What do you think?
Rate this book
Superfans: Into the Heart of Obsessive Sports Fandom
A Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist pulls back the curtain on the extraordinary inner lives of America’s most obsessive sports fans.
There are fans, and then there are fanatics. In this wondrously immersive look at American sports fandom, George Dohrmann travels the country to find out what distinguishes an ordinary, everyday enthusiast from that special breed of supporter known as the superfan. In Minnesota, Dohrmann meets newly minted generals of the Viking World Order, a Minnesota Vikings affinity group organized along military lines. In Oregon, he shares a few beers with a determined soccer fan who amassed—almost singlehandedly—a four-thousand-strong cheering section for the fledgling Portland Timbers. In Illinois, he talks with the parents of a five-year-old boy whose intense hatred of Tom Brady went viral on YouTube. Through these and other intimate profiles, Dohrmann shows us the human faces behind the colored face paint, the real people inside the elaborate costumes who prowl the stands and parking lots at stadiums from coast to coast.
In addition to the fans themselves, Dohrmann also talks with the experts who study them. He uses the latest thinking in sports psychology—some of it learned during a spirited round of miniature golf with a group of professors at the annual Sports Psychology Forum—to unravel the answers to such burning questions How does fandom begin? What are its effects on everyday life? When does it go too far?
For everyone who’s ever body-painted their torso with the team colors of their alma mater before heading off to a sports bar—or even just screamed at their television during the NBA Finals— Superfans offers an entertaining and insightful exploration of the many ways human beings find meaning in something bigger than themselves.
Featuring photos of the Rally Banana, Timber Jim, the officers of the Viking World Order, a pair of Kentucky Wildcats tattoos, a Kevin Durant jersey torched by a jilted fan, and more.
Plus analysis of the . . .
Arizona State Sun Devils • Chicago Bears • Dallas Cowboys • Green Bay Packers • Indianapolis Colts • Milwaukee Brewers • Nebraska Cornhuskers • New England Patriots • Oklahoma City Thunder • Philadelphia Eagles • San Diego State Aztecs • Seattle Seahawks
“Well reported and meticulously researched . . . Dohrmann is a respected, diligent sportswriter and has been so for years—you don’t get Pulitzers for message-board posts.”— The Wall Street Journal
There are fans, and then there are fanatics. In this wondrously immersive look at American sports fandom, George Dohrmann travels the country to find out what distinguishes an ordinary, everyday enthusiast from that special breed of supporter known as the superfan. In Minnesota, Dohrmann meets newly minted generals of the Viking World Order, a Minnesota Vikings affinity group organized along military lines. In Oregon, he shares a few beers with a determined soccer fan who amassed—almost singlehandedly—a four-thousand-strong cheering section for the fledgling Portland Timbers. In Illinois, he talks with the parents of a five-year-old boy whose intense hatred of Tom Brady went viral on YouTube. Through these and other intimate profiles, Dohrmann shows us the human faces behind the colored face paint, the real people inside the elaborate costumes who prowl the stands and parking lots at stadiums from coast to coast.
In addition to the fans themselves, Dohrmann also talks with the experts who study them. He uses the latest thinking in sports psychology—some of it learned during a spirited round of miniature golf with a group of professors at the annual Sports Psychology Forum—to unravel the answers to such burning questions How does fandom begin? What are its effects on everyday life? When does it go too far?
For everyone who’s ever body-painted their torso with the team colors of their alma mater before heading off to a sports bar—or even just screamed at their television during the NBA Finals— Superfans offers an entertaining and insightful exploration of the many ways human beings find meaning in something bigger than themselves.
Featuring photos of the Rally Banana, Timber Jim, the officers of the Viking World Order, a pair of Kentucky Wildcats tattoos, a Kevin Durant jersey torched by a jilted fan, and more.
Plus analysis of the . . .
Arizona State Sun Devils • Chicago Bears • Dallas Cowboys • Green Bay Packers • Indianapolis Colts • Milwaukee Brewers • Nebraska Cornhuskers • New England Patriots • Oklahoma City Thunder • Philadelphia Eagles • San Diego State Aztecs • Seattle Seahawks
“Well reported and meticulously researched . . . Dohrmann is a respected, diligent sportswriter and has been so for years—you don’t get Pulitzers for message-board posts.”— The Wall Street Journal
224 pages, Hardcover
Published February 20, 2018
12 people are currently reading
348 people want to read
About the author
George Dohrmann
6 books21 followersGeorge Dohrmann is a senior managing editor at The Athletic and was formerly an investigative reporter at Sports Illustrated. His first book, Play Their Hearts Out, was named one of the best books of literary journalism of the twenty-first century by GQ and called one of the finest sports books of all time by Harper’s and The New York Times. He won a Pulitzer Prize at the St. Paul Pioneer Press for a series of stories that uncovered academic fraud within a college basketball program. He lives with his family in Ashland, Oregon, where he coaches soccer and is president of the Ashland Soccer Club.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 1, 2019
I really enjoyed this book on some of the most dedicated, die-hard fans of various teams, mostly in football, but soccer and baseball were also covered. In every case, not only were the people profiled, but there were studies done on what made these people do what they did. It's good for those who want to study the brains and though processes of these individuals, as there is more of this type of dialogue in the book than there is sports coverage.
March 30, 2018
We've all probably witnessed fan behavior at some point that leaves us shaking our heads. In Superfans, Dohrmann examines the psychology behind behavior that to the casual observer is at best questionable. He shows us both the beauty and darkness that can result from what may seem to some as an obsession. For me, part of the fun of reading Superfans is that this was a topic I didn't even realize I was interested in prior to reading.
Dohrmann relies pretty heavily on Psychology professor Dan Wann, whose research focuses on team identification. Wann is quoted describing how a few weeks into one of his college courses, "[t]he class suddenly shifts from a gym class to a science class." Each chapter of Superfans attempts to do just this - detail an intriguing story of sports fandom and provide a scientific explanation for it, no matter how ridiculous it may seem on the surface. Picturing a man donned in a banana costume going through a whirlwind of emotions as he discovers that another fan has stolen his idea is hilarious on its own, but when Dohrmann uses the anecdote as a way to examine optimal distinctiveness vs. assimilation, he provides a platform for understanding what oftentimes seems like unexplainable fan behavior.
There were chapters where the science seemed less than fully explored or relatively obvious, but the stories themselves were amusing and enjoyable nevertheless. Superfans is a great read for any "diehard fan" or someone who has always wondered why that group of guys thought it was a good idea to spell their team's name across their bare chests in below freezing temperatures.
Dohrmann relies pretty heavily on Psychology professor Dan Wann, whose research focuses on team identification. Wann is quoted describing how a few weeks into one of his college courses, "[t]he class suddenly shifts from a gym class to a science class." Each chapter of Superfans attempts to do just this - detail an intriguing story of sports fandom and provide a scientific explanation for it, no matter how ridiculous it may seem on the surface. Picturing a man donned in a banana costume going through a whirlwind of emotions as he discovers that another fan has stolen his idea is hilarious on its own, but when Dohrmann uses the anecdote as a way to examine optimal distinctiveness vs. assimilation, he provides a platform for understanding what oftentimes seems like unexplainable fan behavior.
There were chapters where the science seemed less than fully explored or relatively obvious, but the stories themselves were amusing and enjoyable nevertheless. Superfans is a great read for any "diehard fan" or someone who has always wondered why that group of guys thought it was a good idea to spell their team's name across their bare chests in below freezing temperatures.
March 2, 2018
This book was such a fun read. I don't know that I really learned anything, but it sure was interesting.
May 5, 2020
This was another book that was a bit of a letdown. Although I don't watch much in the way of sports myself, popular psychology is a particular interest of mine and learning more about why some other people are so into sports appealed to me. Unfortunately, the psychology in this one was extremely light. To some extent, this seems to be due to the limited amount of research that's been done. The conclusions were all pretty basic - things like 'people are invested in sports because who they root for becomes part of their identity'. Even for the research the author described, though, we mostly got a punch line and little to no details of how the research study was set up. There was one section on male vs female fans that handled nuanced questions gender and fandom quite well, via extensive quotes from female fans and from one of the female researchers who studies sports fans. Other sections included the author making jokes about women not being into sports and completely glossing over the sexism of various groups of fans though, so I'm hesitant to give him much credit on that front. This book did have some heartwarming and hilarious stories about fans that I enjoyed a lot. At the end of the day though, I have a hard time imagining recommending this to someone. If they asked for a book on this exact topic, I'd suggest it, but only lukewarmly.This review was originally posted on Doing Dewey
August 19, 2020
Even though I am not a sports fan, I picked up this book out of curiosity about what motivates extreme fandom and whether it might be similar to political and religious extremism. Dohrmann makes the point that identity is, unsurprisingly, at the core of fandom and he touches lightly on some gender and religious issues, but there's not much deep analysis. It's still a fun read though - lots of well-told stories and good portraits of some superfans.
February 19, 2018
60% of Americans identify as sports fans, and if you're reading this review you probably count yourself among the ranks of athletic partisans. Originally inspired by his experiences fielding calls from irate readers while working the sports desk at The Los Angeles Times at the start of his journalistic career, sportswriter George Dohrmann explores the most extreme depths of fandom in his new book Superfans and details the psychology behind such behavior. It is not as gripping or powerful as his absolutely fantastic Play Their Hearts Out but Superfans is a breezy and enjoyable application of pop psychology to the sporting realm.
Dohrmann is currently a writer for The Athletic and previously served as an investigative reporter for Sports Illustrated and won a Pulitzer Prize for a series of articles revealing academic fraud at the University of Minnesota while at the St. Paul Pioneer-Press. He is a tremendously gifted writer with a knack for deep and engaging character portraits. Superfans has a bit more an educational bent than some of his other work but he still excels at bringing to life and colorful and outrageous fans he meets such as Steven Nevets, the founder of the Portland Timbers' Timbers Army and the eccentric forefather of fan psychology Dr. Dan Wann.
Superfans bounces around the major aspects of fandom including illusions of control, affiliation and identification, and hatred or rivals. Each chapter has a mix of profiles and a little detail on relevant studies. Given the minutia researched across a variety of academic disciples, I was surprised to learn the marginalized position of fan psychology within academia. Most of the leading researchers are concentrated in pedestrian universities and for whatever reason cluster in the Midwest. Dohrmann usually mentions the conclusions of each article, but I wish he provided more detail at the psychological concepts hypothesized as causing such findings. The book might have benefited from a co-author from academia to give the book a little more scientific heft. I realize it is intended for sports fans more than psychologists, but if you are looking for some meaty psychological and neurological explanations you may find yourself wanting.
The majority of studies in the space seem to be quirky and along the lines of "The Impact of Team Identification on Biased Ratings of Odors." Some of these studies are legitimately fascinating and it is great for them to be shared with a broader audience. However, a good portion of the research papers lean heavily on self-reporting and I would imagine that the approach could cause some issues. It doesn't take a PhD to acknowledge that sometimes passionate sports fans can be a tad biased, especially when reflecting on their own behavior. Sometimes the conclusions are essentially reaffirmations of common sense, such as the notion that fathers are hugely influential in shaping rooting interests and that many fans are looking for social acceptance and a sense of camaraderie. Dohrmann also largely ignores sports fans beyond America's shores, and I would have appreciated expanding the book's geographical scope, especially when it comes to some of the more soccer-mad countries.
Gripes aside, Superfans was still quite a fun read. Dohrmann writes with a sense of compassion and empathy for the fan and he gives his superfan subjects a sense of humanity that can be lacking in some accounts. It's a nice mix of sociology and psychology applied to the sports fan, a topic that for some reason has largely been ignored by the brobdingnagian pop psychology publishing world to this point. Sure, I would have liked some more scientific rigor in some of its explanations (a psych professor co-author could have done wonders) but I still had a good time with Superfans and think it will appeal to any sports fan with at least a passing interest in the social sciences.
7.5 / 10
Dohrmann is currently a writer for The Athletic and previously served as an investigative reporter for Sports Illustrated and won a Pulitzer Prize for a series of articles revealing academic fraud at the University of Minnesota while at the St. Paul Pioneer-Press. He is a tremendously gifted writer with a knack for deep and engaging character portraits. Superfans has a bit more an educational bent than some of his other work but he still excels at bringing to life and colorful and outrageous fans he meets such as Steven Nevets, the founder of the Portland Timbers' Timbers Army and the eccentric forefather of fan psychology Dr. Dan Wann.
Superfans bounces around the major aspects of fandom including illusions of control, affiliation and identification, and hatred or rivals. Each chapter has a mix of profiles and a little detail on relevant studies. Given the minutia researched across a variety of academic disciples, I was surprised to learn the marginalized position of fan psychology within academia. Most of the leading researchers are concentrated in pedestrian universities and for whatever reason cluster in the Midwest. Dohrmann usually mentions the conclusions of each article, but I wish he provided more detail at the psychological concepts hypothesized as causing such findings. The book might have benefited from a co-author from academia to give the book a little more scientific heft. I realize it is intended for sports fans more than psychologists, but if you are looking for some meaty psychological and neurological explanations you may find yourself wanting.
The majority of studies in the space seem to be quirky and along the lines of "The Impact of Team Identification on Biased Ratings of Odors." Some of these studies are legitimately fascinating and it is great for them to be shared with a broader audience. However, a good portion of the research papers lean heavily on self-reporting and I would imagine that the approach could cause some issues. It doesn't take a PhD to acknowledge that sometimes passionate sports fans can be a tad biased, especially when reflecting on their own behavior. Sometimes the conclusions are essentially reaffirmations of common sense, such as the notion that fathers are hugely influential in shaping rooting interests and that many fans are looking for social acceptance and a sense of camaraderie. Dohrmann also largely ignores sports fans beyond America's shores, and I would have appreciated expanding the book's geographical scope, especially when it comes to some of the more soccer-mad countries.
Gripes aside, Superfans was still quite a fun read. Dohrmann writes with a sense of compassion and empathy for the fan and he gives his superfan subjects a sense of humanity that can be lacking in some accounts. It's a nice mix of sociology and psychology applied to the sports fan, a topic that for some reason has largely been ignored by the brobdingnagian pop psychology publishing world to this point. Sure, I would have liked some more scientific rigor in some of its explanations (a psych professor co-author could have done wonders) but I still had a good time with Superfans and think it will appeal to any sports fan with at least a passing interest in the social sciences.
7.5 / 10
July 15, 2018
I don't watch or have any interest in sports, but the way this book describes different types of fanatics is still really interesting, maybe more than it would be if I was a fan myself since I don't see myself in any of the descriptions of the troubling aspects of fandom.
Each chapter deals with a different facet of what it means to be a fan and how people express their fandom, usually by telling the story of a fan who embodies the chapter's focus. Some are inspiring, like the soccer fan who made it his mission to get his relatively unpopular sport shown at local bars or the mascot who recovered from the death of his young daughter with help from the fan group he belonged to, or entertaining, like fans who make elaborate costumes to showcase their loyalty or pull ridiculous stunts like printing out gigantic celebrity heads that are used to taunt players on opposing teams. Other chapters get into the darker side of superfandom, like one that chronicles the abuse sports journalist receive when publishing news that paints a franchise in a bad light.
Though the book is mostly character studies some chapters get into the psychology behind fandom. My favorite contrasts two fans' reactions to their team drafting a player who had been accused of domestic abuse. A women who was formally abused herself sticks with the team and urges others to give the player a fair shake, while a man who runs a forum dedicated to the team shuts it down and stops following the sport. Dohrmann makes the case that while both of them love the team, the man has an easier time leaving them since he has a family and other hobbies while the woman does not have that kind of support outside her sports-related social life. The concept of "optimum distinctiveness" is brought up a few times to explain why fans are celebrated for wearing face paint but ostracized for fighting with fan of other teams. Fans want to express themselves but have to straddle the line between creative passion and obsession.
Another great chapter centers around children's relationship with sports. I was surprised that the author is firmly against children being fans of specific teams. Through various studies and interviews with behavior experts he explains that kids have a very black-and-white worldview and are quick to categorize people as good or bad with no in-between. Teaching young kids that players on the family's favored team are the "good guys" can lead to them feeling genuine hatred towards players and fans of other teams, and to have dramatic emotional reaction to wins and losses. Instead of appreciating the game itself they get the idea they're watching a struggle between good and evil.
I grabbed this on a whim and really enjoyed it. If you like books about sociology or like stories about unique people (many chapters would fit nicely into an episode of This American Life) it's worth a read even if you haven't thought about sports in years.
Each chapter deals with a different facet of what it means to be a fan and how people express their fandom, usually by telling the story of a fan who embodies the chapter's focus. Some are inspiring, like the soccer fan who made it his mission to get his relatively unpopular sport shown at local bars or the mascot who recovered from the death of his young daughter with help from the fan group he belonged to, or entertaining, like fans who make elaborate costumes to showcase their loyalty or pull ridiculous stunts like printing out gigantic celebrity heads that are used to taunt players on opposing teams. Other chapters get into the darker side of superfandom, like one that chronicles the abuse sports journalist receive when publishing news that paints a franchise in a bad light.
Though the book is mostly character studies some chapters get into the psychology behind fandom. My favorite contrasts two fans' reactions to their team drafting a player who had been accused of domestic abuse. A women who was formally abused herself sticks with the team and urges others to give the player a fair shake, while a man who runs a forum dedicated to the team shuts it down and stops following the sport. Dohrmann makes the case that while both of them love the team, the man has an easier time leaving them since he has a family and other hobbies while the woman does not have that kind of support outside her sports-related social life. The concept of "optimum distinctiveness" is brought up a few times to explain why fans are celebrated for wearing face paint but ostracized for fighting with fan of other teams. Fans want to express themselves but have to straddle the line between creative passion and obsession.
Another great chapter centers around children's relationship with sports. I was surprised that the author is firmly against children being fans of specific teams. Through various studies and interviews with behavior experts he explains that kids have a very black-and-white worldview and are quick to categorize people as good or bad with no in-between. Teaching young kids that players on the family's favored team are the "good guys" can lead to them feeling genuine hatred towards players and fans of other teams, and to have dramatic emotional reaction to wins and losses. Instead of appreciating the game itself they get the idea they're watching a struggle between good and evil.
I grabbed this on a whim and really enjoyed it. If you like books about sociology or like stories about unique people (many chapters would fit nicely into an episode of This American Life) it's worth a read even if you haven't thought about sports in years.
December 17, 2017
I really enjoyed this book, especially the way the author chose to bookend it with stories of the Timbers: Nevets and Timber Jim and how one man can create a literal army in Timbers Army. This was an interesting combination of sociological research into fandom and anecdata in which the author conducted some really interesting one on one interviews.
I thought the intersections of religion and medical addiction with sports drew an interesting parallel. The Vikings fan could walk away from the Vikings entirely because he had other things in his life, the Seahawks fan couldn't. And the Cowboys youth pastor still tried to find a balance between the two. It was telling to see how real world events such as Seau's suicide and Adrian Peterson's child abuse impacted fandom.
While I agreed with the point they were trying to make, that female fans aren't a monolith, I think they could have chosen a better case study. Maybe one that didn't go for the angle that female fans need to know which boots to wear to NBA games? I also think Sexually Transmitted Fandom is an unfortunate name, glad to see that was in the relative minority and that In the Bloods were still going strong.
As a baseball fan, I loved Baer on Buster Olney, he could have included ESPN in that because they're constantly accused of the same "bias".
All in all, a really interesting read. I'd like to meet some of these Superfans one day, especially the Colts one.
I thought the intersections of religion and medical addiction with sports drew an interesting parallel. The Vikings fan could walk away from the Vikings entirely because he had other things in his life, the Seahawks fan couldn't. And the Cowboys youth pastor still tried to find a balance between the two. It was telling to see how real world events such as Seau's suicide and Adrian Peterson's child abuse impacted fandom.
While I agreed with the point they were trying to make, that female fans aren't a monolith, I think they could have chosen a better case study. Maybe one that didn't go for the angle that female fans need to know which boots to wear to NBA games? I also think Sexually Transmitted Fandom is an unfortunate name, glad to see that was in the relative minority and that In the Bloods were still going strong.
As a baseball fan, I loved Baer on Buster Olney, he could have included ESPN in that because they're constantly accused of the same "bias".
All in all, a really interesting read. I'd like to meet some of these Superfans one day, especially the Colts one.
March 3, 2018
Book-ended with stories about fans of the MLS Portland Timbers (one sweet and joyful, one very, very moving), this smart, breezy book looks at some extreme American sports fans and investigates the roots, goals, costs and benefits of their obsessive fandom. Threaded throughout the book is the research of a jolly group of sports psychologists and sociologists (we meet them playing mini-golf the night before an academic conference), whose scholarship illuminates the people and behavior Dohrmann writes about. Dohrmann treats his subjects with honest warmth and compassion where other writers might see them as easy punchlines, and he uses a masterful balance of academic research and his easy journalistic ability to show that these face-painting, costume-wearing, remote-throwing obsessives are, by and large, happier than non-sports fans. Enjoyable, illuminating, and a very snappy read, with moments of both genuine hilarity and great, moving emotion, this was a much better book than I expected from its horrible, horrible cover.
I was lucky enough to win an ARC through a Goodreads giveaway.
I was lucky enough to win an ARC through a Goodreads giveaway.
May 9, 2018
I was lucky and won a copy of this book from Goodreads Giveaways.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book and was worried it would just be fluff about the silly and outrageous things some fans do to show their love for their team. While there were some very interesting profiles of "super fans" - ie the guy who painted his house team colors, people with team tattoos, a man who wears elaborate costumes to every game, etc - it was much more about WHY people are fans.
The psychology behind fandom is seldom thought about and is a very intriguing topic. How do people start being fans? Why do some people evolve into consumed superfans? Is all this healthy and worthwhile? You'll find the answers in this well written and accessible book, and you don't have to be sports obsessed to enjoy it.
If you've ever wondered about those folks in the stands with the painted faces and Viking helmets, the folks who devote every Sunday to an all day football marathon, or just wonder if YOU might be a little too sports obsessed, then Superfans is a book you would find both entertaining and educational.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book and was worried it would just be fluff about the silly and outrageous things some fans do to show their love for their team. While there were some very interesting profiles of "super fans" - ie the guy who painted his house team colors, people with team tattoos, a man who wears elaborate costumes to every game, etc - it was much more about WHY people are fans.
The psychology behind fandom is seldom thought about and is a very intriguing topic. How do people start being fans? Why do some people evolve into consumed superfans? Is all this healthy and worthwhile? You'll find the answers in this well written and accessible book, and you don't have to be sports obsessed to enjoy it.
If you've ever wondered about those folks in the stands with the painted faces and Viking helmets, the folks who devote every Sunday to an all day football marathon, or just wonder if YOU might be a little too sports obsessed, then Superfans is a book you would find both entertaining and educational.
July 29, 2018
I suspect the current cover art may be doing this book a disservice. I expected this to be a straightforward description of the wacky things sports fans do in support of their teams. It is more nuanced an in-depth look at the sociological and psychological aspects of fandom. Along with some wacky things. For me personally, one of the things that made this book interesting was considering the parallels between sports fandom and political identification.
I found the book to be well written. The style was not too informal, but not too academic either.
I do think the author left out two (related) segments of fandom. While he did discuss female fans, he did not talk about professional women's teams. What it means to be a fan of a WNBA team, as a man crossing a nebulous boundary, or as a woman being able to root for other women, would have been quite interesting to me. He also did not discuss the fandom of the unsupported team. What's it like to be the fan of a team very few people care about?
I found the book to be well written. The style was not too informal, but not too academic either.
I do think the author left out two (related) segments of fandom. While he did discuss female fans, he did not talk about professional women's teams. What it means to be a fan of a WNBA team, as a man crossing a nebulous boundary, or as a woman being able to root for other women, would have been quite interesting to me. He also did not discuss the fandom of the unsupported team. What's it like to be the fan of a team very few people care about?
June 26, 2018
I was browsing at the library one day (something I rarely do) when I saw this book on a shelf. "Hey, I'm a big sports fan. I bet I'll like this," I thought to myself. Imagine my surprise when I began to flip through it and the first picture I saw was of someone I've met before. That's when I realized that a large portion of the book happens to be about the fandom that I belong to, including what is probably our most poignant story (an event that I was part of).
So I knew I was going to like this book and I did. Beyond the extensive writing about my particular fandom, I think it's a pretty interesting look into the heart of American sports fans.
So I knew I was going to like this book and I did. Beyond the extensive writing about my particular fandom, I think it's a pretty interesting look into the heart of American sports fans.
January 9, 2018
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
A fantastic exploration on what comprises the mental and social makeup of a fan. Do not forget than fan is short for fanatic, which, by definition, tends to focus on the extreme aspect of a fan's dedication and admiration for a team. Dohrmann does a great job of looking at the positive and negative traits exhibited by a fan. By exploring fans that would be considered "normal" as well as "extreme", Dohrmann was able to balance his approach and keep the book from going too far in defense or attack on fans.
A fantastic exploration on what comprises the mental and social makeup of a fan. Do not forget than fan is short for fanatic, which, by definition, tends to focus on the extreme aspect of a fan's dedication and admiration for a team. Dohrmann does a great job of looking at the positive and negative traits exhibited by a fan. By exploring fans that would be considered "normal" as well as "extreme", Dohrmann was able to balance his approach and keep the book from going too far in defense or attack on fans.
March 28, 2018
George Dohrmann deftly mixes academic and anecdotal research in this book about what drives sports fans. He covers the insanely-dressed fans you see on TV and college professors who seek to grasp the psychology of fandom. In doing so, Dohrmann unearths reasons both obvious and insightful, and tells very good stories along the way. Sports fans will enjoy the easy read, and they’ll better understand their own fandom after reading it.
December 19, 2022
Entertaining and informative read about some very dedicated sports fans. Dohrmann hit many of the fervent fan bases throughout the book and showcased various superfans and their life stories. His interviews and insight with the people that study sports fans are really interesting. Overall a good read recommended for any sports fan.
December 10, 2017
A really nicely balanced overview of the positives and negatives of being a sports fan. I largely gave it up after Bartman, but there are some really nice passages about the community sports engenders.
February 28, 2018
It began with soccer, talked about a church in Texas where the Cowboys are integrated into the service and the Kevin Durant betrayal of the OKC Thunder and ended with soccer, so I pretty much self-identified with a lot of it. Recommend for anyone that calls themselves a fan of any sport.
April 13, 2018
If you ever wondered why fanatical sports fans are they way they are, this book is for you. It is very enlightening and gives an understanding of these fans. Thanks to Goodreads First Reads for a copy of Superfine: Into the Heart of Obsessive Sports Fandom.
February 27, 2018
Great book
April 14, 2018
Interesting and fun read!
August 25, 2018
I am as far from being a sports fan as is humanly possible. The thought of sitting in a stadium or opposite the boob tube (AKA television) to watch other people engage in a sport is utterfly incomprehensible to me. For that reason, this probe by a professional sports writter, with input from sports psychologists, into the minds and behaviors of the fan that takes his obession to the extreme is a fascinating journey into what for me is an alternative universe. After reading the book, while I still cannot comprehend or identify with the true sports fanatic, my view has moderated from an arrogant "Get a life" to a tolerant "Oh, okay, if that floats your boat".
October 24, 2018
Mildly interesting. Those people are crazy.
August 21, 2023
This has some good stories about extreme fans, but I would’ve loved a deep dive into the psychology of it all. There’s a few tidbits here and there, sure, but just not quite enough for me.
Want to read
February 16, 2018So excited to win this on a Goodreads Giveaway! Review to come...
kindle
February 21, 2018I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia, but have no interest in football. I read this book trying to gain perspective on the fans who make their team (the Eagles around here) the center of their universe. The author did an exceptional job of explaining the culture of professional sporting events and the impact these fans have. I especially enjoyed the chapter detailing what happens when fans decide to abandon their love for their team for one reason or another. Overall, this book was very informative.
April 21, 2018
Entertaining and informative. Helps quantify fan characteristics and behavior. Good read for sports industry professionals.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews