Sports events, such as football games, are one of those events where the spectators can become as emotionally involved in the outcome of the event as the players are and the people may exhibit an array of behaviors in response to their emotional involvement. I used ethnography for my field-based research on a small group of football fans of South High School. I observed their emotional reactions at three games in which most of the fans had a vested interest because they were either relatives or schoolmates of the players.
I began observing fan reaction at the first game while waiting outside the stadium to pay my $6 ticket to get in. One comment I heard was that, "South was about to get their ass whipped because they suck." These spectators, although negatively, had become emotionally involved in the outcome before the game had even started.
The stadium was crowded with bright lights shining over the field as the game opened with a kick-off. After purchasing some Sour Patch Kids snacks and a bottle of water, I looked for a place to sit where I could both watch the game and observe the spectators. The first place I chose to sit was full of people who had kids playing in the game. It had only just started and they had already become passionate about the game รป yelling every five minutes to support their players. While I wanted to observe people, I also did not want to be around people who were screaming every five minutes. So, I decided to move to another spot that seemed a little more calm.
The next spot I found was next to a couple named Gerald and Debbie. While involved in the outcome, they were also very cordial people, asking me if I knew anyone on the team. They had a son who was playing middle linebacker, while I had a nephew who was a freshman on Varsity. It was interesting to watch this couple as Debbie would ring her cowbell and scream during a touchdown, but liked to chat during the game, while Gerald...