Ecstasy, Joy, and Sorrow: The Religious Experience of Southern College Football

Bain‐Selbo, Eric

doi:10.3138/jrpc.20.1.004

Cited by 11 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…First, this sample was narrowly defined, as college students, aged 18 to 22 years old from the southern United States. The CMCI may reveal differing results if distributed beyond the southern United States, where values and beliefs, particularly toward sport and religion could be different (Bain-Selbo, 2008). Future samples from other populations could then be compared to these current findings.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The contemporary muscular Christian instrument: A scale developed for contemporary sport

Meyer

Wynveen

Gallucci

2015

International Review for the Sociology of Sport

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Social scientists have conducted quantitative research investigations since at least the early 1980s. However, to date no valid, reliable and objective survey instrument has been developed for sport sociologists to measure important religious ideals in contemporary sport. Historical and theoretical scholarship identifies muscular Christianity as primary to modern sport ideals. Therefore we developed and validated The Contemporary Muscular Christian Instrument, an easily distributable survey that measures the prevalence of muscular Christian values among contemporary participants and consumers of recreation and sport. Our aim in developing this quantitative instrument is to provide social sport scholars a research tool that informs their understanding of these muscular Christian values as they continue to influence notions of sport, recreation, the body, physical activity, and other social indices. This valid and reliable scale allows scholars to examine larger populations and provides data suited to identify differences in levels of the constructs measured, thus allowing researchers and theorists alike to deepen their understanding of the relationship sport and religion have in the globalized social context.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The contemporary muscular Christian instrument: A scale developed for contemporary sport

Meyer

Wynveen

Gallucci

2015

International Review for the Sociology of Sport

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“…Fans assemble to enjoy and suffer through games together and follow established rituals (Pimentel and Reynolds, 2004). This can involve families and other groups of devoted fans attending games together, sitting together and chanting and gathering before games, watching games together in bars and at home; traveling together to away games, and joining fan clubs and websites devoted to their team (Bain-Selbo, 2008;Bradford and Sherry, 2015;Bristow and Sebastian, 2001;James, 1997;Ortiz et al, 2013;Smart et al, 2015;Testa and Armstrong, 2010). The bond with other fans is also demonstrated through buying and displaying team colors, team clothing and other club paraphernalia.…”

Section: The Nature Of Sports Team Love Intensitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…More intense forms of team love are associated with a biased view of the team and its quality. Devoted fans think of their team as special and often as the best in terms of fans, players and coaches (Bain-Selbo, 2008;Wann et al, 2012). These perceptions are resistant to change no matter what the fortunes of their team and hence no correlation exists between perceptions of on-field performance and club membership renewal (McDonald, 2010).…”

Section: Great Quality/qualitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These strongly held values can extend into other domains, such as the previously EJM 54,9 mentioned, right-wing political ideologies of the UltraS Italia football fans or the antiestablishment values of hardcore football hooligans in the UK (Dunning et al, 2014;Testa and Armstrong, 2010). Passionate and hardcore fans are deeply connected to and identify with their team in a way that can border on a religion; an essential part of their well-being and giving their life meaning (Bain-Selbo, 2008;Beccarini and Ferrand, 2006;De Groot and Robinson, 2008;James, 1997;McDonald, 2010;Hill and Green, 2000;Percy and Taylor, 1997;Shank and Beasley, 1998;Smart et al, 2015). Such fans self-actualize via their commitment to the team and their bonds with other fans, which enable them to celebrate the joy of victories and the despair of losses (Wann et al, 2012).…”

Section: Strongly Held Values and Existential Meaningmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sports team love ("team love" hereafter) is an ideal context to investigate the intensity of brand love for several reasons. First, the intensity of team love has a greater range than for products, reaching extreme forms that have been described as an obsession, a religious fervor and a form of tribalism that plays an integral part of a fan's life and continues over a lifetime and across generations (Bain-Selbo, 2008;Percy and Taylor, 1997;Prebish, 1984;Taute et al, 2010;Tsiotsou, 2013). For example, in India, cricket is like a religion for many.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Extreme brand love: measuring and modelling the intensity of sports team love

Daniels

Wilkinson

Young

et al. 2020

EJM

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to advance the understanding of brand love by studying its intensity and the nature of extreme forms of it, rather than its presence or absence. The love of a sports team is a type of brand love and is a valuable context to study of brand love intensity because the intensity of love can become more extreme than for products; it has two distinctive features that are theoretically, management and policy relevant; and it is an under-researched context in marketing that is socially and economically significant. Design/methodology/approach The authors empirically develop and test a multidimensional hierarchical higher-order measure of the intensity of team love and a model of its drivers and outcomes using a sample of supporter club members of a professional sports team who vary in their intensity of love for the team. Findings The results support our measurement model and its distinctive features, especially the importance of the perceived two-bond fans have with their team. While overall intensity of team love is not related to social influence or on-field performance, as hypothesized, they are related to sub-dimensions of team love, reflecting its multidimensionality. As hypothesized, the intensity of team love and social influence are related to the intention to renew club membership even with increased costs and poor performance and social influence is directly related to word of mouth and game attendance. Research limitations/implications The research is limited to the club members of one sports team in a particular sport in one country and one cultural context. Future research opportunities include: extending it to other sports and brand contexts, refining the methodology and addressing other issues highlighted by the research. Practical implications The results indicate the limits of management control of team love intensity because it develops over time independently through social processes. However, firms can help facilitate these processes. The social dimensions indicate the need to develop socially, as well as individually-focussed relationship management strategies. Most devoted fans are valuable customers, but some hardcore elements can be dysfunctional and sabotage the brand. Social implications Sport is personally, social and economically significant in most cultures and love of a sports team love can be an important glue that binds people and communities. However, the existence of extreme hardcore fans and heated rivalries can also be divisive and pose challenges for social policy. Hence, the need to better understand the factors driving more extreme forms of team love to better inform the development of social policy. Originality/value The authors focus on the intensity of brand love rather than its presence and absence as in prior research. The authors develop and test a new hierarchical measure of sports team love intensity and a model of its drivers and outcomes. The sports context is under-researched in marketing but reveals the important role played by dimensions that are obscured in studies of product brand love – its social nature and the perceived reciprocal relation with devoted fans. The results contribute to developing extended theories of brand love, open up new research opportunities and have management and policy implications.

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Spirituality and Sport: Searching for the Sacred

Trothen

2018

SpringerBriefs in Religious Studies

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Ecstasy, Joy, and Sorrow: The Religious Experience of Southern College Football

Cited by 11 publications

References 4 publications

The contemporary muscular Christian instrument: A scale developed for contemporary sport

The contemporary muscular Christian instrument: A scale developed for contemporary sport

Extreme brand love: measuring and modelling the intensity of sports team love

Spirituality and Sport: Searching for the Sacred

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