Sport Spectator Behavior as a Moral Issue in College Sport

Abstract

Fan abuse continues to be a serious problem in American college athletics. However, despite the magnitude of this problem, fan abuse has not received the same level of concern (i.e., promotion of sportsmanship and fair play) as “winning-at-all-costs” perpetrated by athletic participants. In response, the author argues that perhaps many in the sport milieu do not consider fan behavior as a moral issue (i.e., actions that are harmful to others) and therefore unworthy of more serious consideration. As a result, the purpose of this study was to explore the types of spectator abuse inflicted upon college athletes as well as assessing the emotional impact. The results of this study showed that college athletes do indeed experience a variety of insults and harassment. However, findings also indicated that athletes are generally emotionally unaffected by the abuse. The contradictory nature of this finding is discussed

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