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Corbett Davis
Professor Gonzalez
ENC1102
30th April 2024

We are your biggest fans; Parasocial relationships between the New England Patriots and the
Populace.

In recent years, the phenomenon of parasocial relationships between athletes and their

fans has attracted significant attention, and the advancement of technology has caused these

relationships to evolve tremendously. A parasocial relation is where a person feels a one-sided

level of attachment to an influential figure (typically someone famous.) “Websters Dictionary.” I

will be narrowing my research and focusing on these relations among fans and athletes,

specifically football players for the New England Patriots franchise. The New England Patriots,

under quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick were one of the most accomplished

football dynasties the world has ever seen. Due to their massive success in the past, their fan base

has become incredibly rowdy and entitled. They are also known to yell derogatory slurs at

players on opposing teams and throw things at them on the field. Everyone who is not a Patriots

fan hates the Patriots franchise and loves nothing more than the struggle they are going through

right now, they recently lost both the coach and the quarterback that made them elite for two

decades and they have been on the decline ever since. Due to their massive success in the recent

pass, the current condition of the team (pathetic) seems to hit even harder to fans. Another reason

this has so much pull-on fans emotions is the evolution of media technology has enhanced

parasocial relationships, as the growth of personal social media profiles and the integration of
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sports news outlets like ESPN and CBS into players lives have enabled fans to access more

intimate details about athletes than ever before. The Patriots and their players are not immune to

the advances of the 21 st century, especially regarding personal brands, (Tom Brady is one of the

largest brands in the football world.)

This literature review synthesizes key insights from my distinct sources, each shedding

light on various aspects of these relationships and their impact on fans. The selected sources

provide a comprehensive overview of the emotional, psychological, and physiological

dimensions of sports fandom and how they interact. I will use these key sources to analyze the

New England fandom and its inner workings. I will also use these sources to aid my analyzation

of social media comments and help tie them to rhetorical elements and parasocial relations.

Thomas van Schaik's article, "Forging Athlete Fandom through Parasocial

Relationships," serves as a foundational piece in understanding what constitutes a parasocial

relationship in the context of sports. Schaik delves into the characteristics of these relationships,

emphasizing the need for a delicate balance to prevent them from becoming overly obsessive and

potentially dangerous or unhealthy for both parties. The article also explores the positive and

negative consequences associated with such connections, offering valuable insights into the

nuanced nature of athlete fandom.

N. Thomas's article, "On Parasocial Relationships with Professional Athletes — Pop

Junctions," complements Schaik's work by providing concrete examples of how parasocial

relationships manifest in everyday life. Thomas explores conflicts arising from allegiances to

different sports teams within families, shedding light on the intricacies of team-based fandom.

Additionally, the article acknowledges the evolving landscape of sports media and technology,
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illustrating how these advancements shape and redefine the dynamics of parasocial relationships.

Especially regarding sports betting and fantasy football.

StudyFinds' exploration of the emotional impact of sports fandom in "Hearing 'I Love

You' Doesn't Bring as Much Happiness - as Watching Your Favorite Team Win?" adds a unique

perspective. The study challenges conventional notions of happiness by revealing that the joy

derived from watching one's favorite sports team win surpasses hearing "I love you"

(StudyFinds). This source is pivotal in bridging the gap between sports enthusiasts and non-

sports watchers, offering a compelling argument for the significance of sports in people's lives. It

also shows the level at which sports fans put their team within their pyramid of priorities.

On the physiological front, the Cleveland Clinic's article, "How Rooting for Your Team

Can Hurt Your Heart," investigates the physical effects of intense sports-watching experiences.

The clinic highlights the correlation between heightened stress during intense sports games and

an increased risk of heart-related issues. I can relate this to the article, "Hearing 'I Love You'

Doesn't Bring as Much Happiness - as Watching Your Favorite Team Win?” in the sense that

they both fall under the category of physical symptoms from parasocial relations and being a

sports fan. This information adds a tangible dimension to the emotional and psychological

impact explored in other sources, illustrating that sports fandom is not merely a mental activity

but can also have physical implications.

Reinforcing the psychological corner, Wang, S’s article, “Sports Complex: The science

behind fanatic behavior,” brings forth the idea that a fans chosen team is an extension of

themselves. If the team wins the fan is happy, if they lose the fan is sad, however they still share

these emotions with the entire fan base. Being a fan brings forth a sense of family, for example
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seeing a random stranger sporting merchandise of your favorite team. Most of the time a chant of

the team in question will be yelled and now two random strangers have something in common

they can relate to. Loyalties to teams are also passed down through generations, most sports fans

are fans of their chosen team because their parents or family also root for that team.

The most impactful article for this research, “What do die-hard Tom Brady fans make of

Sunday? Once a Brady fan always a Brady Fan” by Rueb E. While my other articles venture into

defining parasocial relationships or speak on how being a sports fan has physical and mental

affects as a result, this article will strengthen my thesis far more directly. The other sources give

me a foundation and I will use this article to construct my thesis above it. This article speaks

more about Brady himself and his actual leaving of New England and is my only article that is

strictly football related (without any medical ventures.) It also highlights the impact Brady left

on the people of New England aside from the surplus of super bowl rings he brought them.

By synthesizing these diverse perspectives, this literature review aims to present a

comprehensive understanding of the multi-faceted nature of sports fandom and parasocial

relationships. It also aims to prove fans' loyalty with Tom Brady and not the New England

franchise. The sources collectively highlight the emotional, psychological, and physiological

dimensions of these connections, contributing to a more nuanced exploration of the impact

athletes have on their fans. As we delve into the complexities of these relationships, it becomes

evident that sports fandom is not a one-dimensional experience like many perceive it to be, but a

deep relationship between fan, team, and player.

Methods
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To conduct my research, I searched up key phrases on social media sites in search of

posts and accounts that I could use for my research. I used key phrases such as “New England

Patriots propaganda” or “New England Patriots Fan page,” to find fan pages and fandoms that I

could follow and use as a base line for my research. Some of the accounts on Instagram I

followed were, @Tom Brady and the official @patriots account, and. On TikTok I followed the

verified @patriot account as well as various other dedicated fan pages. After following these

accounts, I scrolled through the videos of these accounts and looked through comment feed for

any comments that I believed flagged a potential parasocial relation. I also looked through Tom

Brady’s posts to see how changes in media have affected how he makes posts on Instagram.

Using my secondary research, I will analyze the data I find under the previously mentioned

accounts and tie them together using rhetorical themes to understand the parasocial relationships

that have been formed between fans, the players and the franchise of the New England Patriots.

Results

In my research, I have found that a prominent factor that sways the masses opinions and

beliefs about a player is “News sources” and their subdivision social media accounts that are

“validated” and “right.” Channels such as ESPN and the guests (typically ex pro football players)

and analysts they bring on the show carry heavy weight about their opinion of the game and

about players. Branding through social media has also increased drastically, each player has their

own brand and the better the brand the better sponsorships, shoe deals and commercials they can

land. The increase in personalized social media accounts has allowed personal brands to reach

new heights; the increase in media technology has allowed players to connect with fans in more

ways. For more qualitative data, I selected Tom Brady’s retirement post on Instagram (His first

one) as well as the post he made when he left the New England Patriots and went to play for the
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I also included a post from the New England Patriots Instagram page of

a video of Brady’s combine performance (The combine is a mixture of different football drills

that prospective draft picks participate in in hopes to raise their draft stock.)

Discussion:

During this year's NFL draft (where teams pick players from colleges to bring them to the

pro’s) many patriots fans wanted to take a generationally talented receiver, but the Patriots

decided to take an extremely talented quarterback instead (both categories were needed.)

However, on social media fans were complaining about the draft choice until analysts started

saying it was a good pick, fans started calming down after hearing what they perceive to be an

educated opinion. When no one knows who will do well and who will not in the NFL, the

common masses still take these professional opinions with a lot of weight. News sites such as

ESPN and CBS shape the perception of NFL teams in the eyes of fans. In the later days of his

career on the patriots, non-New England fans hated Tom Brady, and the news media was a key

reason for that, with news articles such as the following being published, the masses started to

resent Brady's success. However, Patriots fans were happier than ever.

Mcdavidqc1. 2019. Accessed 2024.

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When Tom Brady decided to leave New England and continue his career in Tampa, he

made a post on Instagram of a compilation of his highlights and his favorite moments on the

team. User @kevin.marshall.5454 commented under his post “You are a god here in

Massachusetts thank you for 20+ years of greatness!!!!” Assumedly the user is exaggerating,

however there is undoubtedly a parasocial relationship between the user and Brady. Brady has no

idea who this random user online is, but he has the user calling him a god among men online.

According to the article "Forging Athlete Fandom through Parasocial Relationships," (Schnaik 1)

social media has allowed for a more unfiltered access to human athletes (allowing for good and

bad information to be accessed) making these athletes even more approachable as opposed to the

past where the only information fans would receive from these athletes would be regulated. The

unfiltered access given to the user mentioned as well as the easily accessible platform (Brady’s

comment section) he was on gave him the opportunity to praise Brady like he did. Without

advances in media this interaction could never have happened, it has allowed for an online

parasocial relationship to blossom without Brady even being aware.

Because of the evolution of sports media, Brady made his retirement announcement on

his own personal Instagram account. In the past players would typically announce their

retirement through their team then hold a press conference. Due to the nature of Brady's

retirement video, he allowed for a more personal connection to his audience. The video was very

informal, he was on the beach alone in casual attire and started crying. According to "On

Parasocial Relationships with Professional Athletes — Pop Junctions," “Parasocial relationships

are imagined connections between us and people who do not know we exist; they are, in essence,

our manifestations of the assumed intimacy between us and the people we see on our screens.”

(Thomas 1) His personal brand has allowed for these imaginary connections to be intensified,
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allowing for every single person watching the video (I included) to feel a personal connection to

Brady and really feel his emotions during his retirement. His use of elements of Pathos during

his video such as his crying and tearful reminiscing brought together Patriots and Buccaneer fans

alike in a somber unison over Brady’s final goodbye.

Dunleavy, Ryan. 2023.

The Patriots Instagram account decided to post a throwback video on November 29th,

2023, during the recent season of Tom Brady’s performance in 2006 AFC Divisional game (He

played extremely well.) User @weldonator89 commented “We’re down bad if we’re posting

highlights from 17 years ago.” Key terms to identify here are how he said “We’re” regarding the

team's performance as well as what team's social media team is posting. His grammar choice

shows that he believes he is part of the team, he is the Patriots. This is quite common among

fans, saying things such as “We won” or “We lost.” It shows a connection from the fan to the

team. In the article “Sports Complex: The science behind fanatic behavior,” Wang defines it as

Team Identification, or “The extent to which a fan feels a psychological connection to a team

and the team’s performance.” The level of saying “We” regarding a team is common (in my
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experience) in the sports world for avid fans, however it is a stark characteristic of a parasocial

relationship that is developed or developing.

Parasocial relationships can also be negative and not just fun admiration, when Brady left New

England for Tampa the fans who previously adored him became his biggest critics. For example,

when Brady posted on his Instagram page for his last retirement post, user @moyotski stated

“ACTING LIKE THE PATS DIDN’T MAKE YOU WHO YOU ARE.” An aggressive comment

that had nothing to do with his retirement post, where he essentially thanked Tampa for allowing

him to come there, win them a super bowl and then retire. This was common from Patriots fans

though, according to the article “What do die-hard Tom Brady fans make of Sunday? Once a

Brady fan always a Brady Fan” The coach of the Patriots Bill Belichick had this to say on the

matter, “You’re either a Patriots fan or you’ve been pretending for the last 20 years.” Meaning

you either stay a New England fan and hate Brady or you follow Brady to Tampa. (Rueb 1)

However, when Brady was in the Superbowl against the Kansas City Chiefs, fans found

themselves still cheering for Brady (Rueb 1)

Parasocial relations can also elicit physical reactions as well due to secondary causes, for

example in the Cleveland Clinics article "How Rooting for Your Team Can Hurt Your Heart,"

they speak on how the stress of a high-stakes game (Most games are high stakes or intense) can

trigger heart attacks in people who are at risk. (Cleveland Clinic 1) Although this reasoning

seems a little far-fetched, there is evidence to prove otherwise. According to the article, when

watching a high-stakes game your body starts to stress which then releases adrenaline which

triggers your fight or flight response. This response quickens your heart rate, which in people

who are at an elevated risk of heart-attacks this can be incredibly dangerous. People who are at
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high risk would include those with high blood pressure and cholesterol, have diabetes, or smoke

and drink excessively.(Cleveland Clinic 1) The parasocial relationships players develop with

fans and teams lasts through the years and into old age, as the article "Hearing 'I Love You'

Doesn't Bring as Much Happiness - as Watching Your Favorite Team Win?" explains.

StudyFinds did a study, obtaining research that hearing the words “I love you” from a loved one

typically causes a person to be happy on average of four hours. Whereas when a sports fan

watches their team win it keeps them happy for on average of four hours and nine minutes.

(StudyFinds 1) This study shows how important sports teams and players are to fans. Nine

minutes may seem insignificant but the fact that it is held in higher regard than hearing “I love

you” should show the pedestal that sports fans put their teams on.

My study has drawn out the effects of parasocial relationships regarding the advances of

social media in the lens of a rhetorical analysis. Each parasocial relationship is unique in the eyes

of each fan. They each believe the parasocial relations they uphold are individually special and

they are due to each different person's individuality. As defined by Wang, Team Identification

has different levels. Not all parasocial relations are on the same level of extremity and humans

differing opinions and personality traits also can alter how a person views their own parasocial

relation. Each one is unique to an individual, and if done on a healthy level can lead to fun

enjoyment of the game of football. Without the advances of media technology, the parasocial

relations that thrive in the 21 st century would not be possible, for better or worse it has allowed

fans to feel connected to players in ways never before.

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Eric Rueb, The Providence Journal (TNS). “Eric Rueb: What Do Die-Hard Tom Brady Fans

Make of Sunday? Once a Brady Fan, Always a Brady Fan.” Hill Country News, Hill

Country News, 2 Oct. 2021, www.hillcountrynews.com/stories/eric-rueb-what-do-die-

hard-tom-brady-fans-make-of-sunday-once-a-brady-fan-always-a-brady-fan,90162.

“How Rooting for Your Team Can Hurt Your Heart.” Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, 19

Mar. 2024, health.clevelandclinic.org/is-watching-sports-stressing-out-your-heart.

Schaik, Thomas van. “Forging Athlete Fandom through Parasocial Relationships.” LinkedIn, 21

July 2023, www.linkedin.com/pulse/forging-athlete-fandom-through-parasocial-thomas-

van-schaik.

StudyFinds. “Hearing ‘I Love You’ Doesn’t Bring as Much Happiness -- as Watching Your

Favorite Team Win?” Study Finds, 12 Sept. 2022, studyfinds.org/i-love-you-happiness-

sports/.

Thomas, Nikki. “On Parasocial Relationships with Professional Athletes - Pop Junctions.” Henry

Jenkins, Henry Jenkins, 18 Apr. 2023, henryjenkins.org/blog/2023/4/18/on-parasocial-

relationships-with-professional-athletes.
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Wang, Shirley. “Sports Complex: The Science behind Fanatic Behavior.” Association for

Psychological Science - APS, 1 May 2006, www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/sports-

complex-the-science-behind-fanatic-behavior.