When a Fan Becomes a Fanatic

A fan is defined as someone who has an intense liking of a sporting club, person, company, idea, or trend. Everyone is a fan of something to a certain extent whether it's a brand, musician, or a team. However, gone are the days of modern beer drinking sports fans and in with the sports fanatic. Sure, sports would be nothing without the fans, especially from a monetary aspect. Over the last couple of years, however, fans have displayed more irrational, belligerent behavior that sometimes results in violence and even altercations with the on field players. If you haven't seen footage of the brawl between Indiana Pacers guard Ron Artest and a beer slinging fan then you either don't own a television or you're in desperate need for better programming. It's time to turn it from HGTV to ESPN. You're missing some good stuff. Anyway, these recent negative connotations associated with the sports fan has left me wondering at what point the sports fan is crossing the line? When does a sports fan become a fanatic?

I believe it all starts with the nature of the beast's obsession. A sports fan is someone that enjoys discussing sports, reading articles on their favorite teams, and going to sporting events. When the day is done, the sports fan goes to bed at night, not dwelling on how poorly their team played that night, but rather assessing other priorities in life such as work or family. At this point, sports are a hobby, not a priority.

A sports fanatic often times has an unhealthy, sometimes dangerous interest in professional sports. The virus starts when people start to spend exorbitant amounts of money on team merchandise and paraphernalia. The sports team or athlete has then established themselves as a high priority in this individual's life and games start to take precedence over family obligations. When a fanatic's behavior is ultimately affected by a team's win column then it's a strong sign that they have crossed the line into obsession. For instance, one of my good friends is a huge New York Yankee fan. He has a job that doesn't pay much and his bills have piled up, but he still chooses to spend unhealthy amounts of money on baseball collector cards and he'll do whatever is necessary to catch a Yankees game. In fact, one of the three bedrooms in his house is his official "Yankee room" filled with collectibles and autographed material. While the room is actually very neat, it's made me very concerned for his financial stability and health. In fact, this concern is the main reason I wrote this article. Remember, priorities in a fanatic's lifestyle are extremely rearranged compared to that of an average sports fan. I once heard that Denver Broncos fan attempted suicide by shooting himself after a devastating loss. He left a note that was found and read something like, "I can't take their fumbling anymore."

Need more convincing? A fanatic would change their life entirely so that it is more in line with the needs of their favorite sports team. For instance, they'll move to an area that's convenient to travel to the stadium to watch football, basketball, or baseball games. Fanatics would insist that the carpet in their living room would match the team colors and you can bet that banners would grace the walls through their homes.

As I write this article I start to wonder how fanatics have reached this crazed point in their lives. I would say there are as many reasons as athletes in the sports world. Most fanatics have gotten this title due to having played the game themselves and experiencing moderate success. While their sports career have died down, the flame that burns inside of them for the sport continues to blaze wildly and they continue to seek that feeling. I'm not a doctor, but I would venture a guess that part of the problem is due to some sense of belonging. Pledging loyalty to a team or athlete allows an individual to fit in and become part of an exclusive club. You can often see this type of behavior when a team makes a playoff run. Women and men who haven't cared for a team since the season started are suddenly interested and it takes over their lives until the playoffs are over. If you're like me, you started out as a fan because you grew up in a household full of sports fans. My mother and brothers were lovers of everything UNC Tar Heel, so that's who I decided to pull for. This is where the idea is implanted and once an individual is older and has the chance to spend money on a team then the fanatic in them escalates quickly. Fanatics strive to not only be a fan, but the ultimate fan. They feel that if they can't be a member of the team then they may as well be the next best thing.

The main difference between a fan and a fanatic is involved in the different rooting styles. A sports fan may choose to wear normal team apparel to a game, such as a jersey, shirt, hat, or even a class ring to show support. A fanatic takes it to the extreme. You can find them in the stands with paint on their faces, adorning full Halloween-like costumes that are completely unrelated to the team or its mascot, and yelling at the top of their lungs. They cheer much more than the normal fans and are often times seen berating the officials to no end. Chances are they are recording the game at home so they can go back and review the questionable calls before bed so they can torture themselves that much more.

These fanatics have convinced themselves that they "know" the players and will have a personal outcome on the game. By berating an official they feel they're getting inside the head of the referee and will ultimately affect the play calling in favor of their beloved team. The extreme behavior of a fanatic in recent times has led them to altercations with the opposing players.

No matter whether you're a fan or fanatic, you're very important to the team. However, it's also important to understand the priorities in your life and keep your love for a team to a healthy level. After all, when has the team loved you back?