on morale even when they are not playing very well. Their emotional attachment to their team is enviable. Some cry or react emotionally when things are not okay in their team’s camp. Such is their importance that a team can rely on them to support them in tough times and spread the team’s legacy.
Though other types of sports fans exist, they stem out from the three categories addressed. Casual fans support their favorite team throughout but only when it is convenient for them to attend or watch matches. Fair-weather fans are those that switch teams by abandoning one that is performing

poorly. Diehard fans show support throughout and may go to extremes to show support. They are emotionally attached to their teams. All these sports fans can be found all over the globe.